From Tamas to Rajas and only then Sattva

I recently read that while anger and depression fall under the tamasic guna, passion and desire fall under rajasic.

This is something that modern medicine and spirituality should focus attention on.
To medicine and psychiatric healing this is a vindication: their methods and therapies generally aimed at making the patient love life again, by setting goals to look forward to in this life, is a must to first get the patient out of his melancholy.

But as with the nature of Rajas, this victory could be short-lived. For Rajas has the range of a pendulum; this world and life thrives on this guna. So when it swings toward the negative, the mental tendencies can make the patient cherish Tamas again.

The only way out is to take the patient towards Sattva, once he comes out of Tamas and gets settled in Rajas. This is only when and imperatively where spirituality should come in.

While in Tamas you teach workouts, in Rajas you teach Yoga. While in Tamas you make him run outdoors, in Rajas you have him start Pranayama. Let him eat all he enjoys while roiling in Tamas, make him watch what he eats, when he starts establishing in Rajas.

And then you start giving him sips of nectar: the royal road of Vedanta is what he should tread. Once he starts on that journey, there is no coming back. Not to Tamas, not at all, maybe Rajas during struggle.

Lessons from the movie Atmakadha

Atmakadha (IMDB Link), is a heartwarming story of a self-reliant blind man. With some very good and natural performances, it gives a view of how a blind man also can have a complete life. Even showing a blind couple managing a home and bringing up offspring. The movie shows the role churches (and such religious places of worship) have a role to play in assisting the disabled to gain their self-esteem.

Srinivasan couldn't bring out a tear like a Mohanlal or Mammootty could have, but perhaps that was never the intent. Also the movie should not have shown the child also turning blind; it does undo the good work done in displaying how two blind people can have healthy offspring. Also the daughter could have been shown as completing her exams irrespective. This would be the guidance to the audience to show how such a person can secure her future. These things could have been highlighted upon, but perhaps the director wanted to keep the scope of the script as the protagonist himself, Simple.

You are your present..

You are your present, though your past has made you
You have to breathe now, breathless though you have been

I have the freedom to choose, every minute, every second
I have the responsibility to focus, it is my awareness, my nature

To express first lose one-self, how profound are these words
Dear Mother you have insight, that lifetimes take to occur

Reduce breaths and live longer

It's been my continuous experience in meditation: Breaths automatically slowing down. To the point of not breathing. And yet, the feeling of being relaxed. Then, very slowly, breathing happening slowly. But once I get conscious of this, I feel the breath rhythm is disturbed.

But I had this theory, which I recently also heard again coming from a Vedantin. That of the 21,600 breaths in a day (with each breath of 4 seconds), as you reduce a few, you live longer.

Another aspect of breath as we know: If you breathe deeper, your mind is calmer. When you are in agitation, be it physical, mental or emotional, you breathe faster. If this prolongs in day, you exceed the 21,600 count and it reduces the life-span by that much. Which also holds up scientifically, where it's well-known that prolonged agitation of these aspects is bound to make us ill, which will obviously reduce life-span.

In the end, what we need is the primary awareness of life being a game, a dream in a forever cycle. So take the awareness of a witness while involved in Karma, fulfill your role and come out of this cycle.

So..let's breathe deep!

I am Infinite

In the rhythm of the flute, that I sat hearing
I could see, the coconut trees sway

And leaves seem dancing, in blissful merriment
I know they knew, that I am watching

We all are one, the Brahman infinite
They were expressing only, the feelings in Heart

You take the body away, but I live on
Oh foolish people, to have attachments at all

The Lonely Path

There was once a lonely path
I walked on it alone
Amidst the crowd unnoticed
At peace with myself on own

Then had I held a hand
And this gave me respect
In eyes of those who walk by
But for this I didn't care

Then we have two young hands
And this has given me bliss
Although just the taste of
Which I cannot rest till I achieve

So I look forward to the lonely path
But this time I know where to
I know now what I look for
I know now what to share

The creator's folly

There is no meaning left, in the sizzle and bustle of crowds
You can have as many, but people will only distract

A quiet reflection, when there was just One
Has created this marvel, this system of creation

I was but a loner, and then I wanted too many
Regret do I that this has, cost me my identity

Forgotten have I who I was
Forgotten have I who I am...

The Child is Spontaneous

I know not what relation it is..
I daze at you with unending bliss
Every antic my little child
Does extract a little a smile

How you do it is just being yourself
What a truthful teaching it is

The world would have a hearty laugh
if you do it, but frown on it, if ever I did

Sau Tarah Ke Rog Le Lu...Lyrics gone too far?

I was listening to this song "Sau Tarah Ke Rog Le Lu" from a recent film (YouTube Link). The music sounded jazzy. But pay attention to the lyrics, and it seems to be more about a one-night stand. And then you realize that the lyrics seem to be downplaying STDs. As if, I can't help it now, I'd rather take on the disease.

 I don't know if these lyrics raise a hue a cry or not, or the "chill it man" generation just passed it on as another test of their "openness". But it should have, the way the "Choli" songs in '93 or Govinda-Karishma songs in '95 / '95 did. That negative promotion did some damage in making it not worth having suggestive lyrics in films.

Lyrics like these need to be scrutinized by the Censor Board; not sure if it currently comes under their purview. I know the board is under pressure these days for lack of "consistency" and "moral policing" / "lack of maturity" etc etc. That can be a separate debate, but lyrics like these which undermine the gravity of such diseases while also promoting unhealthy behaviors towards sexuality, definitely need condoning!

Onam Days

(As received in a forward)

The Ten Days of Onam Celebrations

The celebrations of Onam start on Atham day, 10 days before Thiruvonam. The 10 days are part of the traditional Onam celebrations and each day has its own importance in various rituals and traditions.

1. Atham 5th Sept 2016
The first day of Onam celebrations starts with Atham day in the Malayalam month of Chingam. It is believed that King Mahabali starts his preparations to descend from Pathala to Kerala on this day. The day also marks the start of festivities at Thrikkakara temple, which is considered as one of the centers of Onam and the abode of Mahabali, with the raising of the festival flag. The traditional ritual of laying pookkalam (floral carpet) starts on Atham day. The pookkalam on this day is called Athapoo, and it is relatively small in size. The size of the pookkalam grows in size progressively with each day of the Onam festival. Only yellow flowers will be used on Atham and the design is kept simple. Statues or figurines of Mahabali and Vamana are also installed at the entrance of each house on this day.

2. Chithira 6th Sept 2016
The pookkalam design on the second day consists of a second layer added on top with 2 different colours apart from yellow (mostly orange and creamy yellow). On this day, people start cleaning the household to prepare for the Thiruvonam day.

3. Chodhi 7th Sept 2016
On the third day of Onam celebrations, the pookalam starts growing in its size by adding new layers or designs with at least 4 to 5 different flowers. The day also marks the start of shopping activities. Onam is associated with gifting new clothes, hence from this day onwards people start buying new clothes and jewellery.

4. Vishakam 8th Sept 2016
The fourth day of Onam celebrations. Vishakam is considered to be one of the most auspicious days of Onam. In olden days, the markets open their harvest sale on this day, making one of the busiest days in the markets for public. Nowadays, Vishakam marks the start of many Onam-related competitions such as Pookkalam competition.

5. Anizham 9th Sept 2016
The fifth day of Onam celebrations is one of the most important days in the Onam celebration, as it kicks off the great Vallamkali (Snake boat race) in many parts of Kerala. The snake boats are prepared for participation in the boat race at Aranmula Uthrattathi Vallamkali. A mock Vallamkali is conducted on this day at Aranmula as a dress-rehearsal for the final boat race which will be held after Onam.

6. Thriketa 10th Sept 2016
The sixth day of Onam celebrations. By the sixth day, the public frenzy starts building up. Most of the schools and public offices are granted holiday from this day onwards and people start packing their bags to their native homes to celebrate the festival with their dear ones. The pookkalam design will be very large by this time, with at least 5 to 6 new flowers types added to the original designs.

7. Moolam 11th Sept 2016
The seventh day of Onam celebrations. On this day, the smaller versions of traditional Ona Sadya (Onam lunch feast) start in many places. Most of the temples offer special sadyas on from this day. Festivities include Puli Kali (masked leopard dance) and traditional dance forms like Kaikotti Kali which are performed in various functions.

8. Pooradam 12th Sept 2016
The eight day of Onam celebrations. The day starts off with a major traditional ritual where the small statues of Mahabali and Vamana will be washed and cleaned and taken around the house in a procession. It will be later installed in the center of the pookkalam smeared with a rice-flour batter. The smearing is done by small children who are called Poorada unnikal. From this day onwards, the statue will be called Onathappan. The pookkalam design from Pooradam day onwards gets much bigger and complex in design.

9.Uthradom 13th Sept 2016
The ninth day of Onam Celebrations. Uthradom is the ninth and the penultimate day of the festival of Onam. It is considered as Onam eve and celebrated in a very big way. The importance of this day is last minute extreme shopping frenzy called as Uthradappachil and is considered the most auspicious day for purchase of fresh vegetables and fruits along with other provisions from the Thiruvonam day.

Uthradam is known as 'First Onam' because it marks the day when King Mahabali descends onto Kerala. Traditional myths say that the king will spend the next four days touring his erstwhile kingdom and blessing the subjects. Due to this, Uthradom is celebrated in a very pompous manner with larger pookkalams and celebrations in all households. The Uthradom lunch is generally grand. Women normally cut the first set of vegetables on this day that marks the celebrations of Thiruvonam in each household and preparations for grand Thiruvonam feast also start during the evening of Uthradom day.

10.Thiruvonam 14 Sept 2016
The tenth and final day Onam celebrations that culminates the 10 days of Onam Carnival. The day is known as Thiru-Onam (Sacred Onam Day) also known as 'Second Onam'. Myth says that this was the day Mahabali was sent to the netherworld ( Pathalam) by Vamana. The day marks the return of Mahabali to his fabled land (Kerala), as per the boon he received from Vamana to meet his subjects and bless them. Apart from this myth, this day is considered auspicious being birthdays of several temple deities representing Vishnu, like Vamana of Thrikkakara temple, Sree Padmanabha Swamy of Thiruvananthapuram etc.

Lessons from the movie Kaththi

First up, let's call a spade as it is. Kaththi (IMDb link) is mass movie starring Vijay, with him in double role that too exactly resembling someone unrelated, and where he can beat up tons of goons to the extent to give an adrenaline rush. And where the heroine has nothing more than face value to fill up the songs.

But I chose to mention it here because I was happy that even with the wrapping of a mass movie, the film chose to highlight a ticking social bomb as the core message: the water crisis.

Where water is pumped out from villages, snatching the livelihood of dependant farmers, while in turn sowing seeds for a food crisis.

They show Satyagraha as the modicum how they win the battle. No permanent solutions, because there are none as long as our population keeps growing and wasting water.

But at least an important message at the heart of the film. I'd recommend this film to all.

Narasimham series Part 7: Why am I back

Part 6 | But I had left it all. Why am I now back. Yes, I had to get answers. Of why were soldiers sent after me, this life. And I had to appreciate, why has Narasimha started to possess me.

The sight of the palace, or is it the Devi who presides over this kingdom, is now giving me clarity. I need to find out reasons. I had turned to the path of bliss, given this all up. Left all to their Karma. But there was the gnawing question deep within. What of my Karma: Is there a redemption, or is it for my next life.

I think the answer is close. If my tapas has purified me enough that the Lord himself takes refuge to protect this body, there is more left. I need to check why.

Dawn was to break, and the first ray had glowed my energies. I hardly needed sleep now. I rose and went off to meditation. The ocean of bliss, I could access at will! | Part 8

Dream is a hint of reality

Dream has that, the hint of Truth
It tells us that, this Life is a bluff

As in the dream, all looks true
So of this world, all looks good

I know this is hard, but think coincidence
I know this shakes up, but ask what's unfair

For knowing there is hope, for knowing what is True
That you, Your Self, is the only Real Truth

Perfection is not for here

Where there be, a perfect seed
Not like thus possible, in this life bead

The universe exists, to imperfection manifest
Even symmetry doesn't grant, beauty's best

For all that we create, is destruction certain
Life's not made, to achieve satisfaction

You are here to yearn, to gain your freedom
You are here to achieve, where perfection lives

First things first: Improve Infrastructure, Development will come

There is beautiful and cogent article one must read on the correlation of Infrastructure and Economic Growth (Article Link).

Today you drive on Indian city roads, where roads do exist, but congested, and you have no guarantee about the commitment that can be placed on reaching from point A to B. How will business people or entrepreneurs thrive.
Or if you go on rural roads, they are either non-existent or blatantly unmaintained. How does rural demand and small scale industry grow then?

There are many factors to focus on for development. But infrastructure is a no-brainer. The article I mentioned also highlights how the GDP growth, and traffic demand is of a cyclic nature. Likewise, how washroom, drinking water facilities at various points are paramount.

The Shiv Sena started the ambitious Slum Rehabilitation program to decongest Mumbai. I don't think it had the willpower to make significant progress. Today even their website (link) doesn't open! Here's another link from one of the developers involved in such projects (Builder website). Of course there were challenges, political lobbies and illegal activities happening there were being threatened. But tackling population growth is a different problem, first try to manage the population that currently exists, that was the focus! So it was a great step and in the correct direction. Build highrises, make way for transport.

Then there is sanity required in handling the private transport lobby. Look how Singapore does it (link). Public transport won't give good returns in countries with low population. But in places like India, they can be perfectly feasible. The Volvo AC public buses are a step in the correct direction to attract the upper middle class. We need to made owning private vehicles prohibitory. Lack of vision is allowing 2 million new cars to hit the roads each year (News Link)! We are ruining our environment, and thus our health and future in this manner!

The seventh pay commission mandating contributing salary towards health insurance is a step in the correct direction towards this. Not only does it get government employees access to sophisticated medical help, but also helps in hospital development in India.

And last must no the least is the job generation that it'll lead to, the way it helped America come out of depression and sow the seeds to make it attractive to business (Article Link).

Let this be the primary focus of Indian growth: Infrastructure development!

Devi Prasadam

Devi you have blessed us
Born in Mind and graced us

I had felt your presence among us
In Ashram's Devi Puja had tears welled

We carry you as hope now
You are Shakti, you already rule us

Liberate me, make me deservent
Of having borne you, as nimitham

As Durga bless benevolence
You grace and your powers
As Kali help me win over
The ignorance that veils us

Who is a Bharat Ratna and When

Let's keep the legal / constitutional / defined definitions aside.

For the common man, a Bharat Ratna is a Role Model.
And we don't award, this is Bharat Ratna for Music, or Bharat Ratna for Science. We award Bharat Ratna to the Citizen. In the sense, the person must have been exemplary in one field, but still should have been a model citizen.
And this applies to the awards from Padmashri onwards too.

This is why Sanjay Dutt or Salman Khan should and would never get it.
There was a huge ask for Saif Ali Khan to return his Padmashri when he manhandled someone in a restaurant, whatever be the context.

And hence there was the sagacity in those giving out the awards to give it out at the later part of such an achiever's life. Or even posthumously, which perhaps was taking things a bit far.
But the thought behind it always was to hold out to the world and future generations of what a Model Indian should be like.

Let's consider the tarnish to the award done by giving it to Sachin Tendulkar for example:
The very fact that the definition of comes in-scope of getting the award was changed to accommodate him, makes it all look fishy. But I'm not against the change in definition itself.

My point of view is only to ask if he was a model citizen apart from being the God of Batting.
Hmmm, well, he's only 43. There is a long life ahead of him. Too soon to say! And that's my only concern.
Consider this article (link), written before he got the award. It's not as if Sachin had been a model citizen prior to the award even. Why then had the highest national honour to be given by our most judicious then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, but for an opportunistic eye on getting some positive points for himself and his party after a scandal-led disastrous governance.

And now consider his current "performance" in the Rajya Sabha (News Link). Going by the twist in definition, of including "performance", wouldn't having given him a Bharat Ratna now look to have been done hastily?

And if a cricketer, why not the people from the Armed Forces, or the Police Forces, what about them?
Their "performance" and their sacrifices are what keeps the country standing.
Why are they confined to Gallantry awards. Indeed, they are our true Role Models.

Path to bliss: first choose happiness

Yes there is, a beautiful bliss
A bliss that's mind you, beyond happiness and grief

But to reach that bliss, first choose happiness
Get a glimpse to see, if you have the readiness

Not all can hold on, to that smile in adversity
Not every eye can peer through, the reasons with magnanimity

But try you must, it's lifetimes of cobwebs
Won't be easy but someday, get in touch with your best

The amazing Ramanujam and the power of intuition

The Ramanujam Fellowship was in the news recently for being the reason why Indian-educated scientists were coming back, leaving behind lucrative careers in the west (News Link).
While this is in itself great news for the country, and a topic to write on about by itself, the subject of this article is something different.

This article reminded me about a movie on the mathematician Ramanujam that I'd seen a few months ago (IMDB Link: The Man Who Knew Infinity). I'd been wanting to write about this great mathematician since then.

I'd read about Ramanujam growing up, as many other high-school children would have. And the Ramanujam Number 1729 (Wikipedia Link). And how numbers were such friends to this true definition of a genius. I'd already read with interest on how it seemed Goddess Namagiri (Wikipedia Link) of Namakkal in Tamil Nadu used to cause intuitions on the solutions, the equations to difficult problems. Answers Ramanujam would arrive at without going through the labour of steps arriving at them. I'd also read about how Prof Hardy was instrumental in recognizing Ramanujam's talent and getting him to England to collaborate with him. I'd also read how Ramanujam passed away at an early age and what at loss to Mathematics this was.

But the movie truly revealed many other aspects of Ramanujam's personal life and hardships which were not known to me, growing up in the era where the Internet's "networks" were just being formed. It was a great movie, who revealed his human side. It was an honest movie. How Ramanujam once even attempted suicide. How despite his professor's commitments and patience with his unscientific talent, was more interested in just going back to the place where his work wouldn't have found its due purpose.

The point I want to highlight in this article is not even this. What I want to point out is that the movie should be watched, to observe and appreciate how the power of intuition is a much greater aspect that the power of reason. At times, or I dare say most times after we've learnt to "hear" it as well as Ramanujam had, we should listen to the voice of intuition than what reason would suggest. Intuition comes from the harmony of Conscience and your God's or Inner Self's grace. It would have to be in harmony with the way things must be. If reason be the pure basis of action, then VIKI from the "I, Robot" film is far from wrong.

While scientific temper and the rigor is needed, it should in my view be a parallel thread. There is a whole world of limitations that we have to leap past, if we have progress faster. And this is not just in science, but all aspects. If one were listening to their inner voice than the brain-washing, the conditioning that happens at various levels, be it societal or marketing, the human life would be move faster towards its core purpose of fulfillment, of freedom.

Intuition is how the Vedas came to us, how the ancient Rishis made the major leaps in astronomy, medicine and philosophy. Somewhere in time, we regressed, so much that today those are just looked up with wonder, or worse, mixed up with superstition. In either case, it's not helping us.

Just as Ayurveda and Yoga are now getting new-found acceptance in the past few decades, the time has come to appreciate and accept Intuition too. To listen to those in tune with the voices in respective areas, be it Ramanujam in Maths or RD Burman in Music. Free them from the rigor to just do this (the reason why Ramanujam was getting disillusioned in England). Let's make investments on this promise from Intuition (although it sounds preposterous today) and get past mental barriers and narrow view to things. A lot of that's lost from the past will start making sense, and we can take them to stretches farther than we can today imagine.

Let's get in touch with our Inner Voice.

Whom to be First Thankful to

Should I be first thankful to the parents who got me birth
Or myself for having deserved this birth

Should I first thank the merciful lord
For giving my redemption a chance
Or the teachers who made me realise
The reasons for my birth that this is why