Why news"paper" still..

Whenever I step out early mornings, am surprised to note that news"papers" (the hard-copy) are still in circulation. We went to a friend's home who'd moved to Bangalore recently, and I noted they were signing up for not one, but multiple newspaper subscriptions. It got me thinking...

Maybe because newspapers in the US weaker on content (at least the reasonably priced ones) having an ads-to-news ratio of 10:1, and with news again largely focused on domestic sports leagues, I easily got rid of the habit of subscribing to newspaper hard-copies with a span of months there. When in India earlier (and this was the pre-smartphone era) I couldn't do without a daily dose of "The Hindu" and "The Economic Times". But in the US, WiFi was ubiquitous and I slowly started adapting to opening up news websites to read. And over time, with the advent of smartphones, to the newspaper apps, and now to news aggregator apps So the key I think is: Adapt!

Now back in India I see WiFi is equally fast and reliable, and news aggregator apps are aplenty the world over. The "Google News" App I relied on in US, is equally good here. In the sense, with sourcing content from local news and newspaper editions. It was surprising! India's come a long way in adapting to the digital era in the past decade.

So now it's time for mine and the generation after to think of weaning ourselves away from newspapers. I haven't done any research, but common-sense says that big bundle of "Times of India" which is half-filled with sleaze and gossip, and the rest mainly in ads and then content, comes with an environmental cost to manufacturing it. A cost higher that if you'd have opened up their website or their app, or added them as a preferred content provider in the Google News (or any other aggregator) app.

The cycle of supply-and-demand still subsidizes the annual news"paper" subscription cost, so we don't feel the pinch in continuing to subscribe. And this in turn keeps the vicious printing cycle going.  I know some who have "Think before your print" under their email signature but don't think much about subscribing to newspapers. Reasons varying from habit to eye-strain to the smell of the newspaper to well, nostalgia.

It's time to put an end to this. For it is only we, the readers, can put an end to it. And when the solution is only more convenient that the alternative, why not!

I can understand the generation before ours will find it harder to adapt.

But for the rest of us, my slogan is: Cmon, logon!

What is my Dharma

This is a call to all those, who like me, living in today's world, have lots to do but less time for it. It's a call for especially workalcoholics. People who think since they have to provide for family, or some who think work's what they do best or enjoy most. Pause. Ask yourself the question: "What is my Dharma (duty) at this moment?"

This simple question, when asked at any moment of perplexity, has managed to open by eyes. Give me insight as to what's the best action at that moment. You must firstly, of course, know what are the things you are responsible for. As a human given this birth, you are responsible for this temple you possess, your body. Then your mind, and every aspect of it (emotions, intellect, memory) and some things there that you need to control (ego, desire, greed, envy). You then have the duty towards your parents, your teachers (need not be all your school teachers, but those who your heart says imparted you something lasting; and including those who through experiences in life have taught you). Then you have the duty towards the spouse, the child, and the various fora of society you participate in (the place you live in say the society, the city/state/country i.e. social service), and to your occupation (your job or business that earns you a living to support your family) and your talents (hobbies or interests). Well, that's a lot, and I'm not expert, I might have missed something. But really, that doesn't matter. It's up to each individual's karma. For him to assume responsibility or not.

And from this sense of responsibility, flows various other actions in life. Optimum is the key. I can exercise the whole day, but it will be at a cost, of not giving my due to the other responsibilities I shoulder. Once this priority is set, it's also easier to manage time. Hygiene, optimal health (what's really needed to maintain it, including optimum diet and exercise), time and care for family and well-wishers, and dedication to work. And realize that automatically with this priority, many other things may fall at the bottom, with lesser time spent (wasted?) on them.

As we get better, we begin to make better decisions at a moment's notice. For example, as we all do, when we get a phone call. Whether to pick it up or not. What should I be doing now. Does my family need me at this moment. Have I given them my due, or is it the most relevant time now to give them time. Or haven't I done justice to work yet, and will plan to make up for this.

Also, we make more prudent decisions. Along with the priority, I'm talking about the ethical nature of it. Am I lying (tainting my soul and hurting someone else for personal benefit), or am I hurting the environment with this. Not every decision can be perfect, but let's do our best.

The most important thing is to dedicate every action to God. To lose attachment to any outcome. To thus award oneself forever bliss of existing (just being), and the process (with an attitude of devotion and inner peace, no matter what).

Wear your helmets

It is a very simple matter. A seemingly most obvious thing. But yet we see ourselves and those around not implementing it. The easy part of wearing the helmet when driving or ferrying someone on a two wheeler.

I'm not sure why it takes legislation. It's a striking matter that following this requires enforcement. I'm sure there must be even some pressure / lobbying against further policying on this. Which is why even in metros like Bangalore I see the driver putting on his helmet (because the traffic cops do a good job) but never bothering about the passenger they pillion.

This is not a question of driving skills. No, I'm not questioning skill, care while driving or experience. It's the simple fact that an accident is just that, an accident, a happening. And there is an equal if not higher chance of it happening due to external factors beyond your control. It might be purely the other driver's fault. Or bad roads or natural causes like poor visibility or rainy weather. But who loses, in the absence of the helmet!

It's a different matter that in my opinion Indian driving standards and traffic congestion are not even the place for two wheelers. But this is the bare minimum a two wheeler driver should ensure before he/she takes himself and someone along for a ride.

It was a heartening sight recently though to see a mother who was taking her kid along (who was standing in the front space of the scooty)making sure the kid had small helmet on. I've seen them going thus multiple times now.

I feel admiration but ask myself why. Isn't it that obvious!

The Goal of Exercise is Health, not Fitness

I see a lot of people putting a lot of effort into fitness. Body-building, running, ab exercises, those in effect to stay in shape. But these people forget the very reason why exercise is prescribed. A recent article of a youngster who collapsed running a half-marathon pressed me to write this today.

The Goal of Exercise is to stay healthy. At the very basic level, this is the fact. Staying in shape, or being lean or having muscles, are not really the goal; rather a distraction. If they happen, let them, but really, it doesn't matter.

At the next level, we'll get to introspect that even health is not an aim or end in itself. It's just the means to an end, and even the healthiest person, can die in a road accident! But let's delve into that later..

Ever since man walked out of the forest, his primary strength is his intelligence. Although he can, he's never required to build muscle. It really plays little role towards the goal of life. Of course, if your Dharma as  a soldier and sportsperson warrants these attributes, you need to do it as duty. But where your prescribed Dharma has turned out to be some other task, there rather focus on that task than the exercise itself.

More often than not, effort and time spent in exercise steals time away from your Dharma. It injures you, as any bodily regimen is bound to, and where you cannot maintain regular effort, it steals that "shape" with double the vigor. Instead, if you realize that the goal of exercise is to keep you healthy and not fit, then you will automatically look for exercises to maintain body flexible, breath calm, and mind at peace; rather than focusing on muscle toning or stamina building.

Meditation, Pranayama and Hatha-Yoga in that order are all the threefold "exercise" you need. And most importantly, they aid rather than come in the way of our daily Dharma. This they do by the added benefit of promoting inner health and  keeping you stress-free, sharper and more flexible/balanced.

Baby Kangaroo and Big Giraffe - 1

Once there was a Baby Kangaroo, one who walked past a Big Giraffe. Each had their unique gifts, different from most nature. The admiration was but mutual, and only difference was their age.

So this Kangaroo was a child, curious with lots of questions. And the Giraffe was wise, his mature stature even exceeded his height.

So this Kangaroo asked Giraffe: Why are fish so small, when they eat what we do.
The Giraffe smile and replied: Because they eat small as their size, you what you can hop on to, and I the way big trees!!

And the Kangaroo said: Just one more question.
For the Giraffe was about to sleep.
Kangaroo: How do I know what time of day
Giraffe: When Sun rises it's morning, when it's up high noon, and when it's setting it's evening. When no sun it is night! It's just that baby Kanga, we adults make it complex!!

Austerity

Woke up bathed in the sun, the time had past 9
Where was I in sleep, was it Sringeri or in bliss

There were many people I met, some family some friends
Do not know but that one, whom I befriended at once

He was tied up by the customs, some embraced and some thrust
I know not if he knew that, this was to be this life

In the rigor path that austere, what is gained and what lost
One learns much but still, remains innocent and untouched

The gains and loss are after, this life was just be shed
In Service and Sacrifice, giving away He earned most

The Hungry Soul

Ever looked at that common man on the street, the one in tattered shirt he wears everyday. Non-chalant of dusty winds and beside a swanky building. Not deep in thought, for he has to survive. Just waiting on the street before his next step.
Yes, that's where you are more likely to find him, on the street. He represents the majority of this nation. And he lives on or close to the street..

He was most likely born there, on or close to the street. His parents loved Him, and perhaps found Him as one of the few reasons to love their life. But they were forced to put Him to work to make ends meet. That is, to ensure He gets fed and clothed. Though regretful, they could not afford to send him to school. They did though, for a few years till the time he turned around 10. And then they needed him to work, as they aged early and got weaker sooner due to a life of hard labour. He had to start supporting family by the time he was 10..

Life on the street makes one hard. It's not easy to stand below the scorching Indian sun the whole day and not lose patience. You come to get cynical to the bone. Humanity comes later, the hungry stomach first. He learnt to steal, curse, defend himself, then beat up others. Smoking and drinking led him to a few of life's pleasures, times that could make him forget, to de-stress. Or else he'd have turned into a suicidal psychopath. He was not at the bedside during the last moments of his father's life. He just could not bear to hear anymore the coarse, dry cough his father suffered from. He'd walked away while his father coughed to death. There was nothing he could have done anyway..

Believe it or not, fear of the Indian policeman straightened him. Little credit comes by the way of the common hawaldar, about whose state we chuckle when we see him walking with his baton (flattering name to what should just be called a long stick). He was beaten up black and blue the first time he was caught. Then he kept getting recognized by the hawaldar posted at the street. He'd get beaten up or scowled at, sometimes for no apparent reason. The only escape was to avoid the hawaldar's sight, which was less likely. Or to just stop his vices, and get his face wiped out of the over-stressed hawaldar's memory. In the adolescent years, the latter path was easier..

As He grew stronger, his self-esteem picked up. No, the cars on the street or the celebrities on posters hadn't really disturbed his mind much in life. It was only around when he had to stop school that the feeling of self-pity had inflicted him. A feeling that was quickly solidified to stone by the stroke of heat quickly followed by the embers of a cold moon. The people in the cars, and even buses, were looked at by him, as an ant views humans...
But the cause of self-esteem was that he could work, and also earn a full-day's labour rate. He resumed some of his vices like smoking or drinking with buddies, but the fear and scars of beatings by the police evoked enough fear of punishment in him, to not go to illegal means. He earned the respect of elders he shared some of his earnings with, either when they were unwell, or even if by buying them a bidi. And thus he was made to marry (and support) another bonded labourer, a woman...

Life began to come full circle. While the pleasures of married life and sense of purpose starts melting you at first, the reality of supporting common needs begins to hit hard. It is at this point, that some of those in whom even though the fear of punishment is fixated, begin to find illegal means justifiable. He wants to be worthwhile, give his family some comforts. Even getting beaten or killed sometimes feels worth it, if just for a few days he could afford his family a good meal, small luxuries that he never got, nor would care for. But for his wife and child, can't he even get them this much...
Of course for such people, these pleasures are short-lived. They die a quick death, a knife or gun-shot wound. Or a slower one in jail, when they keep hearing of the hardships the loved ones undergo in the outside world.

And for those of weaker will (or strong enough to live in this guilt, depending upon how you look at it), they continue with harder and more labour to be able to support family. Breaking their back working round-the-clock, and yet feed a measly meal to the ever-crying, ever-falling-sick child.

The rest you know, you've read it above..

As we welcome the new year, do first reflect, before you resolve what to prioritize.
When you celebrate the India of culture, the India of hospitality, do stop to pause. And look at this man on the street.
When you celebrate India the land of democracy, tolerance, spirituality, do spare a moment for this man too. And try to look into his hungry soul...

To Learn to Unlearn

It took one life time, to teach myself
That I am this, not someone else
I am not one, watching from out
I am this, and this is my life

And now when I read, I'd quitened wrong voice
The inner was once, and always right
That I am not this, that I am that
Witness to all, and not the Doer at all

Vairagya..

He talks on phone, she listens to music
They keep doing things, they need not be

The musk lies within, yet the deer keeps searching
What need for outside, when inner world is reaping

I pray to Narayana, I pray to the Lotus
It all does not matter, for all are just me

When fire burns to ashes, where does the body go
When thought and sound leave, with whom do they merge

The universe outside, lies also within me
This knowledge is enough, let happenings just be

Vehicle Dress Codes

For some reason, I always relate a man in formals, even wearing a tie (but not a suit), as the perfect dress code for a motorcycle rider. Somehow it always matches, in my mind...don't know why..

But it put me to thought, about other vehicles, and how my mind perceives them. I realized indeed, the mind has a lot of fixations on many vehicles.
That man in suit, who's not on the motorcycle, has to be sitting in the back of a sedan, which has leather seats!
The gearless scooter goes best with riden by women, or college-going guys in track shorts or pants..

Why oh why has the mind formed these biases, and in how many other topics has it done so, God knows!

One might think that it's simply experience, what the mind has seen the most of, it perceives as correct. Kind of how marketing sells us stuff via advertisements. But ponder this: My mind sees the man in motorcycle will equally suit well in the Hero Ranger kind of big tyred cycles? Why? Maybe because it's almost a half-sized motorcycle?

Hatchbacks have to be driven best by short-sleeved guys in t-shirt!! Now, how do I go to work?? :-O

Verses for the day..

जब डॉक्टर ने आइस-क्रीम खाने पर रोक डाला
मानो मरने का आसान तरीका खोल दिया

The greater the diligence, the faster the delivery
OR
The more you are careful, the faster you deliver

Also..

The calmer you are, the faster you drive
The deeper the rest, the more dynamic the activity

A blank mind merged with nothingness
Can see all, transcending time and space

Thoughts on Yahoo-RnD leaving..

Like many an IT guy, I'm sure sure it did not augur well to learn that Yahoo was moving its RnD division back to the US, and laying off the rest of the techies in India (of course, management tugs strings enough to be itself transported to the US)...hope they at least had the common sense to move the sharp techies also to the US, than live to regret it years later..

But this move kind of came as a surprising news. It kind of reverberated GE's steps towards moving manufacturing back to the US, as the automation achieved and cost of logistics brought more business sense into manufacturing within the US itself.

But how does moving Yahoo's RnD to US really make sense. There were some details in the news clipping like a change in working style to keeping fewer locations fore more collaboration (It was consistent to Marissa Mayer stopping work from home with a similar logic). But what about brains? And the cost? And c'mon, in this era of globalization and virtualization, what are we, moving back in time Yahoo??

The trusting child..

Its a sight that never fails to break a smile on my face. A child seated on the arms of its parent (typically mother within the Infosys campus). And the child exploring us people around, or the happenings around. Never a fuss, never a scare, just complete trust. The child doesn't look to check on whose arms it is, or whether it is safe there. For that's all he/she wants to be.

And from that perch, look out to the world. It's a beautiful feeling, difficult to express in words. Just even for the onlooker to see this beautiful bond of trust..

I hope the parent feels it, and feels proud of this feeling. I feel this a lot when Shravan's in my arms. He's happy to be picked up, and then he's singing his songs..

May this trust in a child, may this innocent view of the world never be spoilt. May we never destroy this experience for a child. May we just watch, with him, and like him, the world around, in all it's beautiful glory.

We are but visitors here, for a few years at a time, let's bask in this amazing magic of nature and life around, and let it breathe through us..

The Rude Shock of Slope..

Just the day after I had written the "Magic of Second Gear" post, where I was thanking the stars for not having got me stuck on a slope yet, as if arranged by karmic forces, the very next day I got caught in the exact same situation!

I go up full speed in first gear on parking lot slopes because I did not want a recurrence of the scenario where the security guy had to drive up the car to help me out. And on this fateful day, I'm going full speed and screech just behind another car stuck on the parking lot slope (with a loud "Oh Shit" exclamation to boot!).

Full credit to the guy in front, when he had his turn, he calmly got his car up the slope, even though there was but only a whisker of space between our cars. And as if this was truly a play of nature, while I sat shuddering what to do next, and kept looking behind for other cars on the slope, there strangely was no car coming up. For if I'd seen another one coming, I'd have panicked even more. This breather really helped. No car in front or back. I slowly put the hand-brake exercise to practise, and lo and behold! The car went smoothly up!

Imagine my amazement, relief and surprise. But the incident left its mark for sure. I was shivering even after parking my car in the lot...

Poems for Shravan: Bath Time

Bath Time, Bath Time,
It is Bath Time for Shravan
Shravan is a Good Boy
Shravan is a Good Boy
Shravan is a Very Very Very Good Boy

The Magic of Second Gear

Back in India recently with wife and kid, the need inevitably arose to have a car. And since I was paranoid about driving on the roads here, I opted for at least a familiar vehicle style i.e. auto-gear car. But then this was mostly for my wife's commute, and the need invariably arose for me to use a car to office. That's when my father passed over his car in Mumbai which was lying unused..but this was a manual gear...

And while both I and my wife had started lessons months ago, we'd resigned to being unable to actually drive in a manual gear car, especially after getting comfortable with the auto-gear. We'd even left the lessons incomplete. And so when Daddy's Maruti Swift arrived, the first thing I did was to systematically resume my lessons. While in parallel to start driving the Swift to nearby open spaces to practice. But the shift from gear to gear at different speeds, in my opinion, was needless. Necessary though in developing countries dependant on oil imports, owing to the fuel-mileage savings (apparently aroun 5km difference per litre!).

And so I kept struggling. Especially after one experience where I got stuck on the road and a parking lot slope the same day. One of the security staff had to then drive the vehicle up..really shuddered my confidence a bit. But continuing the lessons in parallel really helped. And Prakash, my driving instructor, is one patient and wonderful teacher. I could ask him areas I was getting stuck and he kept helping me out with tips and practice.

And the biggest of them were these two:

1) If I keep half-clutch on second-gear, no matter how slow the vehicle gets, it won't stop. You can't imagine what a boon this tip is on huge speed-breakers or heavy but not-stopping traffic situations. Obviously, if it's stop-and-go, or whenever vehicle stops, one does have to go to first-gear.

2) If you are stuck on a steep slope, lift the hand brake up, without fixing it. Your car will at-least stop moving back when you lift your leg off the brake now. And then press the accelerator and slowly lower the hand-brake. The car just moves forward! If anything, slight pressure-release on the first gear is only needed. I've had to use this a couple of times now, even today, and has been very helpful (thankfully not in a steep slope traffic block situation yet).

The two tips above have been big contributors for me gaining confidence back in my driving!

The third confirmation / tip was from my sister that we can confidently keep ourselves in first gear and push the car up slopes. I'm still not sure why this works, even when we are going at higher speed up the slope. This doubt came to mind especially after the time I got stuck in the slope.

Well, that's lessons revision for now..hope most major ones are done now.

Picking up trash, but with flowers in hair

No sight of grace touched me more. When they say no job is below anybody's dignity, I saw it within trash-cleaners in our apartment. They value their job, and it doesn't make them feel small. So hygienic, they'd worn neat modest sarees, foreheads showing they'd been to the temple. I couln't be more inspired. I bow to them.

And we learn that life gives as one has sowed. I hope then they get bountiful good in return later...

In life we speak of intent and action. Krishna said right intent of following Dharma is more important, whatever is the vocation you seek.

But does correct intent justify misbehavior or violence to others. Does intent rule over action. I think not. I think the "correct"ness of the intent itself is relative. We might think we are defending our liberty of expression when telling all. But a national security matter might be at stake. This is where document-leaking journalists at times go wrong.
Rather, if intent is to do one's Dharma of reporting, without the intent to hurt, you'd stop when authorities and other journalists explain the repercussions.

Now does action rule over intent. I think that's a clear no. For example, a cruel policeman might be saving a woman from a rapist, but actually beating him to death to quench his blood-lust. So that doesn't count. If the same were being done with the intent being to hurt the rapist, in anger of having hurt the woman, it's different. But the highest is the attitude of just doing his job, not as a robot, but out of true compassion. That like a true soldier!

The lessons life teaches, it teaches in trickles...

To Reconcile various paths..

This journey, this quest of knowledge to understand life itself is very satisfying. And interestingly, even though various sects have been holding on to their stances, I see various commonalities. Actually, I'd like to think that actually there is no difference between the various sects in Sanatana Dharma. Or as claimed by a former Sringeri Jagadguru, even amongst religions. Since Sanatana Dharma rests on eternal laws (dharmas) as speaking the truth, right conduct, faith in God and as such, there is no religion that can claim to be teaching anything different. The only point of contrast could be in Sanatana Dharma using the Vedas as the source of truth - the eternal laws' vakya. Well then, to reconcile, firstly all religions will agree that various scriptures, even after the Vedas in Sanatana Dharma have been written to either delve in detail, or explain the laws in layman terms. Including in modern Hindu religion, where the Bhagavad Gita is now considered its most holy book.

Now within Sanatana Dharma, or now Hinduism, there is the Advaita (Self is God) Philosophy, then there is the Monotheist (One Supreme God) philosophy, and then there is the Polytheist (Many Gods with various functions) philosophy. On the face of it, these are three different sets of belief. But if we listen to the Vedas, or the Bhagavad Gita, all three are true. Devotion, or spiritual journey, cannot start without an object of devotion. An idol, a guru, a set of beliefs. Even the Vedas are taught after the student first affirms he has faith in it and his guru. So Devotion is the most important requirement. It is the truth for people in this phase of the spiritual journey, and there is no arguing this.

And thus, people will choose an object of devotion, a God, whose attributes they feel closest to. Again, here the devotion is most important. And second that the God chosen by the devotee adheres to the basic values: truth, correct attitude and intent, peace, love. If in the name of this God the devotee obtains justification to resort to violence, the devotee has definitely been misguided and misdirected away from the spiritual path.

Taking this further, a devotee might love multiple Gods for their distinct attributes. These Gods are but symbols of our creation. Or they are exemplary individuals from our past. We seek inspiration from these heroes (whether mythological or real) to be able to become like them. To strive and attain their qualities which align with the Sanatana Dharma laws.

As the spiritual journey progresses, the individual begins seeing all others as equal. No one is above the others. It starts with realizing all humans are God's creation. Then that all living beings are God's creation. Then that the whole world, animate and inanimate is God's creation. And slowly that good (or God) resides even in the most evil of people. Then the spirit of inquiry of what governs the results of good and bad behavior, and the understanding of the Law of Karma.

Eventually, at a great and deep state of maturity, the realization enters that God is beyond good and bad. And this not just the saying, like I'm doing now. But the intrinsic realization, the ability of seeing this truth from within the mind's eyes. And that God is the very source of this existence, and hence cannot be claimed to be of just human form. He is without attributes, and takes the attributes of the object reflecting it (the stone, the dog or the human). The energy, consciousness and matter combination only varies. From this point, the scriptures (actually, only the Vedas at this point) help to understand, that everything is really energy (just like the atoms were found to take up the nature of matter and wave at different times).

So really, this is an individual journey. He may or may not follow the above sequence of steps to reach the final realization. But when realizes, he definitely understands it for what it is. It really does not benefit a community or people following a set of beliefs then to fight over who's correct. The teachings are best served when individually followed!

Sun the destroyer, Sun the creator

The Sun rose over the vast green fields
It grew in size, from crimson to bright

Its body was fire, yet light serene
The very heat, cremating blood of streams

So when there was Adharma, and Dharma to restore
Destruction happened, through nature or man

Yet this very Sun, this heat and light
Rejuvenated all, and Life reshaped

Thoughts on Yugas and Vasanas

In Sanatana Dharma, you see all this mention of the Four Yugas, and how we are in the Kalki Yuga. I shared an article on Google Plus yesterday on a coincidental reflection of why these Yugas are not really periods in time, as much as in Dimension. And I saw this being elaborated in the article I shared.

I've read books and heard talks of how there are angels who guide us. Perhaps departed well-wishing souls. Perhaps forms of Energy which are symbolized in idols. Where do these angels live in. If we have a concept of time in our world, there must be a similar concept in theirs. The souls we see departing from human life go to a state of rest. There must be a concept of time after which they come back. And for simplicity sake, there must be a concept of space to where they rest. Perhaps that's where the four Yugas exist as Satya, Treta, Dwapara and Kalki. Based on their Karmas in human life, the Vasanas that get built them, take them to the corresponding Yuga (dimension).

And then all that's mentioned in multiple articles makes sense. The lives in each Yuga ranging from blissful (Satya Yuga) to incrementally less peaceful in each...makes the heaven-hell concept in Christianity easier to understand too.

The article I shared had a wonderful insight into this, as aspect I had not thought of. The Four Yugas could be a reflection of stages of self-realization. We, in this Life itself are in Kalki to Satya based on our level of Self-Realization. Or, as Swami Vivekananda had once analogized, when our soul expands beyond a stage (yuga), we are unable to stay within the cage of the human body. And we depart this body, while entering the next stage. But it's quite clear in multiple expositions, that "life" continues. "Life" based on our human wordly perception is what ceases, and too perhaps just temporarily. So maybe there's a threshold of Yuga we can achieve while staying in human life, after which the next stage involves leaving this body. I'm not sure what this threshold is; could be the Dwapara, or who knows, the Satya Yuga itself!

Kalki to Satya might play out after departure from human life too, reflecting the fluidity of life-force itself. And that's where the concept of Vasanas can help explain..

When the Gita says intent, not the action itself, is supreme; or when sages have said the last thought before departure from human life plays a part. What they are all alluding to is the "impressions" or Vasanas like Sri Sri Ravi Sankar straight away explained it as. I saw it specified in another article how the subtle body behind the physical form is on which these impressions or vasanas are getting recorded. It was also an interesting mention that both good and bad karmas cause the vasanas, and there cannot be a balance of either good or bad, for us to stop the cycle of rebirth. To "dissolve" these Karmas, is why Ravi Sankar advises doing every action in the mode of awareness. That in itself separates the seer from the doer. Or the Jagadguru's teachings advise - in a more easier form to understand for the layman - to dedicate every action to God.

This is perhaps how the intelligent force behind creation does not carry any bad Karmas even after natural calamities. Or even when wars happened and lives were lost in his incarnations. These weren't happening because of his intent. He is just playing the medium for Karmic results to play out..

A strange universe we will in, which exists within this soul and where we are part of every galaxy. Where time and space are no restriction. Which is how Sadhus and realized souls easily look into us and tell us things from our past and future..of a Satya Yuga full of bliss from where can come back to human life only when we choose to, or else we live there forever (concept of Heaven)..Amazing! If only we "Realize"!!