I've switched to artoac1.wordpress.com

Dear reader,

I've switched to WordPress upon getting the pop-up that the current Blogger app is not configured to the upgraded version of Android.

I then went into Google Play Store only to realise that the Blogger app has not been updated since 2016.

Both of above are tell-tale signs that Google is about to abandon this app/blogging site.

My posts are valuable to me so I've imported all of them to a newly created blogging site under the Open Source and free WordPress.com.

This is the Blog site URL: artoac1.wordpress.com

Questions on Vedanta

Below are some questions I've recently felt in the course of understanding rebirth and the vedantic perspective:

1) If after death of the physical body, the subtle body goes on to different planes to enjoy/suffer the results of its Karma, why then is rebirth into a physical body after that required.

2) How is awareness post death of physical body and awareness upon enlightenment different from the lack of awareness during deep sleep and the awareness during our waking state

Film review: Neelakasham, Pacha Kadal Chuvanna Bhoomi

A full fledged guy-flick of the kind I've never seen before. One that maturely touches what matters in today's society along with the fun part of what matters in a guy's life: Bikes, Love and Travel!

Well enacted and executed film. Apparently loosely based on true experiences of the writer's life. Starring Dulquer and Sunny as the riders in search of Kasim's girlfriend.

I gave it a 9 instead of a 10 for trying to corrupt the film with communist ideology.

A must watch!

Mother you have blessed

Mother Saraswathi you have blessed
Despite the many flaws in This

Picked Me up everytime I fell
Taught me patiently though I forget

May I never forget to be grateful
To be gracious, to surrender

May I lose interest in the needless
To devote all effort, in what lasts

You will get what you seek

In this life I saw
Deep impressions creating reality

Whatever I loved came back
Whatever I wanted I got
Whether I really needed them or not

So be careful what you choose
For you will get what you seek

Film Review: John Wick

High profile stars, loose storyline, and a Hitman as hero who is unbeatable.  This is good as a one time watch, but keep expectations low.

Treating a migraine

Migraine started I think due to inconsistent sleeping habits. When in the US we would meet up with friends and sleep late over Friday/Saturday evenings. That habit continued and I'd exacerbate it by watching movies during Friday/Saturday nights and straining the eyes further. Or it could be the icy cold weather in which I'd have to remove ice and snow from the car every day all winter. Or perhaps the habit earlier to have milk alone as breakfast in order to reach office fast. For some reason or the other, migraine started in Chicago.

The triggers and effects, although not as frequent as now, were still the same. Missing a meal time means only a tinge of hunger pang, but a day long throbbing pain behind the eyebrow after that. Going out in hot Sun in Bharath seems to have become another trigger, I don't remember it being a trigger in Chicago. Lack of sleep perhaps after coming back to Bharath is perhaps the main reason why it has increased so much here. While I'd sleep 8 hours in US, and no longer feel the need for that much sleep with the passing age, I need to sleep at least 7 hours. This advise of my Ayurvedic doctor Priya N has been ironically an "eye opener".

The cure though, while earlier used to be quick nap, now is only a full night's sleep. Longer naps seem to reduce the pain too. But the biggest relief comes after throwing up the food eaten untimely. I've started groaning with the pain, it is that much. What I now feel is a plan of action when such a huge Migraine attack comes is:
- Throw up the untimely eaten food, obviously nauseating because the migraine headache has started by the time you ate it. Ensure to push as much food out when throwing up.
- Immediately have a pain killer like Dolo, even though now on empty stomach
- Go to sleep, at least for 2-3 hours if not more. You should wake up as if in the morning. The headache should have gone, but if it hasn't, go back to sleep!

For prevention, a regular routine with your Ayurvedic doctor is a must (Allopathy has no clue of the reason or cure). Have trust and continue the medication even if you see the triggers still resulting in the attacks. Long term you will see benefit.

Film Review: Tumbbad

This is a Hindi film (IMDB link) starring Soham Shah.

By the end of Tumbbad, you get the message forced upon is that greed has no end, and will lead to a bad end. But ironically, even that message is thrust upon the viewer behind an act of selfless sacrifice, by a father to save his child.
You almost feel the child should have taken Hastar's garment to make his father's sacrifice worth it.

And this is the core problem behind Tumbbad. By showing the luxurious life led by the protagonist, and the excellent execution of the whole film (including the element of horror, myth and pre/post independence society), one keeps missing that the message is "no guts, no glory". I wish they had probed further into the angle of "he doesn't feel happiness in anything despite having it all". That would have been bang on to the purpose of the film!

I rated it 8/10 in IMDB.

Film Review: Manthan

This is a Hindi film starring Girish Karnad in the lead.

An inspiring story based on the Milk Cooperative movement Amul in Gujarat.
The story here about the various challenges faced in starting a cooperative. How the winning of trust, maintaining integrity and fairness, and true to purpose and values at all times are paramount. Both in winning the respect of the people, the eventual stakeholders who run the co-operative, and in being able to maintain one's sanity at the most challenging times. I'm happy also about how the movie ends in a positive note, how success and equality across caste and gender is still possible in our country