Samanya Gyan par Vishesh Tippni

New Journal

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 02:13:50 GMT

Dears...After much procrastination and bouts of laziness I have finally gotten to writing on stuff that interests me at a different blog site. The blogs mainly focusses on discussing trends related to the Retail Industry. This in no way means that I am leaving LJ. I will continue reading all your posts and posting (on more interesting things than retail) once in while :-). If Retail interests you or if you know of someone who does please ask them to drop by. Till then ...Happy Blogging!!!!

Want to beat stress? ...Breathe

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 16:59:05 GMT

Dears....As part of my Master's mission to bring peace in society by bringing peace to the individual, we are organizing a big course in Atlanta (www.artofliving.org/atlanta). Please come and be transformed for ever. Bring as many friends/relatives/even enemies!!!!!! Here is something the MSNBC covered in one of its features

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1484425642323564115&hl=en

Enjoy!!!!!

Moving On

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 18:51:51 GMT

After 4.5 yrs I am leaving my job and moving on. It was my first job out of grad school and I grew into it without realizing that I got so attached to the work environment, the people and the culture. Today as I was writing my farewell email, as I was including the names of the people to send out the email to I was amazed at the number of people I interacted with. I have had good times and not so good times at my current job but at no point did I feel that it wasnt worth it. As I am cleaning my desk, backing up my personal folders I feel pain, not the kind which stresses you out, but the kind which makes you feel grateful. I got this job after much tribulations and struggle as the US economy wasnt doing well at that time. This job was the Divine's way of telling me there is no reason to lose hope in life. I used to think I was a person who meant business and who could isolate emotion out of my dealings. Today I realize that I am as emotional in my work life as I am in my personal. I might not display it but I think that its very much there. There are many hats that we wear as we go through in life. As I get ready to don another hat in the form of a new job, I pause and bow down to my old job and all the people I learnt from and kinda got attached to. This has been truely a remarkable journey and the destination didnt matter.

Sign of Intelligence

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 20:43:25 GMT

Intelligent people have already done THIS

Six Oddities About Me - from Diffdrummer

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 01:27:46 GMT

I got this from diffdrummer and thought it would be fun to list my oddities ( six is a small number for that)

UNEVEN DISTRIBUTION OF HAIR: By the time I was in 8th Std. I was full blown hirsute person with hair over my hands and feet but for some strange reason, I still dont have a full beard growth. The most I can grow is a French beard. The patch between my side burns and lower jaw is virtually hairless.

FEW MEDALLIONS FOR ME TOO: I am supposed to have won 2 silver medals in a sport at national level when I was 13 only to be completely removed from the sport now. I sometimes wonder myself why I gave it up. Maybe I was harboring some dreams of getting my photo published in the newspaper by getting a rank in the board exams - sadly that didnt happen.

MY TRYST WITH LAW: Unlike diffdrummer I have never been to a police station but my mother has gone twice in regard to my disappearance. Yes, she has lodged 2 complaints in the local thana reporting that I had gone missing.

AFRAID OF GETTING MY HANDS DIRTY: Although I was brought up in a Gujju family where everyone dips the chappati nicely in the sabzi and in the process getting their fingers dirty, I use a spoon to get the sabzi and make a cone out of a piece of chappati and place the sabzi in it and carefully put it in my mouth.

PERPENDICULAR SOUTH PAW: I write with my left hand and hold the book at right angle to the table so that you would find me writing from top to bottom instead of left to right.

STRANGE DISTASTE: To the disbelief of all my friends and Gujju relatives, I hate Undhiu. I cannot taste even a morsel of it and I cant stand the smell of the revered dish.

As close as it gets

Fri, 14 Jul 2006 15:15:33 GMT

My dad must have had some amazing luck. Its good enough to be lucky once but its a marvel if you are lucky twice. A few years ago when Mumbai was rocked by blasts albiet in smaller proportion my dad was on the next railway platform sitting cosy reading news paper or chatting to his train-mates when the adjoining platform rocked in explosion. And then on Tuesday he was in the fast train right next to the slow train at Jogeshwari which blew up. Sharpnel flew into his train as it whizzed past the exploding bogie. The train rocked and people thought it was some derailment until someone at the window saw a ball of fire. Lucky man!!! you would say. Little did my dad know that Mr. M who sits right next to his desk at work, with whom he must have had so many chats over afternoon chai was sitting right in that exploding bogie. Last time he spoke to Mr M. was in the evening before he left for home, bubbling with joy at the news of his elder daughter topping the CBSE board exams in her school. Their conversation was how he felt proud last evening when the school felicitated his daughter. Atleast Mr. M died a happy man.
So who is responsible???? I cannot help but say that I am responsible for this. Every one is responsible for this including all those people in whose neighbourhood and ghettos fanatics implore misguided youth to take up violence in the name of religion. Every one who keeps quiet and lets these schemes hatch in their backyard is responsible. Everyone who discrimates based on religion or some such classification is responsible.
I hope things change but something tells me that unless we do something to change it we are just deluding ourselves.

What is more dramatic?

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 14:19:37 GMT

Most of the times my thoughts are more dramatic than the events that happen in my life. My anticipation of the way events turn out are always way too dramatic than the outcome of the event when it happens. This is true for events/thoughts with negative as well as positive connotations. Especially the ones with negative connotations, the outcome is a mole hill as compared to the mountain it was in my thoughts. Makes me feel as if the preceeding thoughts are more stressful than the event. So where do these thoughts come from? Sometimes I feel they come from Hindi movies, because no where else do the outcome of events assume such dramatic proportions. It ought to have been the impressions I developed as a kid watching Hindi movies. I am not saying all Hindi movies are as dramatic, but it looks like when it came to creating impressions and patterns in my mind the dramatic ones seem to have done the job. Of lately though I have been feeling like laughing at the drama that happens in my head. I mean I dont need a dvd player/tv etc. this whole thing is happening in my own private screening movie theater. No tickets even in black for seats to this show. Sometimes I wonder what is reality, that which I see happening or that which goes on in my head? Is what I am watching just a dream in between the dramatic reality happening in my head? Human mind is the most fascinating thing, the way it tricks you into beleiving things which are not is just amazing. At the same time, a balanced one is the best lens for perception. Things which cannot be logically deduced come up so intuitely in the mind and brings forth the most awe inspiring of creations. Truely the human mind is something to wonder about.

Labels

Thu, 09 Mar 2006 16:19:35 GMT

One thing that probably man does much better than God (or Nature or Divine or Whatever you might attribute as the cause and effect of natural phenomenon) is making labels and sticking the labels. Neo-Con, Con, Liberal, Right of Center, Left of Left etc. etc. World abounds in labels. What makes us humans label? I always wondered. Some many times I have observed my mind go into this labelling spree. I can almost hear the mental label printer go berserk chugging out one label after another. So what is that makes me and I am sure a lot of other people (surely there are enlightened exceptions) associate and attach labels to other humans? Is it because the mind cannot handle uncertainty and thereby attaching a label is like grouping a human (who actually is subject to change every moment) into a limited set of possibilities and bringing him/her into familiar ground? Truely it takes a lot to be open to all people and situations. Only an expanded mind can absorb all phenomenon and people and not let it fall into narrow catchments. So next time my mind goes 'sticky-labelling', I hope I can pause, observe, breath and let go. Victory to the Big Expanded Mind and Consciousness!!!

Nostalgia

Tue, 07 Mar 2006 14:25:27 GMT

Its been just 2 days since I returned back from India. It wasnt a very long trip but a heart-warming one. It came after 2 years which seemed much shorter than the last 3 weeks that I spent in India. And as I drove to work today I felt my heart sink, made me feel as if something is missing in my life. All through the drive I wondered what caused this feeling. Do I miss my parents back home? not really..I came over that part 6 years back when I set sail to do my graduate studies. Do I miss my friends...I couldnt really as most of them are in the US. So what is causing this feeling? I have gone to India about 3 times before and I have never really felt this way. I feel its the energy that is missing. When I was in India I felt this energy everywhere. Agreed it was chaotic and agonizing at times but there was always a surge of life force...that liveliness which comes out of sheer profusion of diversity .... so many people...so many different customs...so much of color. The world knows of the US as a melting pot of nationalities and cultures but I experienced India as a boiling pot of life ..with all the extra 'tadka' of chaos. In one of the many enchanting talks that my Guru gave, He said something along these lines "Wherever there is love there is longing. Longing is the sign of eternal love. If Krishna is Love than Radha is Longing". I always wondered what that meant...today I experienced it first hand. Oh India this silent gopa longs for you.

Jai Hanuman

Sun, 20 Nov 2005 17:59:35 GMT

So this Saturday night along with a group of friends after a sumptuous dinner of Palak Paneer, Chole and Pulao we say the Hanuman cartoon. I liked the feature for its music and the fact that kid Hanuman was really adorable and cute. I heard a few of my friends saying that the animation wasn’t upto the mark. I agree with them but I think it’s a good start. The good thing is that in terms of content for these cartoons there is no dearth of stories to work on in India. From mythology, Panchatantra, Jataka Tales, Tenali Rama there is just a treasure trove of stories to be told. We might not need to create a Mickey Mouse or a Donald Duck. Not that we shouldn’t. Also the fact that the fast paced professional life in India might not give parents as much time to pass on the rich myth and folklore to their children through bedtime stories. A good animation feature will be a very good alternative. As I was watching the feature it came to my mind that I should blog about different mythological characters. I am not very knowledgeable but will definitely research and put up something. What better character to start out with than Hanuman.

Hanuman – Birth

There are many versions regarding birth of Hanuman. The cartoon movie talks about the Devas troubled by the chaos created by the Asuras approach Vishnu for help. Vishnu agrees to incarnate for the 7th time and says that Mahadeva (Lord Shiva) will assist Him in His cause. As planned (referred to in the cartoon movie as Daiviya Yojana) Lord Shiva blesses Anjani – a cursed apsara who is married to a monkey prince Kesari with a son. This blessing is conveyed to Anjani by Vayu Deva and therefore Hanuman is also referred to as Pavan Putra (son of wind)

Another version which I think is wee bit frivolous talks about Shiva and Parvati, ever the adventurous lovers, decided to transform themselves into monkeys and indulge in amorous games in the dense Himalayan forests. During a climactic moment, the seed of Shiva found its mark and impregnated Parvati. Since they were in simian form it was but natural that the offspring born of such a union too would be a monkey. Not desiring to go against the laws of nature, Shiva directed the wind god Vayu to carry his semen from Parvati's womb, and deposit it into that of Anjana - a female monkey, who at that very moment was praying for a male child.

Yet another version talks about Brihaspati (the preceptor of the gods) had an attendant by the name of Punjikasthala who was cursed to assume the body of a female monkey. The curse was to be removed on her giving birth to an incarnation of Lord Siva. Accordingly, she was born as Anjana and, together with her husband Kesari (so named on account of his being as brave as a lion), lived a life of chastity and purity. She performed intense Tapasya (austerities) for a great many years, during which period she worshipped Lord Siva who being pleased with her granted her a boon. She asked that He (Lord Siva) be born to her so that she may be freed from the curse.
When Dasaratha, the king of Ayodhya was given the sacred payasa (pudding) by Agnideva to share among his wives so that they may have divine children (Ram, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna), by divine ordinance, a bird (kite) snatched a fragment of that pudding and, whilst flying over the forest, dropped it where Anjana was engaged in worship. Pavandev (the deity presiding over the wind) delivered that fragment of pudding to the outstretched hands of Anjana who immediately swallowed it. With that grace, she, in due course, gave birth to Hanumanji.

Some Thoughts

As a child who had the good fortune of being told bed-time stories by my grandmom, I was always fascinated with Hanuman. He was my favorite god. I always used to wonder why Hanuman who is so powerful, knowledgeable and a master of senses have to worship someone like Rama who was but a prince albeit an accomplished archer. While I was watching this cartoon there is scene where Lord Shiva appears in front of Hanuman and asks “Son do you know what is the purpose of your life?” Cute baby Hanuman says “Knowledge and Bhakti”. Lord Shiva says “Son you already have gained knowledge but now its time to attain Bhakti”. Hanuman the perfect embodiment of knowledge and wisdom worships Lord Rama to show that even the most accomplished, the most virtuous are incomplete without devotion. Infact the very source of all knowledge and strength is devotion – Bhakti.
Next time – How did Hanuman become knowledgable?

Wu-Li Masters (contd...)

Tue, 24 Aug 2004 14:16:24 GMT

Yesterday as I read through yet another chapter of 'The Dancing Wu-Li Masters', I was amazed at how closely related the propositions of Quantum Mechanics and Eastern Mysticism are. It was a very heady experience reading and imagining the whole thing. The macroscopic world which follows the deterministic logic of Newtonian Physics where if an observer (who is unprejudiced i.e. not having any bias to the event) has all the information available then he can predict future observations and intrapolate events which have led to the existing observation. Now a normal thinking would be to assume that the same is true in the microscopic (atomic and sub atomic) realm but that isnt the case. In the quantum world, we can never predict an event but only give the probability of it happening. Also, the event for which the probabilities are predicted are dealing with aggregate quantities eg. what is the likely hood that x nbrs of electrons jump from orbit 5 to orbit 1 in a given mass of excited hydrogen atoms. It can never say anything about a specific electron jumping. Essentially everything becomes a statistical phenomenon. So whats the mystical part ? What QM folks say is that there can never be an unbiased observation, the observer is always a part of the event an in a way influencing the event. This makes all phenomenon a subject to experience. Meaning the observer experiences the phenomenon. This is suggested as the basis of consciousness. Wow! can QM be a Theory of Consciousness. Will find out as I read further.

Wu-Li Masters

Fri, 20 Aug 2004 14:09:06 GMT

I started on this book called 'The Dancing Wu-Li Masters' by Gary Zukav. Its not a martial art book!!! It deals with the explanation of Quantum Theory and Relativity from a layman's perspective, which is what I wanted. Not having enough background in physics (inspite of being an engineer), I hope this book will give me a decent overview of the concepts in modern physics. Concepts which are considered revolutionary and which came after a long gap since the publication of Newtonian (also referred to as Classical Physics)Physics. I havent yet gone beyong the preface and the introduction, but there seems to be something promising about this book. Te one thing which really struck me about what the author refers to as the difference between a scientist and a technician. A technician is someone who works on somethings which are supposed to be look into as governed by the common perceptions in the scientific community at that time. While a scientist explores the unknown. He is giving an example of how Bohr provided a model of the Hydrogen atom to explain the emission and absorbtion spectra of hydrogen and other elements. There was interesting quote from Einstein (which I cannot remember verbatim) but it said something like this "Science is like being able to look at a watch with all its dials and stuff without being able to open it up and see the mechanism. The skill lies in providing a model of its internal functioning which matches observations in the past, present and the future". I think Einstein put it in a more clear manner ( will try to get the exact one in my next blog). Anyway am excited to read the book.

Olympics

Thu, 19 Aug 2004 17:38:06 GMT

As I lay on the chiropractor's pelvic adjustment table, I ask my doc
sca: So Rick are you following the Olympics ?
Rick: Naah. Not really.
sca: They dont seem to be that popular here.
Rick: Well thats because they are happening in Athens. We Americans dont much bother about whats going on in the rest of the world. You see we are very narrow minded (read stupid)

Now that can make an Indian person like me who seems to know a little more of whats happening outside of his city/country more feel good, but that raises one more question. Is your open mindedness really measured by how much you know about the outside world ? What if my mental eyes are filtered by narrow prisms of pre-concieved notions? Its like having this huge 1 m dia reflector telescope but the concave mirror at the end is cheap and covered with dust. So whats required for true perception, true insight ? Maybe Sant Kabir has the answer -

"Pothi Padh Padh Kar Jag Mua, Pandit Bhayo Na Koye
Dhai Aakhar Prem Ke, Jo Padhe so Pandit Hoye"

Translation
Reading books everyone died, none became any wise
One who reads the word of Love, only becomes wise

Italian in the US

Mon, 16 Aug 2004 18:41:59 GMT

This is the second time I am writing this since my office comp ditched me just when I had finished all of it and was all set to post it. Anyways its early afternoon after a satisfying lunch and moderate work load (which I have realized in my 2 years is a rarity worth enjoying). So getting along with my experience of dining out last nite, we went to a local Olive Garden for dinner on a rainy evening. I have often wondered about how foreign food in any country gets completely twisted to suit the local palate and the patrons hardly realizing that what they refer to as an 'international dining experience' can be just a name sake. Remember the Chinese food in India ? Any Chinese who tries it will declare a war on India. Any way so we ordered an appetizer to start with. 'Spinach - Artichoke Dip with Tuscany Bread' really surprised me. I dont know much about Tuscany and far less about breads native to that place - however this seemed like Pillsbury bread dough smothered with Poppy and Sesame seeds. As for the dip it was cheese and more cheese with spinach (which wasnt fresh) and herbs (which I think was mostly basil). That reminds me of an Italian student at Tech who used to curse every Italian restraunt in the US. He wouldnt ever go to one. Moving forward to the entree - "Ravioli stuffed with Mushrooms in XYZ sauce". This had to have half the cheese in Wisconsin in its sauce. As we gobbled this I felt something anchoring my stomach to a heavy boulder. They say an army marches on its stomach. Well this time around my stomach felt like being walked over by the army. To top it all I bravely ordered a dessert - "White Chocolate Cheese Cake with Raspberry Flavor". If there is one thing which is sweeter than this well decorated fare than it could be only sugar itself. By the time I reached home I was trying to keep my eyelids open. So what made me go for this stuff, knowing well from my past experience that it is going to turn into nothing but an assault of cheese, sugar and more sugar and more cheese with pasta. Such experiences make me savour the humble daal, chawal and lemon pickle ever so more. As for Italian, my next one is going to be in a small cafe somewhere in Tuscany, if I ever make it there.

Blog Time

Wed, 11 Aug 2004 01:37:46 GMT

After having heard so much about the 'blogging' phenomenon from my friends, I decided to jump onto the band wagon myself. Having gone through the usual questioning skepticism for any new thing, I finally cast aside my reservations to try out blogging. Hope this will be good experience.