Are we puzzled at the behavior of our adolescent children, do we treat them like babies? Mebbe not but we have never tried to enter their bizarre world, do we understand their lingo? We think their modified language is full of jingoism/slang which we thing is idiolect. Are we living under a rock wanting them to say thank you when the say “cheers”, “ta”, “cool”, or “nice one”. Do you wince when you hear the song Kolaveri Kolaveri Di, which got more than 7,59,385 views ----- on the net. Then you are moving away from them instead of saying “fab” and gracias”. Are they treading on your sacred cows “holy cow u” when they say “Yo boyz sing the soul song”.
Teenagers are always attracted to forbidden fruits like Adam, love and the darker side of the moon especially, not the innocent love between boy and girl that you experienced in youth. Harry Potter, Vampire loves, are like metaphors for the plight of today’s teenagers, some of them display anger, resentment and unpredictability that as adolescents they experienced from their parents and elders. They are trying to make sense of this tumultuous adult world and it becomes curiouser and curiouser. For them it is not about loving a single person in particular, they too follow their group herd instincts.The culture that surrounds and absorbs teenagers play a huge role in their lives. It is about loving the very person that their friends love the Archetype that they identify with a specific character who creates a security stereotype to validate their own experience.
It is a sort of “viral” thing like the song on u tube “white skin u girl” a shared fixation. Nonsensical words becomes trendy. All young girls and boys want to be part of a group any group.Together in the anonymity of the group the teens come to confronting situations / social issues that have pushed them to be edgy, morbidity or wickedness which becomes cool.
The themes that revolve around the groups include identity, sexuality, depression, drug abuse peer pressure,family problems, grades, love, friendship and authority. Their free creativity is actually governed or curbed by a rigid parental or societal system, imposed from without. It is more about connecting with people who like the same stuff. It is reminiscent of the old pop culture, where the group’s turns its back on the conventional aesthete judgment of elders.
All teenagers are after all intellectuals, insatiably curious and they puzzle over some of the things that bewilder us. Elders or parents and adults often cross the thin redline of the complex dawn of the teenagers, without grasping their issues which are not black and white but contain myriads shades of grey, which are baffling them. They want some empathetic dude who understands the psyche and spirit, not an old fogy who shatters their dreams in the hubris of the fading sunlight of his life. So clasp their hands take the physical and emotional journey through the conflicts of their pain and suffering to bring real meaning to their lives.
As a wise old parent we must protect our teenagers in facing their challenges for their spirits to survive.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Is enlightenment a true reflection of religions?
You don’t need religion to know know who are - our ultimate motive is to achieve our goal! Do we actually know what our goal is? Our sense of purpose - our reason for existence , all profound quests and words, but nevertheless empty rhetoric with which at the end of the day we are all left with a feeling of deprivation.
The concept of a benevolent bearded old man up above the clouds so high, who grants wishes as a reward for sub-servience is downright absurd. It seems like a leaf taken from the Harry Potter book. Does it sound logical? And then God in turn appoints, Guru’s, Bishop’s, Mullah’s and Lama’s to teach enlightenment to humanity And all the great teachers, preachers, true healers, can only point the way, they themselves have not attained Nirvana or Satori! Everybody becomes a healer, the moment he forgets himself.
Do prayers get answered, the answer is “not all the time” or mebbe sometimes a prayer is answered. What is salvation - escape from divine retribution; can we identify this as our reason for existence? To sum up succinctly was it not, that all this suffering is due to the pre-conceived notion of a so called supernatural power, the idea of a creator? And we carry the heavy burden of guilt for not believing and praying for this creator - who is the outcome of undefined incidents of some one’s bizarre imagination. Despite all the religions available and the material wealth around us, there is a lack of fulfillment in everyone’s lives.
I am deeply sad and touched at the fate of these believers. For me this resonates with my own struggles with the forces of traditionalism - and the stiff resistance of new ideas by these obdurate priests, Lama, Rabbis, Mullahs and theologians and other deluded beings. None of them are willing to understand the simple austerity of life, nor the majesty of the intelligent independent thinker. Like an albatross around their necks they will carry their religious swans also into their dark abyss.
If you believe in me, I am the holy Ganges (river), otherwise I am just a flowing dirty river.-Vinay-
The concept of a benevolent bearded old man up above the clouds so high, who grants wishes as a reward for sub-servience is downright absurd. It seems like a leaf taken from the Harry Potter book. Does it sound logical? And then God in turn appoints, Guru’s, Bishop’s, Mullah’s and Lama’s to teach enlightenment to humanity And all the great teachers, preachers, true healers, can only point the way, they themselves have not attained Nirvana or Satori! Everybody becomes a healer, the moment he forgets himself.
Do prayers get answered, the answer is “not all the time” or mebbe sometimes a prayer is answered. What is salvation - escape from divine retribution; can we identify this as our reason for existence? To sum up succinctly was it not, that all this suffering is due to the pre-conceived notion of a so called supernatural power, the idea of a creator? And we carry the heavy burden of guilt for not believing and praying for this creator - who is the outcome of undefined incidents of some one’s bizarre imagination. Despite all the religions available and the material wealth around us, there is a lack of fulfillment in everyone’s lives.
I am deeply sad and touched at the fate of these believers. For me this resonates with my own struggles with the forces of traditionalism - and the stiff resistance of new ideas by these obdurate priests, Lama, Rabbis, Mullahs and theologians and other deluded beings. None of them are willing to understand the simple austerity of life, nor the majesty of the intelligent independent thinker. Like an albatross around their necks they will carry their religious swans also into their dark abyss.
If you believe in me, I am the holy Ganges (river), otherwise I am just a flowing dirty river.-Vinay-
Spirituality is not about faith.
It is a mistaken notion to think that spirituality is in any way connected to religion, it is just an inner compass followed by human beings to discover themselves. It is a sort of reflection on the interiors of oneself to discover the consciousness that merges with the universe. In the Veda’s there is no creator for the Universe, the logic is that it evolved or the basis is that it “became” and the invisible aspect is the spirit.
A spiritual life has nothing to do with religion or leading an ascetic life; in fact one can wine, dine, womanize, smoke, be an atheist and yet be spiritual. A person who attains a broad outlook, tolerance, patience, compassion, and is an aesthete, is able to find peace within and reach the equipoise to accept life in its myriad hues.
Spirituality is not the preserve of a select few and it also does not mean one should give up worldly activity. There is no separate compartment for worldly and spiritual life, desires and ambitions are also part of the reality in life. People also think spirituality is for old and retired people who have no other work. This is a paradox because it is during our active working life that we need spirituality to complement our hectic social life, and thereby increase our confidence & self esteem that acts as a support system.
Reality as constructed by our senses is sometimes referred to as an illusion because it excludes the invisible. The world may be a temporal reality, but while it evolves it is not unreal. It comprises of layers of matter and spirit and as such illusion is a process through the senses with a beginning and an end in constant flux. Illusion and reality are part of the whole. Spirituality embodies pain, pleasure, sickness, and convalescence, all ages, all the youth of our tumultuous and tortured lives. There is no shortcut for a tranquil life the footpath has to encompass desires, ambition & life affirming view of spirituality, to evolve into the next step of collaborating with the Universe.
You may conquer the world around you but if you are not aware of the world within you, you will shrink I drown in your own hubris. Spirituality helps you to cope with joy, sorrow, hard ship and stimulate our brains to get total satisfaction in life.
A spiritual life has nothing to do with religion or leading an ascetic life; in fact one can wine, dine, womanize, smoke, be an atheist and yet be spiritual. A person who attains a broad outlook, tolerance, patience, compassion, and is an aesthete, is able to find peace within and reach the equipoise to accept life in its myriad hues.
Spirituality is not the preserve of a select few and it also does not mean one should give up worldly activity. There is no separate compartment for worldly and spiritual life, desires and ambitions are also part of the reality in life. People also think spirituality is for old and retired people who have no other work. This is a paradox because it is during our active working life that we need spirituality to complement our hectic social life, and thereby increase our confidence & self esteem that acts as a support system.
Reality as constructed by our senses is sometimes referred to as an illusion because it excludes the invisible. The world may be a temporal reality, but while it evolves it is not unreal. It comprises of layers of matter and spirit and as such illusion is a process through the senses with a beginning and an end in constant flux. Illusion and reality are part of the whole. Spirituality embodies pain, pleasure, sickness, and convalescence, all ages, all the youth of our tumultuous and tortured lives. There is no shortcut for a tranquil life the footpath has to encompass desires, ambition & life affirming view of spirituality, to evolve into the next step of collaborating with the Universe.
You may conquer the world around you but if you are not aware of the world within you, you will shrink I drown in your own hubris. Spirituality helps you to cope with joy, sorrow, hard ship and stimulate our brains to get total satisfaction in life.
Cell-fish! Texting the Death of conversation. Cataclysmic changes are taking place all around us and it effects children, marriage and our homes. We t
Cell-fish! Texting the Death of conversation.
Cataclysmic changes are taking place all around us and it effects children, marriage and our homes. We text when we should be talking and are forever hooked on to the network 24/7. Control and convenience, enables you to unfriend when you want in the cozy comfort of the internet. Our behavior is changing and becoming maddeningly intractable and cell-fish. The convenience of blocking or going offline etc has changed the way we deal with relationships in our real life. Like life’s illusion, the internet world with its many virtual friends, with whom we exchange intimate details, makes us think we have an active social life. But this a fallacy as it is devoid of depth and real bonds and in the process, real family time disappears. We don’t read or discuss anymore, conversations don’t happen, sports and games are neglected and even memories of good old days fade out.Have we pondered on the impact of technology in our lives?
We are growing up in a culture of distraction and we don’t look up from our face book screen when parent’s friends or relatives walk into our homes. On the positive side connectivity helps you deal with the difficulties of separation and you are not cut off as the generations before us. You can now message, text, speak or Skype, from anywhere in the world. People are confused of intimacy and solitude. We are in a tenuous complicity with strangers as we assiduously build up a following yet not knowing to what degree our followers are our real friends. We spend hours befriending strangers on face book, but are too busy for our kith and kin who are there in the real world.
Those who are insecure in life, find it great when they get so much attention in their little lives. Changes can be hard while some are easy, , but to change our behavior we have to change the situation. Today we measure our success by the number of mobile communication gizmos,Face-book friends, group’s, emails and posts, contacts and texts replied.
People are worried of being cut out off from the grid and loss of a cell phone is like someone has died. We need instantaneous response and gratification. Herein lies the greatest paradox in our complex world, instant communications has reduced our time to sit and think uninterrupted about life’s problems.
We are trying to customize our wants like a smoker who keeps smoking away but find it difficult to switch or change the situations, not just the environment but in our hearts and minds. Like drug addicts in rehab afterwards we are hooked on to the network and tethered like cows.
Cataclysmic changes are taking place all around us and it effects children, marriage and our homes. We text when we should be talking and are forever hooked on to the network 24/7. Control and convenience, enables you to unfriend when you want in the cozy comfort of the internet. Our behavior is changing and becoming maddeningly intractable and cell-fish. The convenience of blocking or going offline etc has changed the way we deal with relationships in our real life. Like life’s illusion, the internet world with its many virtual friends, with whom we exchange intimate details, makes us think we have an active social life. But this a fallacy as it is devoid of depth and real bonds and in the process, real family time disappears. We don’t read or discuss anymore, conversations don’t happen, sports and games are neglected and even memories of good old days fade out.Have we pondered on the impact of technology in our lives?
We are growing up in a culture of distraction and we don’t look up from our face book screen when parent’s friends or relatives walk into our homes. On the positive side connectivity helps you deal with the difficulties of separation and you are not cut off as the generations before us. You can now message, text, speak or Skype, from anywhere in the world. People are confused of intimacy and solitude. We are in a tenuous complicity with strangers as we assiduously build up a following yet not knowing to what degree our followers are our real friends. We spend hours befriending strangers on face book, but are too busy for our kith and kin who are there in the real world.
Those who are insecure in life, find it great when they get so much attention in their little lives. Changes can be hard while some are easy, , but to change our behavior we have to change the situation. Today we measure our success by the number of mobile communication gizmos,Face-book friends, group’s, emails and posts, contacts and texts replied.
People are worried of being cut out off from the grid and loss of a cell phone is like someone has died. We need instantaneous response and gratification. Herein lies the greatest paradox in our complex world, instant communications has reduced our time to sit and think uninterrupted about life’s problems.
We are trying to customize our wants like a smoker who keeps smoking away but find it difficult to switch or change the situations, not just the environment but in our hearts and minds. Like drug addicts in rehab afterwards we are hooked on to the network and tethered like cows.
RIP… No Computer, Laptop, Tablet, I-pad or Face book account, no excuse for living!
Throughout the world, the mushrooming of population growth, that too at an accelerated pace, during the 1970’s brought in its wake myriad problems. Old order was trampled upon, new values sprouted, all this led to a sort of sinister telekinesis, which brought Cyclones, Droughts, Tsunami’s, Hurricanes ethnic violence, global wars and terrorism all types tragedies, which paradoxically attempted to curb growth.
Forty years, is a long time, especially, when the world order is changing at a frenetic pace. Memories begin to flood through me as inexorable as a tide, they caress me, and I melt inside. I can’t help it, fragments half remembered, takes me back into the past, flashes of images and times interweave themselves across my mind. In the flickering twilight of my life, I can visualize my father, and the ghost of his smell, lingers in the empty room. Sadness, unlike sensation remains for a long time, the life and death struggle in this material world becomes real, and I wonder what it does, besides inflicting pain and sorrow. Nothing I learnt or was trained, prepared me for this man eat man, 21st century.
Honor, values, empathy, compassion, love and content, are in short supply, appearances are important, affectation personified, content nil. It’s really pointless of course, instances of the stolen glances in the bus- or brushing shoulders in the teeming train terminals do not exist, there is no hope for intimacy anymore. We expect the wrong values from today’s generation, whose innocence has been compromised, to be replaced with impatience, intolerance and arrogance. Earlier we had a moral obligation to be intelligent and wise; today the internet is connected with intelligence.
What does it matter if they think ‘Keats’ is the villain in Robot Cop, they are still very clever and have access to artificial intelligence. They might fail at reading, writing longhand and math’s but it’s the internet age, where websites, blogging, virtual reality, tablets and E- books are the new tools and skill sets required. They know how to operate a computer, even dropouts are adept, at texting, e-mails, remote controlling, digital streaming videos, scanning, hi-speed dubbing, morphing , creating virtual content, and they can fast forward themselves through modern life. There are few people who want to join me on my journey, as I try to flee this cyber life to wander in the winter landscape with only a solitary seagull and crow as my companions. Everyone is online on Face-book and twitter communities. What is the use of living if you cant use a computer?
Forty years, is a long time, especially, when the world order is changing at a frenetic pace. Memories begin to flood through me as inexorable as a tide, they caress me, and I melt inside. I can’t help it, fragments half remembered, takes me back into the past, flashes of images and times interweave themselves across my mind. In the flickering twilight of my life, I can visualize my father, and the ghost of his smell, lingers in the empty room. Sadness, unlike sensation remains for a long time, the life and death struggle in this material world becomes real, and I wonder what it does, besides inflicting pain and sorrow. Nothing I learnt or was trained, prepared me for this man eat man, 21st century.
Honor, values, empathy, compassion, love and content, are in short supply, appearances are important, affectation personified, content nil. It’s really pointless of course, instances of the stolen glances in the bus- or brushing shoulders in the teeming train terminals do not exist, there is no hope for intimacy anymore. We expect the wrong values from today’s generation, whose innocence has been compromised, to be replaced with impatience, intolerance and arrogance. Earlier we had a moral obligation to be intelligent and wise; today the internet is connected with intelligence.
What does it matter if they think ‘Keats’ is the villain in Robot Cop, they are still very clever and have access to artificial intelligence. They might fail at reading, writing longhand and math’s but it’s the internet age, where websites, blogging, virtual reality, tablets and E- books are the new tools and skill sets required. They know how to operate a computer, even dropouts are adept, at texting, e-mails, remote controlling, digital streaming videos, scanning, hi-speed dubbing, morphing , creating virtual content, and they can fast forward themselves through modern life. There are few people who want to join me on my journey, as I try to flee this cyber life to wander in the winter landscape with only a solitary seagull and crow as my companions. Everyone is online on Face-book and twitter communities. What is the use of living if you cant use a computer?
Stretch your dreams till it breaks into a flip flop.
Way back in 1960, an unknown athlete called Dick Fosbury virtually “inverted” the traditional technique of high jumping. He created a revolution in athletics by clearing the bar with his back to it, as opposed to the conventional straddle method of lead arm and leg followed by stomach.
But most athletes who had practiced and were conditioned over the years did not change their technique for more than a decade even after this stupendous feat. It was only when the next crop of new kids who had nothing to lose started copying this style that it became popular and has become a standard method in the sport now.
Similarly the creative idea of Face book has overnight become the biggest business entity in just 3 years. Steve Jobs also likewise changed the face of the cell phone and laptop industry. It means we have to stretch our dreams and imaginations to explore new horizons while ignoring the obvious.
An adolescent day dream can have earth shattering implications and become utterly beautiful transforming our whole lives. We inhabit a strange world where disruption is the new mantra. Turn all conventions and traditions upside down, question all logic and theories, aspire to be different, do not follow the herd, believe no one, create your own path that is true liberation. – Vinay-
But most athletes who had practiced and were conditioned over the years did not change their technique for more than a decade even after this stupendous feat. It was only when the next crop of new kids who had nothing to lose started copying this style that it became popular and has become a standard method in the sport now.
Similarly the creative idea of Face book has overnight become the biggest business entity in just 3 years. Steve Jobs also likewise changed the face of the cell phone and laptop industry. It means we have to stretch our dreams and imaginations to explore new horizons while ignoring the obvious.
An adolescent day dream can have earth shattering implications and become utterly beautiful transforming our whole lives. We inhabit a strange world where disruption is the new mantra. Turn all conventions and traditions upside down, question all logic and theories, aspire to be different, do not follow the herd, believe no one, create your own path that is true liberation. – Vinay-
Yoga the New Satanic Poses ?
The 86 year old Father Gabriele Amorth who has been cloaked in anonymity for years has suddenly emerged from the shadows of the Vatican’s dubious designation as “chief exorcist”. In his endeavor to earn his 5 minutes of fame before the Lord summons him to Headquarters’ has deemed the practice of yoga as satanic and evil. In his profound ignorance he has claimed that yoga is worship of Hindu religion; after 86 years on this planet the poor soul and theologist has not even comprehended that “Hinduism” is not a religion but a way of life.
What he perhaps will never understand with his conditioned duck brain is that neither Yoga nor Hinduism are religions. In feet it is more popular in the west where it has proliferated like wild fire. The fallout of such popularity is that there has been massive monetization of yoga as a discipline. Sinister yogi’s have moved in, and like a product tried to take it to the next business level, which has caused the externalization of yoga in the west.
Yoga simply means union or junction; it is more or less a physical, mental and spiritual discipline. A technique to still the mind from the outer and increase concentration and thereby consciousness in an attempt to integrate and strengthen the inner & outer compartments and reduce turmoil.
However the Vedic view is not introspective but rather extrovert tilting towards the predatory! Stilling the mind requires years of practice and the west with its love of instant gratification is trying to project yoga like a product or Nike shoe. Just don your yoga outfit and “Stop it”. (Mind), which is easier, said than done. But father Gabriel should try yoga as he seems to have developed arteriosclerosis of the mind.
What he perhaps will never understand with his conditioned duck brain is that neither Yoga nor Hinduism are religions. In feet it is more popular in the west where it has proliferated like wild fire. The fallout of such popularity is that there has been massive monetization of yoga as a discipline. Sinister yogi’s have moved in, and like a product tried to take it to the next business level, which has caused the externalization of yoga in the west.
Yoga simply means union or junction; it is more or less a physical, mental and spiritual discipline. A technique to still the mind from the outer and increase concentration and thereby consciousness in an attempt to integrate and strengthen the inner & outer compartments and reduce turmoil.
However the Vedic view is not introspective but rather extrovert tilting towards the predatory! Stilling the mind requires years of practice and the west with its love of instant gratification is trying to project yoga like a product or Nike shoe. Just don your yoga outfit and “Stop it”. (Mind), which is easier, said than done. But father Gabriel should try yoga as he seems to have developed arteriosclerosis of the mind.
twitter- Genesis.
It’s been rumored that back in Hollywood’s early days movie stars and moguls communicated with each other using the 140-character instant-messaging system we now know as Twitter.
According to legend, the system was invented by the actress Hedy Lamarr, over drinks at the Mocambo club with Howard Hughes, shortly before she patented the frequency-hopping spread-spectrum radio technology that paved the way for cell phones, dooming America to decades of listening to actresses insist they were not just talented or beautiful, but smart.
In search of the truth about Twitter’s allegedly glamorous origins, Vanity Fair sent contributing editor Bruce Feirstein to the bottom of a salt mine in Kansas, where the studios store their archives and original film negatives. There, among ancient contracts and discarded film scripts by dimly remembered hacks such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and William Faulkner, Feirstein confirmed the story and discovered the lost tweets of Golden Age Hollywood …
Among the first unearthed was this tweet, from the notoriously private star of Ninotchka "Pls stop following me I want to be alone". Greta Garbo.
According to legend, the system was invented by the actress Hedy Lamarr, over drinks at the Mocambo club with Howard Hughes, shortly before she patented the frequency-hopping spread-spectrum radio technology that paved the way for cell phones, dooming America to decades of listening to actresses insist they were not just talented or beautiful, but smart.
In search of the truth about Twitter’s allegedly glamorous origins, Vanity Fair sent contributing editor Bruce Feirstein to the bottom of a salt mine in Kansas, where the studios store their archives and original film negatives. There, among ancient contracts and discarded film scripts by dimly remembered hacks such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and William Faulkner, Feirstein confirmed the story and discovered the lost tweets of Golden Age Hollywood …
Among the first unearthed was this tweet, from the notoriously private star of Ninotchka "Pls stop following me I want to be alone". Greta Garbo.
The Power of Erotic capital.
French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu’s distinction between economic, social and cultural capital missed out a vital additional aspect of what makes up all human beings, namely Erotic capital. Catherine Hakim calls it the ‘fourth personal asset’. Erotic capital comprises six elements or seven in some cultures where fertility is highly valued. The six elements are beauty, sexual attractiveness, social ability, liveliness (physical fitness, social energy and good humor), social presentation and sexual competence.
Hakim explained the existence of a ‘male sex deficit’; essentially, the idea is that, in general, men want more sex than women (shock horror). This means that women have more bargaining power and therefore a higher level of erotic capital than men do. Feminist theory often erects a false dichotomy: either a woman is valued for her human capital (her brains, education, work experience and dedication to her career) or she is valued for her erotic capital (her beauty, elegant figure, dress style, grace and charm). Women are not encouraged to do both.
Catherine also states, quite rightly, that ‘men who buy sexual services are not deviants but ordinary, normal people’. While she does put men’s demand for sexual services down to the elusive ‘male-sex deficit’, she also makes an important point that is often overlooked. Too often men who pay for sexual services are seen as monsters rather than human beings capable of distinguishing between fantasy and reality. She points out; many women (particularly migrant workers) see the sex industry as a crucial source of employment, as something that enables them to gain some independence.
Feminists who seek to take this choice away on the grounds of supposed exploitation are not empowering women. In fact, they’re doing the complete opposite by seeking to undermine the choices we all make.Today’s feminists are squeamish about the idea of women using their feminine wiles to get ahead.The meritocratic capitalist values of the Western world invite us to admire people who exploit their erotic capital for its full value should not be equally admired. Honey Money by Catherine Hakim
Hakim explained the existence of a ‘male sex deficit’; essentially, the idea is that, in general, men want more sex than women (shock horror). This means that women have more bargaining power and therefore a higher level of erotic capital than men do. Feminist theory often erects a false dichotomy: either a woman is valued for her human capital (her brains, education, work experience and dedication to her career) or she is valued for her erotic capital (her beauty, elegant figure, dress style, grace and charm). Women are not encouraged to do both.
Catherine also states, quite rightly, that ‘men who buy sexual services are not deviants but ordinary, normal people’. While she does put men’s demand for sexual services down to the elusive ‘male-sex deficit’, she also makes an important point that is often overlooked. Too often men who pay for sexual services are seen as monsters rather than human beings capable of distinguishing between fantasy and reality. She points out; many women (particularly migrant workers) see the sex industry as a crucial source of employment, as something that enables them to gain some independence.
Feminists who seek to take this choice away on the grounds of supposed exploitation are not empowering women. In fact, they’re doing the complete opposite by seeking to undermine the choices we all make.Today’s feminists are squeamish about the idea of women using their feminine wiles to get ahead.The meritocratic capitalist values of the Western world invite us to admire people who exploit their erotic capital for its full value should not be equally admired. Honey Money by Catherine Hakim
-Early culture and religion.-
In the beginning… was a very female sea. For four billion years on earth, all life forms floated in the womb like environment of the planetary ocean—nourished and protected by its fluid chemicals, rocked by the lunar- tidal rhythms. Charles Darwin believed the menstrual cycle originated here, organically echoing the moon pulse of the sea. And because this longest period of life’s time was dominated by marine forms reproducing parthenogenetically, he concluded that the female principle was primordial. In the beginning, life did not gestate within the body of any creature, but within the ocean womb containing all organic life. There were no specialized sex organs; rather, a generalized female existence reproduced itself within the female body of the sea.
The reach of rationality in Hinduism is deeply a rooted in its ethos, with as explicit tradition of agnosticism embedded in it. It is emancipated from many ungrounded norms is what it means to live after the end of history. Hinduism being a way of life is dedicated to the idea that the cosmos itself undergoes an immense and intimate number of deaths and rebirths. Its cycles run from ordinary days and nights to a (Brahma) day and night of 8.64 billion years long, longer than the age of the earth or the sun and about half the time since the beginning
The way of the soul in which impermanence is an undeniable and inescapable fact of life; from which nothing that belongs to the earthly realism of existence is ever free. The insight of “Frozen reason” does not have to adhere to the idea of the soul’s eternal existence.
Impermanence can be stilled by uniting with the atman-Brahman or Universe which exists within one self. Thus a nation of ‘before’ before time existed has no meaning as we have birthed time itself. The process is cyclic and the whole thing repeats itself over and over again.
The reach of rationality in Hinduism is deeply a rooted in its ethos, with as explicit tradition of agnosticism embedded in it. It is emancipated from many ungrounded norms is what it means to live after the end of history. Hinduism being a way of life is dedicated to the idea that the cosmos itself undergoes an immense and intimate number of deaths and rebirths. Its cycles run from ordinary days and nights to a (Brahma) day and night of 8.64 billion years long, longer than the age of the earth or the sun and about half the time since the beginning
The way of the soul in which impermanence is an undeniable and inescapable fact of life; from which nothing that belongs to the earthly realism of existence is ever free. The insight of “Frozen reason” does not have to adhere to the idea of the soul’s eternal existence.
Impermanence can be stilled by uniting with the atman-Brahman or Universe which exists within one self. Thus a nation of ‘before’ before time existed has no meaning as we have birthed time itself. The process is cyclic and the whole thing repeats itself over and over again.
If you're not interested in gossip, you're not a fully grown woman.
Most people delight in censure, when they are not the objects of it; however they are offended by any publicity exposing their private vices. Yet everyone takes a vicarious satisfaction, to indulge in gossip, of their friends and neighbors in the same circumstances.
A man or woman without any interest in gossip may be impressive in his or her restraint, but also wanting in curiosity, uninterested in the cariousness of human nature, dead to the wildly abundant oddity of life, and thereby, in some central way, deficient.
Gossip- what was once a more refined custom has degenerated into a tabloid-infested culture of Internet slurs and an obsessive focus on the personal lives of public figures.
While gossip is an activity that almost everyone partakes in, it's hard to define. The first step is distinguish gossip from rumors, with the latter being “less specific’’, more general, more diffuse, less personal in content and in the manner in which they are disseminated. Rumors can lead to gossip, and gossip can reinforce rumors. But gossip is particular, told to a carefully chosen audience, and is specifically information about other people. Gossip can be false. There is of course the wish to harm someone else’s reputation by spreading stories of moral failures or sexual liaisons (here gossip and rumor can supplement each other). Just imagine how boring life and news would be, if the reportage in the tabloids left out all those titillating gossip columns and printed stock prices and inflation. The voyeuristic pleasure comes from reading the shenanigans and private lives of Monroe, Kennedys, Onassis, Clinton, Tiger Woods, Shane/ Hurley, Salman Rushdie and the salacious news of Berlusconi, Julian Assange, Dominique Strauss and other celebrities. Gossip is not about politics or celebrity, but rather people, even if they happen to be politicians or celebrities.
A man or woman without any interest in gossip may be impressive in his or her restraint, but also wanting in curiosity, uninterested in the cariousness of human nature, dead to the wildly abundant oddity of life, and thereby, in some central way, deficient.
Gossip- what was once a more refined custom has degenerated into a tabloid-infested culture of Internet slurs and an obsessive focus on the personal lives of public figures.
While gossip is an activity that almost everyone partakes in, it's hard to define. The first step is distinguish gossip from rumors, with the latter being “less specific’’, more general, more diffuse, less personal in content and in the manner in which they are disseminated. Rumors can lead to gossip, and gossip can reinforce rumors. But gossip is particular, told to a carefully chosen audience, and is specifically information about other people. Gossip can be false. There is of course the wish to harm someone else’s reputation by spreading stories of moral failures or sexual liaisons (here gossip and rumor can supplement each other). Just imagine how boring life and news would be, if the reportage in the tabloids left out all those titillating gossip columns and printed stock prices and inflation. The voyeuristic pleasure comes from reading the shenanigans and private lives of Monroe, Kennedys, Onassis, Clinton, Tiger Woods, Shane/ Hurley, Salman Rushdie and the salacious news of Berlusconi, Julian Assange, Dominique Strauss and other celebrities. Gossip is not about politics or celebrity, but rather people, even if they happen to be politicians or celebrities.
Deafening sound of Silence....
We have heard the term silence is golden many times but paid scant regard to it. Silence is the most neglected and the least understood dimension in our lives. Yet all of us at sometime or other indulged in the luxury of silence. Being silent is not alien to us “homo sapiens” unknowingly we spend a lot of time in silent introspection.
Silence has always been with us like a silent shadow, in youth, as a partner, as a parent and in old age. It resonates with our changing view of life in all these stages, at each particular point of time and we get inspiration every time everywhere. Silence is beyond boundaries of caste, color, religion and nationality.
Silence provides a measure of solace, and greets us solemnly in grief, displacement, loneliness, when traveling to an unknown place and even in joy or mirth. We have been immune to bouts of silence, in the bustling cacophony of city life where we lay extra emphasis on empty rhetoric and shallow pedestrian conversations. We wear a mask and walk to a Babel of voices and sounds of the polluted noisy traffic—in a city that is perpetually—a work in progress.
We live in a confused world where the decibels levels of intolerance, violence, hate have reached a crescendo— our changing lifestyles, cityscapes, tolerating the hypocrisies and moral turpitudes of modern society. We sadly ignore the quietude of reality in every walk of life—in every mundane phase ~ the changing skyline and nature, recedes as the concrete jungle takes over our lives. We become mute spectators as we observe the degradation of human values, and lives in this digital age. In deep and solemn rituals or even in the Buddhist and Hindu spirituality, silence is the name given to meditation, like an invalid taking to the promise of a new treatment. The aesthetics of doing nothing borders on the spiritual; a sort of mental process that stills the mind — enhances the consciousness and powers of imagination.
Silence is a dramatic multilayered reality, complex yet simple rendering it into the realm of the meta-physical in a graphic form.
Silence brings us closer to the center of gravity of our lives. It is powerful because it is not conceptual; it expresses a deep message that cannot be expressed in words. It eludes even the most sophisticated explanations of its power. The uncanny powers of silence are awesome when combined with wisdom. Silence is the fourth instinct, a primeval potential to clam up - which sets us free, isolated with no before or after. For the culmination of misery, noise must be renounced, till it is abandoned in the grave. Like the raindrop that is absorbed by the earth everything merges with nature. True enlightenment is the silence of the tomb as wisdom is always silent. Vinay-
Silence has always been with us like a silent shadow, in youth, as a partner, as a parent and in old age. It resonates with our changing view of life in all these stages, at each particular point of time and we get inspiration every time everywhere. Silence is beyond boundaries of caste, color, religion and nationality.
Silence provides a measure of solace, and greets us solemnly in grief, displacement, loneliness, when traveling to an unknown place and even in joy or mirth. We have been immune to bouts of silence, in the bustling cacophony of city life where we lay extra emphasis on empty rhetoric and shallow pedestrian conversations. We wear a mask and walk to a Babel of voices and sounds of the polluted noisy traffic—in a city that is perpetually—a work in progress.
We live in a confused world where the decibels levels of intolerance, violence, hate have reached a crescendo— our changing lifestyles, cityscapes, tolerating the hypocrisies and moral turpitudes of modern society. We sadly ignore the quietude of reality in every walk of life—in every mundane phase ~ the changing skyline and nature, recedes as the concrete jungle takes over our lives. We become mute spectators as we observe the degradation of human values, and lives in this digital age. In deep and solemn rituals or even in the Buddhist and Hindu spirituality, silence is the name given to meditation, like an invalid taking to the promise of a new treatment. The aesthetics of doing nothing borders on the spiritual; a sort of mental process that stills the mind — enhances the consciousness and powers of imagination.
Silence is a dramatic multilayered reality, complex yet simple rendering it into the realm of the meta-physical in a graphic form.
Silence brings us closer to the center of gravity of our lives. It is powerful because it is not conceptual; it expresses a deep message that cannot be expressed in words. It eludes even the most sophisticated explanations of its power. The uncanny powers of silence are awesome when combined with wisdom. Silence is the fourth instinct, a primeval potential to clam up - which sets us free, isolated with no before or after. For the culmination of misery, noise must be renounced, till it is abandoned in the grave. Like the raindrop that is absorbed by the earth everything merges with nature. True enlightenment is the silence of the tomb as wisdom is always silent. Vinay-
Either way we must decide! Or go jump over the cliff.
Life is never going to be easy, what you do with your life, is only of concern to you. Life makes us an offer but in return asks for perseverance. Everything is more complicated than you think, you see only the tip o f the iceberg, there are millions of strings attached to every decision you make. You can destroy many things by making a wrong choice. It is our knowledge that makes us take a calculated decision and stay afloat. We need to keep applying this knowledge and ask our conscience “are we doing the night thing”? We all need to do something about the situations that crop up in life; we can’t hold back hoping for miracles.
From our youth till we die, we are constantly facing the formidable task of making decisions. We may in our minds try to rationalize or justify our decisions before indulging in it. You can’t use assumptions sitting at home, you have to know all the components or source. You can’t waste a lifetime for that elusive phone, letter or someone to walk into your life. There is so much falsehood in this world, that if you believe it you will regret it or wait in hope for a better tomorrow, to make you complete, feel loved and wanted.
There are many occasions when we have to wrestle with our conscience and depending on how critical the situation is you hesitate. Sometimes our decisions can alter the course of not just our lives but impact the lives of others. We are expected to lead a decent, stress free life, modestly plodding through everyday problems. Many times everything you do ends disastrously and there is a devilish streak in us that assaults our sensibilities unforgivably, dwarfing our self esteem. Life sometimes is like a pendulum swinging violently alternating between hedonism and virtue, pleasure and pain or between self castigation and achievement. Because we don’t accept the truth of transience we are sometimes indecisive and this slowly architects our decay.
You live only once and we play it out with our career, marriage, children, divorce and goals. The more difficult the journey of life, the greater is the sense of achievement. When we have to overcome obstacles to reach our goals it is like climbing a mountain. It is the journey, and not about climbing to see the summit, which is only a temporary goal, we have to look beyond the mountains into our soul. One does not strike an attitude in front of a mountain; similarly don’t let the din drown the voice of your soul.
In life we must expropriate the old worn out self; your past, your future—the moment is full, neither past nor future is important. Beginning and ending are only partial steps in the eternal process. The process is everything. The only place where these is no change is the grave. –Vinay-
From our youth till we die, we are constantly facing the formidable task of making decisions. We may in our minds try to rationalize or justify our decisions before indulging in it. You can’t use assumptions sitting at home, you have to know all the components or source. You can’t waste a lifetime for that elusive phone, letter or someone to walk into your life. There is so much falsehood in this world, that if you believe it you will regret it or wait in hope for a better tomorrow, to make you complete, feel loved and wanted.
There are many occasions when we have to wrestle with our conscience and depending on how critical the situation is you hesitate. Sometimes our decisions can alter the course of not just our lives but impact the lives of others. We are expected to lead a decent, stress free life, modestly plodding through everyday problems. Many times everything you do ends disastrously and there is a devilish streak in us that assaults our sensibilities unforgivably, dwarfing our self esteem. Life sometimes is like a pendulum swinging violently alternating between hedonism and virtue, pleasure and pain or between self castigation and achievement. Because we don’t accept the truth of transience we are sometimes indecisive and this slowly architects our decay.
You live only once and we play it out with our career, marriage, children, divorce and goals. The more difficult the journey of life, the greater is the sense of achievement. When we have to overcome obstacles to reach our goals it is like climbing a mountain. It is the journey, and not about climbing to see the summit, which is only a temporary goal, we have to look beyond the mountains into our soul. One does not strike an attitude in front of a mountain; similarly don’t let the din drown the voice of your soul.
In life we must expropriate the old worn out self; your past, your future—the moment is full, neither past nor future is important. Beginning and ending are only partial steps in the eternal process. The process is everything. The only place where these is no change is the grave. –Vinay-
Holy books synonymous with fiction
Modern society requires and deserves a truly secular state, by which I do not mean state of atheism, as imposed by Arab countries, but state neutrality in all matters pertaining to religion.
A depressingly large number of intelligent and educated people, despite having outgrown religious faith, still vaguely presume without thinking about it that religious faith is somehow 'good' for other people, good for society, good for public order, good for instilling morals, good for the common people even if we chaps don't need it. What’s true of us is true of nature. If we are conscious, as our species seems to have become, then nature is conscious. Nature became conscious in us, perhaps in order to observe itself. It may be holding us out and turning us around like a crab does its victim. Whatever the reason, that thing out there, with the black holes and the nebulae and whatnot, is conscious.
One cannot look in the mirror and rationally deny this. It experiences love and desire, or thinks it does. The idea is enough to render the Judeo-Christian cosmos sort of quaint. . . Rafinesque perfected his variant of this honorable philosophy while botanizing in them in the literal backyards of his childhood, examining ruderal plants, and so psychology has appropriated it from him, with minor tweaks. It works perfectly as a religion. Others talk about God, and we feel we can sit together, that God is one of this thing’s masks, or that this thing is God. Faith schools (Madrassa’s) don’t so much teach about religion as indoctrinate in the particular region that runs the school. As Richard Dawkin’s stated “telling a child that he or she belongs to one particular faith "paves the way . . . for a lifetime of discrimination and prejudice". In the guise of moral science each religion tries to indoctrinate their own dogmas into the minds of innocent children.
They aren’t evil, really, and the impulse behind it is so close to camaraderie it almost smells right. We all need help, and we all want to help each other, which makes the nuances of the transaction murky.
We can’t say it’s honest since no work of religion is honest, since fiction is a synonym for holy books and scriptures, which is why they call it religion and not history. .
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A depressingly large number of intelligent and educated people, despite having outgrown religious faith, still vaguely presume without thinking about it that religious faith is somehow 'good' for other people, good for society, good for public order, good for instilling morals, good for the common people even if we chaps don't need it. What’s true of us is true of nature. If we are conscious, as our species seems to have become, then nature is conscious. Nature became conscious in us, perhaps in order to observe itself. It may be holding us out and turning us around like a crab does its victim. Whatever the reason, that thing out there, with the black holes and the nebulae and whatnot, is conscious.
One cannot look in the mirror and rationally deny this. It experiences love and desire, or thinks it does. The idea is enough to render the Judeo-Christian cosmos sort of quaint. . . Rafinesque perfected his variant of this honorable philosophy while botanizing in them in the literal backyards of his childhood, examining ruderal plants, and so psychology has appropriated it from him, with minor tweaks. It works perfectly as a religion. Others talk about God, and we feel we can sit together, that God is one of this thing’s masks, or that this thing is God. Faith schools (Madrassa’s) don’t so much teach about religion as indoctrinate in the particular region that runs the school. As Richard Dawkin’s stated “telling a child that he or she belongs to one particular faith "paves the way . . . for a lifetime of discrimination and prejudice". In the guise of moral science each religion tries to indoctrinate their own dogmas into the minds of innocent children.
They aren’t evil, really, and the impulse behind it is so close to camaraderie it almost smells right. We all need help, and we all want to help each other, which makes the nuances of the transaction murky.
We can’t say it’s honest since no work of religion is honest, since fiction is a synonym for holy books and scriptures, which is why they call it religion and not history. .
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There is no purpose in life.
What is the meaning of life? Every religion tries to instill in us the thought that there is a mysterious purpose in life. Fear which is rampant in all of us is a hang over from the lower forms and emerged as humans make us neurotic. There is a silly notion that everyone no matter how far gone, can be saved, saved from what? Reality is there everywhere yet we want to chase illusions.
The world is a human jungle out there, do you really think by embracing the lord’s name offering prayers or meditating for ten years will make you less neurotic than the next person, or that suddenly you will be enlightened with the meaning of life? All the religions with their standard templates (holy book) a god, and institution (church/mosque) with appointed earth managers (Pope, Priests & Mullahs) preach that they can show you the purpose of life? Then why haven’t they shown us the meaning so far? Religions are also plainly confused and unconscious when they claim that there is “a purpose to life” that transcends the ordinary and will unfold. A real honest record of the purpose of our life still awaits birth; none of the religions, spiritual gurus has a truthful answer.
Gurus claim that the past clouds your future, what future does the past have? It is empty rhetoric. Cultivating discernment on the religious or spiritual path in areas like, power, sex, scandals is not going to enlighten us in any way. Into blinding darkness enter those who worship ignorance. Into greater darkness enter those who believe that religion can give them salvation. Isn’t it ridiculous to believe that by expressing regret for past actions God can offer salvation?
Animals don’t look for salvation they just live from moment to moment. Why should we give so much importance to life, if we know we have to die? Life must be enjoyed because death is not a myth but salvation is.
Ideally we should accept our experiences in the world as our reality, success and failure are also past of experience. We are scared of failure, animals are better, they live in the “now” don’t look for a purpose and accept reality. The greatest teachers always state that everyone becomes a healer the moment he forgets about himself, and stops chasing the elusive blue bird called enlightenment. Wisdom is silent does not preach; only gospelers who are ignorant, spend their lives converting and promising eternal salvation.
In the ultimate analysis it’s how well you live your life till the end. Like the Chinese proverb “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water and cook, after enlightenment, chop wood, carry water and cook. So if you still have to live your life and die, then why bother about the purpose of life? Greed, desire, religions, pride and prejudice are like the beguiling colors of the rainbow, ephemeral, and transient with no pot of enlightenment at the end of the illusion. It is easier to lead a life of moral correctness and abide by our duty to humanity as we battle with relationships, aspirations and love in this world.
The world is a human jungle out there, do you really think by embracing the lord’s name offering prayers or meditating for ten years will make you less neurotic than the next person, or that suddenly you will be enlightened with the meaning of life? All the religions with their standard templates (holy book) a god, and institution (church/mosque) with appointed earth managers (Pope, Priests & Mullahs) preach that they can show you the purpose of life? Then why haven’t they shown us the meaning so far? Religions are also plainly confused and unconscious when they claim that there is “a purpose to life” that transcends the ordinary and will unfold. A real honest record of the purpose of our life still awaits birth; none of the religions, spiritual gurus has a truthful answer.
Gurus claim that the past clouds your future, what future does the past have? It is empty rhetoric. Cultivating discernment on the religious or spiritual path in areas like, power, sex, scandals is not going to enlighten us in any way. Into blinding darkness enter those who worship ignorance. Into greater darkness enter those who believe that religion can give them salvation. Isn’t it ridiculous to believe that by expressing regret for past actions God can offer salvation?
Animals don’t look for salvation they just live from moment to moment. Why should we give so much importance to life, if we know we have to die? Life must be enjoyed because death is not a myth but salvation is.
Ideally we should accept our experiences in the world as our reality, success and failure are also past of experience. We are scared of failure, animals are better, they live in the “now” don’t look for a purpose and accept reality. The greatest teachers always state that everyone becomes a healer the moment he forgets about himself, and stops chasing the elusive blue bird called enlightenment. Wisdom is silent does not preach; only gospelers who are ignorant, spend their lives converting and promising eternal salvation.
In the ultimate analysis it’s how well you live your life till the end. Like the Chinese proverb “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water and cook, after enlightenment, chop wood, carry water and cook. So if you still have to live your life and die, then why bother about the purpose of life? Greed, desire, religions, pride and prejudice are like the beguiling colors of the rainbow, ephemeral, and transient with no pot of enlightenment at the end of the illusion. It is easier to lead a life of moral correctness and abide by our duty to humanity as we battle with relationships, aspirations and love in this world.
A Letter….. Oops! Post to Santa.
Dear Santa,
X’mas might ring in earlier, thanks to global warming and climate change is causing the North Pole to melt. Instead of the usual letter, this time all of us are sending our gift requests through Face book, Google and Twitter. Since Twitter permits only 140 characters, and the Euro is collapsing, I have kept my X’mas gift requirements to the bare minimum—just an iPhone 45 with artificial intelligence, as whatever IQ, I was born with has been used up in Face book. P.S. please throw in a bottle of Jack Daniels Ho Ho! The turkey I stole from the farm.
Ever since I joined the new spiritual group, I have been told to give up all attachments—so I plan to divorce my wife, children and dog soon, I can’t send you e-mail attachments for the same reason. You can take a detour from Wall Street as it is fully occupied by protestors as they feel something’s wrong with the economy. The sub prime mortgages, meltdown, fall in equities have all taken their toll. My friend’s wife ran away with the rogue trader, when her husband’s investments in hedge funds crashed.
When they can’t protect you from terrorist attacks, how do you expect the State/Government to bring a sense of security to our investments? The $ 4 gallon gasoline is crimping all our lives, forcing car pools and cancellation of long vacations. Thank God you stuck to your reindeer (games) transportation. All the tuxedo wearing symbols of excess are holidaying abroad, as Lear jets don’t use petrol. Frankly George Soros never knew when he had hedged enough, but ever since he stopped bull shitting cobwebs have “occupied his ass”.
The digital era has brought the silver screen experience to our home theaters, large screen LCD displays, but now they expect everyone to watch the cinema scope movies on the I Pod’s whose screen is smaller than a burger. I know the recession has hit North Pole too and the X’mas bonhomie notwithstanding, God will have to stand as collateral for our national debt. Every month I owe my creditors more than what I earn, I must learn to live my life backwards, while progress is moving forward. Please forward my miseries to some other poor dumb bastard and hit the “like” button when you get this post. –vinay-
X’mas might ring in earlier, thanks to global warming and climate change is causing the North Pole to melt. Instead of the usual letter, this time all of us are sending our gift requests through Face book, Google and Twitter. Since Twitter permits only 140 characters, and the Euro is collapsing, I have kept my X’mas gift requirements to the bare minimum—just an iPhone 45 with artificial intelligence, as whatever IQ, I was born with has been used up in Face book. P.S. please throw in a bottle of Jack Daniels Ho Ho! The turkey I stole from the farm.
Ever since I joined the new spiritual group, I have been told to give up all attachments—so I plan to divorce my wife, children and dog soon, I can’t send you e-mail attachments for the same reason. You can take a detour from Wall Street as it is fully occupied by protestors as they feel something’s wrong with the economy. The sub prime mortgages, meltdown, fall in equities have all taken their toll. My friend’s wife ran away with the rogue trader, when her husband’s investments in hedge funds crashed.
When they can’t protect you from terrorist attacks, how do you expect the State/Government to bring a sense of security to our investments? The $ 4 gallon gasoline is crimping all our lives, forcing car pools and cancellation of long vacations. Thank God you stuck to your reindeer (games) transportation. All the tuxedo wearing symbols of excess are holidaying abroad, as Lear jets don’t use petrol. Frankly George Soros never knew when he had hedged enough, but ever since he stopped bull shitting cobwebs have “occupied his ass”.
The digital era has brought the silver screen experience to our home theaters, large screen LCD displays, but now they expect everyone to watch the cinema scope movies on the I Pod’s whose screen is smaller than a burger. I know the recession has hit North Pole too and the X’mas bonhomie notwithstanding, God will have to stand as collateral for our national debt. Every month I owe my creditors more than what I earn, I must learn to live my life backwards, while progress is moving forward. Please forward my miseries to some other poor dumb bastard and hit the “like” button when you get this post. –vinay-
Love a many splendored emotion.
This seems to be a universal topic as everyone keeps asking “what is conditional love”? Is arranged marriage better than love marriage? I can’t get over my love etc. Love is like a dew drop that caresses you from every angle giving you a sort adrenaline high of your senses as though drunk on wine, till it begins to wilt and wane under the constant glare of life’s harsh sunlight of reality.
It is difficult to explain love since it is not a dogma which can be taught by religions , nor by intellectual or philosophical discussion at any level or platform. There can be no profound explanation or declaration, it is known to only those who experience it and there are no guidelines. Love has no meaning by itself, but it definitely gives meaning to your life.
There are things you will know, things you won’t know, nothing you shouldn’t know and existential things which you experience. A lot of theories abound about surrender of self, possession and dissolving of ego - all semantics, no need to submit or surrender or be unconditional or conditional, just love itself will reveal the truth. Love is an obsessive state of mind where even the anticipation of a lover or rendezvous or whisper can send a shiver down your spine, a feeling of sweetness and excitement as delights unfold every moment. Here lust, sexual, attraction and all your tactile senses fuel the restless excitement. None of these can be explained by poetry, verse or discussion, in fact the more you learn about love the less you will know. Love cannot be copied from movies, depicted on celluloid or written in verse. At best it can titillate you, seduce you, but real knowledge of anything existential can only come with real experience of knowing it. It is like teetering on the edge of a precipice and you can fall and the risk is always hovering over you, as you pirouette in your love dance.
When you enter love you know nothing about it, a sort of unknown darkness- that is why sometimes it is termed, that love is blind, as you grope your way without a clue. Only your inner light can show you the way and many a time you fall in love and end up in a ditch or being ditched!
Love is complex though it looks simple, it has many hidden facets, pitfalls, dangers and dimensions. It is composite with many nuances that require deep insight to really conquer it. Attraction to obsession, from seduction to being besotted, finally, ending in romance and emotional bonding. It takes twists and turns and many paths. Obsessive love is like a disease (OCD), not sleeping, not eating thinking only of the lover, with the body releasing endorphins or chemicals but this cant lost forever. This phase has to end and then comes the more realistic stage when the chemistry has fizzled out; romance waning, emotional bonding can create a deeper mature relationship- which is tenuous and may not withstand the vicissitudes of harsh reality.
The fun is over and the harsh reality of life starts, this is when relationships drift because a mature and deeper love has no thrills and peaks and is downright boring. May be one should have multiple affairs to learn what real love is all about and get over lust and sexual attraction, which is the bane of a settled life, and the focus has to shift to other aspects of life apart from romance.
To get to this stage one must experience much love and as many as possible- live a dangerous life, feel the pain of dejection, sorrow and taste all the flavors, sweet bitter and pungent. Then you can really know the deep secrets of love and with your eyes shut, understand the true reality and meaning. You then elevate yourself to another plane as a connoisseur who has understood the nuances and subtle flavors, explored every crevice and comprehends, the art of loving and the language of the heart.
It is difficult to explain love since it is not a dogma which can be taught by religions , nor by intellectual or philosophical discussion at any level or platform. There can be no profound explanation or declaration, it is known to only those who experience it and there are no guidelines. Love has no meaning by itself, but it definitely gives meaning to your life.
There are things you will know, things you won’t know, nothing you shouldn’t know and existential things which you experience. A lot of theories abound about surrender of self, possession and dissolving of ego - all semantics, no need to submit or surrender or be unconditional or conditional, just love itself will reveal the truth. Love is an obsessive state of mind where even the anticipation of a lover or rendezvous or whisper can send a shiver down your spine, a feeling of sweetness and excitement as delights unfold every moment. Here lust, sexual, attraction and all your tactile senses fuel the restless excitement. None of these can be explained by poetry, verse or discussion, in fact the more you learn about love the less you will know. Love cannot be copied from movies, depicted on celluloid or written in verse. At best it can titillate you, seduce you, but real knowledge of anything existential can only come with real experience of knowing it. It is like teetering on the edge of a precipice and you can fall and the risk is always hovering over you, as you pirouette in your love dance.
When you enter love you know nothing about it, a sort of unknown darkness- that is why sometimes it is termed, that love is blind, as you grope your way without a clue. Only your inner light can show you the way and many a time you fall in love and end up in a ditch or being ditched!
Love is complex though it looks simple, it has many hidden facets, pitfalls, dangers and dimensions. It is composite with many nuances that require deep insight to really conquer it. Attraction to obsession, from seduction to being besotted, finally, ending in romance and emotional bonding. It takes twists and turns and many paths. Obsessive love is like a disease (OCD), not sleeping, not eating thinking only of the lover, with the body releasing endorphins or chemicals but this cant lost forever. This phase has to end and then comes the more realistic stage when the chemistry has fizzled out; romance waning, emotional bonding can create a deeper mature relationship- which is tenuous and may not withstand the vicissitudes of harsh reality.
The fun is over and the harsh reality of life starts, this is when relationships drift because a mature and deeper love has no thrills and peaks and is downright boring. May be one should have multiple affairs to learn what real love is all about and get over lust and sexual attraction, which is the bane of a settled life, and the focus has to shift to other aspects of life apart from romance.
To get to this stage one must experience much love and as many as possible- live a dangerous life, feel the pain of dejection, sorrow and taste all the flavors, sweet bitter and pungent. Then you can really know the deep secrets of love and with your eyes shut, understand the true reality and meaning. You then elevate yourself to another plane as a connoisseur who has understood the nuances and subtle flavors, explored every crevice and comprehends, the art of loving and the language of the heart.
Emigration the new foreign legionaries !
There are many ways in which the migration of skilled labour may aid poorer countries. Many skilled personnel may have been jobless had they stayed in their own countries. The wage disparity between rich and poor countries is a major magnet for emigration. The emotional cost of leaving ones home town though heavy is now offset to a certain extent thanks to technological innovation like skype and mobile phones.
When a Bangladeshi man goes to work on a construction site in the Middle East his wife typically moves into the husbands family. This creates a sort of larger joint family support system, than the nuclear family situation that was prevailing. Migration is an effective tool against poverty and reduces the global imbalance also. The number of migrants has doubled from 100 M to 200 million in one decade. Increased mobility with cheaper communication means that in the future, the global community will be connected in a manner never dreamt before, since our small world evolutionary origins.
Immigration is unpopular in certain European countries, because people overestimate its costs while understanding its benefits. The main fear is that an influx of unskilled workers from other countries may drag down the prevailing market sates of the original natives. Labour shortage in rich countries can only be solved by migration.
The other side of the coin is that “brain drain” of skilled people may hurt the economy of developing nations as much of their education has been subsidized by the government. This logic might seem true, but fails to take into account the huge remittances which can offset the subsidies. The flip side is that these early emigrants to Silicon Valley also enabled Indian software companies break into the lucrative American market in the early days. Finally in a flat globalized village educated and skilled people will go wherever they want to go and will lead to a more productive pairing of peoples skills in a mutually beneficial manner. In the wild savannahs of Africa the wild beest and animals migrate in search of greener pastures while birds migrate in summer and winter. It is the way of nature.
When a Bangladeshi man goes to work on a construction site in the Middle East his wife typically moves into the husbands family. This creates a sort of larger joint family support system, than the nuclear family situation that was prevailing. Migration is an effective tool against poverty and reduces the global imbalance also. The number of migrants has doubled from 100 M to 200 million in one decade. Increased mobility with cheaper communication means that in the future, the global community will be connected in a manner never dreamt before, since our small world evolutionary origins.
Immigration is unpopular in certain European countries, because people overestimate its costs while understanding its benefits. The main fear is that an influx of unskilled workers from other countries may drag down the prevailing market sates of the original natives. Labour shortage in rich countries can only be solved by migration.
The other side of the coin is that “brain drain” of skilled people may hurt the economy of developing nations as much of their education has been subsidized by the government. This logic might seem true, but fails to take into account the huge remittances which can offset the subsidies. The flip side is that these early emigrants to Silicon Valley also enabled Indian software companies break into the lucrative American market in the early days. Finally in a flat globalized village educated and skilled people will go wherever they want to go and will lead to a more productive pairing of peoples skills in a mutually beneficial manner. In the wild savannahs of Africa the wild beest and animals migrate in search of greener pastures while birds migrate in summer and winter. It is the way of nature.
Dreams die first…
Dreams are beautiful visions when we are sleeping, but the moment we wake up, it disappears and we do not have anything left to chase these dreams. The law of cause and effect is hopeless when you want to follow your dream. The dreamer seeks vainly to find form and shape that will fit his ethereal essence, forever inert to waste away …. like a celestial folly.
Imagination is the voice of the daring and knowledge empowers you. Nothing gives you more pleasure than creating a bond with friends, family and others and helping them find their inherent potential. What does a seeker desire? Most of us want to know how the universe was created, how humans came to exist, what happens when we die? And what are the answers we get from Religion, the stock answer is God made this Universe, he is the creator, the supreme primate and there is a heaven and hell on earth. So if you want deliverance and salvation you must follow your religion and bow in obeisance to god. Yet in our struggles of daily life and misery neither God nor religion can help us even though we are advised to just pray and hope for the best. Though god exists in every sand and stone he is a mute spectator, watching the fun and games while we wallow in misery.
Yet all humans with a higher consciousness fall down and prostrate for nirvana and salvation. Our moments of blackest despair, pain, sorrow and misery our own and god cannot deliver us from whatever evil that befalls us. This is the honest moment of truth, the lucid moment when the real “verily” of truth is revealed. Religion is the biggest hype; it cannot solve any of yours or the world’s problems. It can only divide mankind and create more misery, hate and violence. So ask what we know about the truth. Now that you have the correct perspective lets wipe the slate clean. Anything that is not about getting to the truth should be abandoned. We have to only open up, only discover what is already there, scriptures have been conceived in darkness and baptized in light.
Every day we slaughter our finest impulses. That is why we get heartache when we read those lines written by great philosophers and poets. We recognize them as our own words wrenched from our tormented souls, as the tender shoots which we had stifled in our hearts, because we lacked faith and conviction to believe in our own powers and our own criterion of the truth and beauty.
Every man and woman, when quiet, when they are really honest with themselves, is capable of uttering profound truths. We all derive from the same source, we have to open up, only discover what is already there within. There is no mystery about the origins of things; we are all part of the universe, all kings, poets, philosopher’s priests, all flora, fauna, mountains, rivers, and nature. Like the haunting lyrics of a bygone song, “Beautiful dreamer wake unto me starlight and sunshine are waiting for thee”…
Imagination is the voice of the daring and knowledge empowers you. Nothing gives you more pleasure than creating a bond with friends, family and others and helping them find their inherent potential. What does a seeker desire? Most of us want to know how the universe was created, how humans came to exist, what happens when we die? And what are the answers we get from Religion, the stock answer is God made this Universe, he is the creator, the supreme primate and there is a heaven and hell on earth. So if you want deliverance and salvation you must follow your religion and bow in obeisance to god. Yet in our struggles of daily life and misery neither God nor religion can help us even though we are advised to just pray and hope for the best. Though god exists in every sand and stone he is a mute spectator, watching the fun and games while we wallow in misery.
Yet all humans with a higher consciousness fall down and prostrate for nirvana and salvation. Our moments of blackest despair, pain, sorrow and misery our own and god cannot deliver us from whatever evil that befalls us. This is the honest moment of truth, the lucid moment when the real “verily” of truth is revealed. Religion is the biggest hype; it cannot solve any of yours or the world’s problems. It can only divide mankind and create more misery, hate and violence. So ask what we know about the truth. Now that you have the correct perspective lets wipe the slate clean. Anything that is not about getting to the truth should be abandoned. We have to only open up, only discover what is already there, scriptures have been conceived in darkness and baptized in light.
Every day we slaughter our finest impulses. That is why we get heartache when we read those lines written by great philosophers and poets. We recognize them as our own words wrenched from our tormented souls, as the tender shoots which we had stifled in our hearts, because we lacked faith and conviction to believe in our own powers and our own criterion of the truth and beauty.
Every man and woman, when quiet, when they are really honest with themselves, is capable of uttering profound truths. We all derive from the same source, we have to open up, only discover what is already there within. There is no mystery about the origins of things; we are all part of the universe, all kings, poets, philosopher’s priests, all flora, fauna, mountains, rivers, and nature. Like the haunting lyrics of a bygone song, “Beautiful dreamer wake unto me starlight and sunshine are waiting for thee”…
Desert Everything for the natural Mystic.
D
Arizona the four corners of the southwest are supposed to be a sacred part of the country for the native Red Indians. There is always something mysterious and mystical about a desert, the remoteness and loneliness. When the four winds blow through the desert you sense an energy, something intangible hangs in the air, echoes of Bob Marley’s “There’s a natural mystic in the air” echoes in my ears.
One is inspired and dazzled by the stark naked beauty and color of the sand. In this vast expanse only the cactus casts a crooked shadow that cools the desert sands which stretches into an endless horizon that appears surreal and ethereal in the moonlight.
It is a metaphysical space where man exists without a creator, god appears like an apparition, mirage or illusion amongst the parched sands. “None but ourselves can free our minds” like a lyrical whisper, blown by the deserts vast supply of winds resonates in my heart.
It is fascinating to watch the play of the light on these landscapes untouched by man and god. The same spot looks different during the phases of day and night.
A light wind sways the cactus and the sands seem to laugh, in the bright sunshine and as night descends, it is touched with peace and harmony. We live and we die, don’t ask why because there is no lie. This is reality, where you can taste complete abandon.- Vinay-
“And so the desert shall rejoice and blossom, as the rose sorrowful and sighing shall flee' Ishian: 35
Arizona the four corners of the southwest are supposed to be a sacred part of the country for the native Red Indians. There is always something mysterious and mystical about a desert, the remoteness and loneliness. When the four winds blow through the desert you sense an energy, something intangible hangs in the air, echoes of Bob Marley’s “There’s a natural mystic in the air” echoes in my ears.
One is inspired and dazzled by the stark naked beauty and color of the sand. In this vast expanse only the cactus casts a crooked shadow that cools the desert sands which stretches into an endless horizon that appears surreal and ethereal in the moonlight.
It is a metaphysical space where man exists without a creator, god appears like an apparition, mirage or illusion amongst the parched sands. “None but ourselves can free our minds” like a lyrical whisper, blown by the deserts vast supply of winds resonates in my heart.
It is fascinating to watch the play of the light on these landscapes untouched by man and god. The same spot looks different during the phases of day and night.
A light wind sways the cactus and the sands seem to laugh, in the bright sunshine and as night descends, it is touched with peace and harmony. We live and we die, don’t ask why because there is no lie. This is reality, where you can taste complete abandon.- Vinay-
“And so the desert shall rejoice and blossom, as the rose sorrowful and sighing shall flee' Ishian: 35
Monday, December 12, 2011
Repayed wall posts.
If the truth can set you free, why are we still bound to religion?
Botox is the only investment that enhances your face value
Love is the slowest form of suicide, it kills you slowly and softly! Graffiti.
THE OTHER SIDE
I saw the slime, the thorns
and the madness,
as we walked hand in hand
But she pouts ……. “Look”
From out of the slime
comes the lotus
Amongst the thorns
blooms the rose;
the lunatic, he
raves with wisdom…
And adds impishly
“My Love,”
I have ….. you” –Vinay---
If I were to follow my heart, I would be stalking all the beautiful women in the world.
In life some complain that roses have thorns, whilst others rejoice that the thorns have roses, it is a matter of perception.
We are all guilty of crime, the great crime of not living life king size to its fullest.
People don't follow their hearts, because its not on the " right side. I don't take decisions with my heart because its " below" my brain. -Vinay-
People often turn to religious music and hymns in old age, hoping no doubt to earn some indulgence from the Lord for a few little sins
Scriptures have been conceived in darkness and it is being baptized in light.!
TI have learnt so much from my mistakes. I am thinking of of makeing a few more.
The dead are merely men and women who have achieved inner peace!
I need someone outside my vicious circle of Facebook admirers and envious denigrators,,,,, someone out of the blue!
The really criminal thing is to make a person believe that he or she is the only one you could ever love.
The uncanny powers of silence are awesome when combined with wisdom.
Spirituality does not preach or prescribe wisdom.It simply helps people to seek,find and pursue their own path to satisfaction.-Vinay-
There isn't a soul on earth who can be relied upon absolutely including god.
The really criminal thing is to make a person believe that he or she is the only one you could ever love.
A Jew or Sikh (Sardar) can grow his beard to practise his faith. But when a Muslim does the same, he is called a terrorist!
The uncanny powers of silence are awesome when combined with wisdom.
The dead are merely men and women who have achieved inner peace
What is heaven? What is it like? " Heaven is the third vodka”.- XCourtesy Milosz- Smirnoff-
Religions have served their purposes well ( encouraged sectarian violence, divided humanity,waged holy wars, crusades, jihads, unleashed terrorism, spread hatred, curbed free will and thought & expect evolution of the soul thru these experiences). Haven't we learned our lessons well and evolved enough to walk the path alone?-Vinay-
I don't pray because god would be shocked at my requests, nor can he grant me the 3 boons like the genie, of love , peace on earth and happiness.
Mammon is the most powerful and sought out religion. Everyone prays ardently and worships it.
Sometimes the road ends,and there is nowhere to go, .....so eat, drink, love and be merry,let light assault the darkness and your senses to show the path.-Vinay-
The ancient Greeks believed that without worshipers even gods would die.
Blasphemy is a victimless crime, thats why i am not convicted.
Botox is the only investment that enhances your face value
Love is the slowest form of suicide, it kills you slowly and softly! Graffiti.
THE OTHER SIDE
I saw the slime, the thorns
and the madness,
as we walked hand in hand
But she pouts ……. “Look”
From out of the slime
comes the lotus
Amongst the thorns
blooms the rose;
the lunatic, he
raves with wisdom…
And adds impishly
“My Love,”
I have ….. you” –Vinay---
If I were to follow my heart, I would be stalking all the beautiful women in the world.
In life some complain that roses have thorns, whilst others rejoice that the thorns have roses, it is a matter of perception.
We are all guilty of crime, the great crime of not living life king size to its fullest.
People don't follow their hearts, because its not on the " right side. I don't take decisions with my heart because its " below" my brain. -Vinay-
People often turn to religious music and hymns in old age, hoping no doubt to earn some indulgence from the Lord for a few little sins
Scriptures have been conceived in darkness and it is being baptized in light.!
TI have learnt so much from my mistakes. I am thinking of of makeing a few more.
The dead are merely men and women who have achieved inner peace!
I need someone outside my vicious circle of Facebook admirers and envious denigrators,,,,, someone out of the blue!
The really criminal thing is to make a person believe that he or she is the only one you could ever love.
The uncanny powers of silence are awesome when combined with wisdom.
Spirituality does not preach or prescribe wisdom.It simply helps people to seek,find and pursue their own path to satisfaction.-Vinay-
There isn't a soul on earth who can be relied upon absolutely including god.
The really criminal thing is to make a person believe that he or she is the only one you could ever love.
A Jew or Sikh (Sardar) can grow his beard to practise his faith. But when a Muslim does the same, he is called a terrorist!
The uncanny powers of silence are awesome when combined with wisdom.
The dead are merely men and women who have achieved inner peace
What is heaven? What is it like? " Heaven is the third vodka”.- XCourtesy Milosz- Smirnoff-
Religions have served their purposes well ( encouraged sectarian violence, divided humanity,waged holy wars, crusades, jihads, unleashed terrorism, spread hatred, curbed free will and thought & expect evolution of the soul thru these experiences). Haven't we learned our lessons well and evolved enough to walk the path alone?-Vinay-
I don't pray because god would be shocked at my requests, nor can he grant me the 3 boons like the genie, of love , peace on earth and happiness.
Mammon is the most powerful and sought out religion. Everyone prays ardently and worships it.
Sometimes the road ends,and there is nowhere to go, .....so eat, drink, love and be merry,let light assault the darkness and your senses to show the path.-Vinay-
The ancient Greeks believed that without worshipers even gods would die.
Blasphemy is a victimless crime, thats why i am not convicted.
Love the many splendored emotion.
This seems to be a universal topic as everyone keeps asking “what is conditional love” Is arranged marriage better than love marriage?, I can’t get over my love etc. Love is like a dew drop that caresses you from every angle giving you a sort adrenaline high of your senses as though “of hemlock…. Drunk”, till it begins to wilt and wane under the constant glare of life’s harsh sunlight of reality.
It is difficult to explain love since it is not a dogma which can be taught by religions or others, nor by intellectual or philosophical discussion at any level or platform. There can be no profound explanation or declaration, it is known to only those who experience it and there are no guidelines. Love has no meaning by itself, but it definitely gives meaning to your life.
There is no other way. There are things you will know, things you won’t know, finite things, nothing you shouldn’t know and existential things. A lot of theories abound about surrender of self, possession and dissolving of ego, all semantics, no need to submit or surrender or be unconditional or conditional, just love itself will reveal the truth. Love is an obsessive state of mind where even the anticipation of a lover or rendezvous or whisper can send a shiver down your spine, a feeling of sweetness and excitement as delights unfold every moment. Here lust, sexual, attraction and all your tactile senses fuel the restless excitement. None of these can be explained by poetry, verse or discussion, in fact the more you learn about love the less you will know. Love cannot be copied in movies, depicted on celluloid or written in verse, at best it can titillate you, seduce you, but real knowledge of anything existential can only come with existential real experience of knowing it. It is like teetering on the edge of a precipice and you can fall and the risk is always hovering over you, as you pirouette in your love dance.
So basically when you enter love you know nothing about it, a sort of unknown darkness that is why sometimes it is termed that love is blind, as you grope your way without a clue, only your inner light showing you the way and many a time you fall in love and end up in a ditch or being ditched!
Love is complex though it looks simple, it has many hidden facets, pitfalls, dangers and dimensions. It is composite with many nuances and requires deep insight to really conquer it. From attraction to obsession, from seduction to being besotted, ending in romance and emotional bonding. It takes twists and turns and many paths. Obsessive love is like a disease (OCD), not sleeping, not eating thinking only of the lover, with the body releasing endorphins or chemicals but this cant lost forever. This phase has to end and then comes the more realistic stage when the chemistry has fizzled out; romance waning, emotional bonding can create a deeper mature relationship which is tenuous and may not withstand the vicissitudes of harsh reality.
The fun is over and the harsh reality of life starts, this is when relationships drift because a mature and deeper love has no thrills and peaks and is downright boring. May be one should have multiple affairs to learn what real love is all about and get over lust and sexual attraction, which is the bane of a settled life, and focus has to shift to other aspects of life apart from romance.
To get to this stage one must love as much and as many as possible, live a dangerous life, feel the pain of dejection sorrow and taste all the flavors, sweet bitter and pungent. Then you can really know the deep secrets of love and with your eyes shut, understand the true reality and meaning. You then elevate yourself to another plane as a connoisseur who has understood the nuances and subtle flavors, explored every crevice and comprehends, the art of loving and the language of the heart.
It is difficult to explain love since it is not a dogma which can be taught by religions or others, nor by intellectual or philosophical discussion at any level or platform. There can be no profound explanation or declaration, it is known to only those who experience it and there are no guidelines. Love has no meaning by itself, but it definitely gives meaning to your life.
There is no other way. There are things you will know, things you won’t know, finite things, nothing you shouldn’t know and existential things. A lot of theories abound about surrender of self, possession and dissolving of ego, all semantics, no need to submit or surrender or be unconditional or conditional, just love itself will reveal the truth. Love is an obsessive state of mind where even the anticipation of a lover or rendezvous or whisper can send a shiver down your spine, a feeling of sweetness and excitement as delights unfold every moment. Here lust, sexual, attraction and all your tactile senses fuel the restless excitement. None of these can be explained by poetry, verse or discussion, in fact the more you learn about love the less you will know. Love cannot be copied in movies, depicted on celluloid or written in verse, at best it can titillate you, seduce you, but real knowledge of anything existential can only come with existential real experience of knowing it. It is like teetering on the edge of a precipice and you can fall and the risk is always hovering over you, as you pirouette in your love dance.
So basically when you enter love you know nothing about it, a sort of unknown darkness that is why sometimes it is termed that love is blind, as you grope your way without a clue, only your inner light showing you the way and many a time you fall in love and end up in a ditch or being ditched!
Love is complex though it looks simple, it has many hidden facets, pitfalls, dangers and dimensions. It is composite with many nuances and requires deep insight to really conquer it. From attraction to obsession, from seduction to being besotted, ending in romance and emotional bonding. It takes twists and turns and many paths. Obsessive love is like a disease (OCD), not sleeping, not eating thinking only of the lover, with the body releasing endorphins or chemicals but this cant lost forever. This phase has to end and then comes the more realistic stage when the chemistry has fizzled out; romance waning, emotional bonding can create a deeper mature relationship which is tenuous and may not withstand the vicissitudes of harsh reality.
The fun is over and the harsh reality of life starts, this is when relationships drift because a mature and deeper love has no thrills and peaks and is downright boring. May be one should have multiple affairs to learn what real love is all about and get over lust and sexual attraction, which is the bane of a settled life, and focus has to shift to other aspects of life apart from romance.
To get to this stage one must love as much and as many as possible, live a dangerous life, feel the pain of dejection sorrow and taste all the flavors, sweet bitter and pungent. Then you can really know the deep secrets of love and with your eyes shut, understand the true reality and meaning. You then elevate yourself to another plane as a connoisseur who has understood the nuances and subtle flavors, explored every crevice and comprehends, the art of loving and the language of the heart.
everything is complicated.
Everything is more complicated than you think. You only see a tenth of what is true. There are a million little strings attached to every choice you make; you can destroy your life every time you choose. But maybe you won't know for twenty years. And you may never ever trace it to its source. . But while alive, you wait in vain, wasting years, for a phone call or a letter or a look from someone or something to make it all right. And it never comes or it seems to but it doesn't really. And so you spend your time in vague regret or vaguer hope that something good will come along, something to make you feel connected, something to make you feel whole, something to make you feel loved.
And you only get one chance to play it out. You find it difficult to manage your career, negotiate your marriage, just try and figure out your own divorce! And you say there is no fate, but there is: it's what you create. And even though the world goes on for eons and eons, you are only here for a fraction of a fraction of a second. Most of your time is spent being dead or not yet born. And the truth is I feel so angry, and the truth is I feel so sad, and the truth is I've felt many are so hurt for so long and for just as long they have been pretending they are OK, just to get along, just for, I don't know why, maybe because no one wants to talk about their misery, because they don’t want to hear your own misery. There is no gravity the world sucks! Well, fuck everybody. Amen.
And you only get one chance to play it out. You find it difficult to manage your career, negotiate your marriage, just try and figure out your own divorce! And you say there is no fate, but there is: it's what you create. And even though the world goes on for eons and eons, you are only here for a fraction of a fraction of a second. Most of your time is spent being dead or not yet born. And the truth is I feel so angry, and the truth is I feel so sad, and the truth is I've felt many are so hurt for so long and for just as long they have been pretending they are OK, just to get along, just for, I don't know why, maybe because no one wants to talk about their misery, because they don’t want to hear your own misery. There is no gravity the world sucks! Well, fuck everybody. Amen.
Spirituality is not about faith.
pirituality is not about faith.
It is a mistaken notion to think that spirituality is in any way connected to religion, it is just an inner compass followed by human beings to discover themselves. It is a sort of reflection on the interiors of oneself to discover the consciousness that merges with the universe. In the Veda’s there is no creator for the Universe, the logic is that it evolved or the basis is that it “became” and the invisible aspect is the spirit.
A spiritual life has nothing to do with religion or leading an ascetic life; in fact one can wine, dine, womanize, smoke, be an atheist and yet be spiritual. A person who attains a broad outlook, tolerance, patience, compassion, and is an aesthete, is able to find peace within and reach the equipoise to accept life in its myriad hues.
Spirituality is not the preserve of a select few and it also does not mean one should give up worldly activity. There is no separate compartment for worldly and spiritual life, desires and ambitions are also part of the reality in life. People also think spirituality is for old and retired people who have no other work. This is a paradox because it is during our active working life that we need spirituality to complement our hectic social life, and thereby increase our confidence & self esteem that acts as a support system.
Reality as constructed by our senses is sometimes referred to as an illusion because it excludes the invisible. The world may be a temporal reality, but while it evolves it is not unreal. It comprises of layers of matter and spirit and as such illusion is a process through the senses with a beginning and an end in constant flux. Illusion and reality are part of the whole. Spirituality embodies pain, pleasure, sickness, and convalescence, all ages, all the youth of our tumultuous and tortured lives. There is no shortcut for a tranquil life the footpath has to encompass desires, ambition & life affirming view of spirituality, to evolve into the next step of collaborating with the Universe.
You may conquer the world around you but if you are not aware of the world within you, you will shrink I drown in your own hubris. Spirituality helps you to cope with joy, sorrow, hard ship and stimulate our brains to get total satisfaction in life
It is a mistaken notion to think that spirituality is in any way connected to religion, it is just an inner compass followed by human beings to discover themselves. It is a sort of reflection on the interiors of oneself to discover the consciousness that merges with the universe. In the Veda’s there is no creator for the Universe, the logic is that it evolved or the basis is that it “became” and the invisible aspect is the spirit.
A spiritual life has nothing to do with religion or leading an ascetic life; in fact one can wine, dine, womanize, smoke, be an atheist and yet be spiritual. A person who attains a broad outlook, tolerance, patience, compassion, and is an aesthete, is able to find peace within and reach the equipoise to accept life in its myriad hues.
Spirituality is not the preserve of a select few and it also does not mean one should give up worldly activity. There is no separate compartment for worldly and spiritual life, desires and ambitions are also part of the reality in life. People also think spirituality is for old and retired people who have no other work. This is a paradox because it is during our active working life that we need spirituality to complement our hectic social life, and thereby increase our confidence & self esteem that acts as a support system.
Reality as constructed by our senses is sometimes referred to as an illusion because it excludes the invisible. The world may be a temporal reality, but while it evolves it is not unreal. It comprises of layers of matter and spirit and as such illusion is a process through the senses with a beginning and an end in constant flux. Illusion and reality are part of the whole. Spirituality embodies pain, pleasure, sickness, and convalescence, all ages, all the youth of our tumultuous and tortured lives. There is no shortcut for a tranquil life the footpath has to encompass desires, ambition & life affirming view of spirituality, to evolve into the next step of collaborating with the Universe.
You may conquer the world around you but if you are not aware of the world within you, you will shrink I drown in your own hubris. Spirituality helps you to cope with joy, sorrow, hard ship and stimulate our brains to get total satisfaction in life
change
Throughout the world, the mushrooming of population growth, that too at an accelerated pace, during the 1970’s brought in its wake myriad problems. Old order was trampled upon, new values sprouted, all this led to a sort of sinister telekinesis, which brought Cyclones, Droughts, Tsunami’s, Hurricanes ethnic violence, global wars and terrorism all types tragedies, which paradoxically attempted to curb growth.
Forty years, is a long time, especially, when the world order is changing at a frenetic pace. Memories begin to flood through me as inexorable as a tide, they caress me, and I melt inside. I can’t help it, fragments half remembered, takes me back into the past, flashes of images and times interweave themselves across my mind. In the flickering twilight of my life, I can visualize my father, and the ghost of his smell, lingers in the empty room. Sadness, unlike sensation remains for a long time, the life and death struggle in this material world becomes real, and I wonder what it does, besides inflicting pain and sorrow. Nothing I learnt or was trained, prepared me for this man eat man, 21st century.
Honor, values, empathy, compassion, love and content, are in short supply, appearances are important, affectation personified, content nil. It’s really pointless of course, instances of the stolen glances in the bus- or brushing shoulders in the teeming train terminals do not exist, there is no hope for intimacy anymore. We expect the wrong values from today’s generation, whose innocence has been compromised, to be replaced with impatience, intolerance and arrogance. Earlier we had a moral obligation to be intelligent and wise; today the internet is connected with intelligence.
What does it matter if they think ‘Keats’ is the villain in Robot Cop, they are still very clever and have access to artificial intelligence. They might fail at reading, writing longhand and math’s but it’s the internet age, where websites, blogging, virtual reality, tablets and E- books are the new tools and skill sets required. They know how to operate a computer, even dropouts are adept, at texting, e-mails, remote controlling, digital streaming videos, scanning, hi-speed dubbing, morphing , creating virtual content, and they can fast forward themselves through modern life. There are few people who want to join me on my journey, as I try to flee this cyber life to wander in the winter landscape with only a solitary seagull and crow as my companions. Everyone is online on Face-book and twitter communities. What is the use of living if you cant use a computer?
Forty years, is a long time, especially, when the world order is changing at a frenetic pace. Memories begin to flood through me as inexorable as a tide, they caress me, and I melt inside. I can’t help it, fragments half remembered, takes me back into the past, flashes of images and times interweave themselves across my mind. In the flickering twilight of my life, I can visualize my father, and the ghost of his smell, lingers in the empty room. Sadness, unlike sensation remains for a long time, the life and death struggle in this material world becomes real, and I wonder what it does, besides inflicting pain and sorrow. Nothing I learnt or was trained, prepared me for this man eat man, 21st century.
Honor, values, empathy, compassion, love and content, are in short supply, appearances are important, affectation personified, content nil. It’s really pointless of course, instances of the stolen glances in the bus- or brushing shoulders in the teeming train terminals do not exist, there is no hope for intimacy anymore. We expect the wrong values from today’s generation, whose innocence has been compromised, to be replaced with impatience, intolerance and arrogance. Earlier we had a moral obligation to be intelligent and wise; today the internet is connected with intelligence.
What does it matter if they think ‘Keats’ is the villain in Robot Cop, they are still very clever and have access to artificial intelligence. They might fail at reading, writing longhand and math’s but it’s the internet age, where websites, blogging, virtual reality, tablets and E- books are the new tools and skill sets required. They know how to operate a computer, even dropouts are adept, at texting, e-mails, remote controlling, digital streaming videos, scanning, hi-speed dubbing, morphing , creating virtual content, and they can fast forward themselves through modern life. There are few people who want to join me on my journey, as I try to flee this cyber life to wander in the winter landscape with only a solitary seagull and crow as my companions. Everyone is online on Face-book and twitter communities. What is the use of living if you cant use a computer?
RIP… No Computer, Laptop, Tablet, I-pad or Face book account, no excuse for living!
Throughout the world, the mushrooming of population growth, that too at an accelerated pace, during the 1970’s brought in its wake myriad problems. Old order was trampled upon, new values sprouted, all this led to a sort of sinister telekinesis, which brought Cyclones, Droughts, Tsunami’s, Hurricanes ethnic violence, global wars and terrorism all types tragedies, which paradoxically attempted to curb growth.
Forty years, is a long time, especially, when the world order is changing at a frenetic pace. Memories begin to flood through me as inexorable as a tide, they caress me, and I melt inside. I can’t help it, fragments half remembered, takes me back into the past, flashes of images and times interweave themselves across my mind. In the flickering twilight of my life, I can visualize my father, and the ghost of his smell, lingers in the empty room. Sadness, unlike sensation remains for a long time, the life and death struggle in this material world becomes real, and I wonder what it does, besides inflicting pain and sorrow. Nothing I learnt or was trained, prepared me for this man eat man, 21st century.
Honor, values, empathy, compassion, love and content, are in short supply, appearances are important, affectation personified, content nil. It’s really pointless of course, instances of the stolen glances in the bus- or brushing shoulders in the teeming train terminals do not exist, there is no hope for intimacy anymore. We expect the wrong values from today’s generation, whose innocence has been compromised, to be replaced with impatience, intolerance and arrogance. Earlier we had a moral obligation to be intelligent and wise; today the internet is connected with intelligence.
What does it matter if they think ‘Keats’ is the villain in Robot Cop, they are still very clever and have access to artificial intelligence. They might fail at reading, writing longhand and math’s but it’s the internet age, where websites, blogging, virtual reality, tablets and E- books are the new tools and skill sets required. They know how to operate a computer, even dropouts are adept, at texting, e-mails, remote controlling, digital streaming videos, scanning, hi-speed dubbing, morphing , creating virtual content, and they can fast forward themselves through modern life. There are few people who want to join me on my journey, as I try to flee this cyber life to wander in the winter landscape with only a solitary seagull and crow as my companions. Everyone is online on Face-book and twitter communities. What is the use of living if you cant use a computer?
Forty years, is a long time, especially, when the world order is changing at a frenetic pace. Memories begin to flood through me as inexorable as a tide, they caress me, and I melt inside. I can’t help it, fragments half remembered, takes me back into the past, flashes of images and times interweave themselves across my mind. In the flickering twilight of my life, I can visualize my father, and the ghost of his smell, lingers in the empty room. Sadness, unlike sensation remains for a long time, the life and death struggle in this material world becomes real, and I wonder what it does, besides inflicting pain and sorrow. Nothing I learnt or was trained, prepared me for this man eat man, 21st century.
Honor, values, empathy, compassion, love and content, are in short supply, appearances are important, affectation personified, content nil. It’s really pointless of course, instances of the stolen glances in the bus- or brushing shoulders in the teeming train terminals do not exist, there is no hope for intimacy anymore. We expect the wrong values from today’s generation, whose innocence has been compromised, to be replaced with impatience, intolerance and arrogance. Earlier we had a moral obligation to be intelligent and wise; today the internet is connected with intelligence.
What does it matter if they think ‘Keats’ is the villain in Robot Cop, they are still very clever and have access to artificial intelligence. They might fail at reading, writing longhand and math’s but it’s the internet age, where websites, blogging, virtual reality, tablets and E- books are the new tools and skill sets required. They know how to operate a computer, even dropouts are adept, at texting, e-mails, remote controlling, digital streaming videos, scanning, hi-speed dubbing, morphing , creating virtual content, and they can fast forward themselves through modern life. There are few people who want to join me on my journey, as I try to flee this cyber life to wander in the winter landscape with only a solitary seagull and crow as my companions. Everyone is online on Face-book and twitter communities. What is the use of living if you cant use a computer?
Religion an obsolete product lost in transition.
We all love happiness and feverishly search for it in this tumultuous world. Religion understands this weakness and preys on unsuspecting believers by promising everlasting salvation. “Let all our wishes come true let all of us be free of suffering of danger of disease and sadness! Let peace and happiness descend on earth. This sorts of war cry amongst all religions & while 2000 monks chanted this in Elista capital Kalmykia, all their temples and relics were destroyed by Stalin in 1930. Recently in Afghanistan the Bamiyan Buddha statues were blown off the face of earth. This is the harsh reality which we refuse to accept time and again. There is no self discovery or heaven on earth it is all about violence, death and decay.
Spiritual awakening is about discovering what is real, real work and life in our waking hours, not the distraction of religion and its hollow promise. What is truth? There is no truth, what is the meaning of life? There is no meaning. Truth it is not about seeking it is about living there is no outward quest but inward towards our self—self reliance—self—determination—self discovery of what the hell is going on around me. How do I feed my family, buy an apartment, get a decent Job, and educate my children, small dreams and home “truths” Not merely to complain about fate or pray to god.
Instead we want to hold on to the widely held fantasy that enlightenment means freedom from suffering, the transcendence of pain and struggle, into a state of perpetual, love, bliss and peace. A celestial Utopia, are we all so naïve to believe this will happen?
Religion is selling us empty dreams, products that they don’t have, hope for the hopeless. A hard sell, for an invalid feverish clawing madness, for people to clutch at straws. Intelligent people who can think for themselves can see through the emperor’s clothes, the stark naked reality, of blood caked swords of religion that has grown like a festering wound of violence. We know the truth, we already know too much of what is happening around us, we have to unlearn these conditioned truths drilled by Rabbi’s, priests, Mullah’s, lama’s and theologians, who claim that they possess a clearer view of the ultimate reality, than the rest of us deluded fools. Do we want to accept their claim of enlightenment which we have not seen, nor is these any evidence of them ever having achieved it.
None of us want to shed our blind profound beliefs that kept us going with a false hope, until we arrive at a place where our character does not exist and all truths preached are an illusion. Let us remove our religious rose tinted glasses, pull back the veil of ignorance and move away from the complicity and futility of all religious teachings and see things as they are!
Spiritual awakening is about discovering what is real, real work and life in our waking hours, not the distraction of religion and its hollow promise. What is truth? There is no truth, what is the meaning of life? There is no meaning. Truth it is not about seeking it is about living there is no outward quest but inward towards our self—self reliance—self—determination—self discovery of what the hell is going on around me. How do I feed my family, buy an apartment, get a decent Job, and educate my children, small dreams and home “truths” Not merely to complain about fate or pray to god.
Instead we want to hold on to the widely held fantasy that enlightenment means freedom from suffering, the transcendence of pain and struggle, into a state of perpetual, love, bliss and peace. A celestial Utopia, are we all so naïve to believe this will happen?
Religion is selling us empty dreams, products that they don’t have, hope for the hopeless. A hard sell, for an invalid feverish clawing madness, for people to clutch at straws. Intelligent people who can think for themselves can see through the emperor’s clothes, the stark naked reality, of blood caked swords of religion that has grown like a festering wound of violence. We know the truth, we already know too much of what is happening around us, we have to unlearn these conditioned truths drilled by Rabbi’s, priests, Mullah’s, lama’s and theologians, who claim that they possess a clearer view of the ultimate reality, than the rest of us deluded fools. Do we want to accept their claim of enlightenment which we have not seen, nor is these any evidence of them ever having achieved it.
None of us want to shed our blind profound beliefs that kept us going with a false hope, until we arrive at a place where our character does not exist and all truths preached are an illusion. Let us remove our religious rose tinted glasses, pull back the veil of ignorance and move away from the complicity and futility of all religious teachings and see things as they are!
Stretch your dreams till it breaks into a flip flop.
Way back in 1960, an unknown athlete called Dick Fosbury virtually “inverted” the traditional technique of high jumping. He created a revolution in athletics by clearing the bar with his back to it, as opposed to the conventional straddle method of lead arm and leg followed by stomach.
But most athletes who had practiced and were conditioned over the years did not change their technique for more than a decade even after this stupendous feat. It was only when the next crop of new kids who had nothing to lose started copying this style that it became popular and has become a standard method in the sport now.
Similarly the creative idea of Face book has overnight become the biggest business entity in just 3 years. Steve Jobs also likewise changed the face of the cell phone and laptop industry. It means we have to stretch our dreams and imaginations to explore new horizons while ignoring the obvious.
An adolescent day dream can have earth shattering implications and become utterly beautiful transforming our whole lives. We inhabit a strange world where disruption is the new mantra. Turn all conventions and traditions upside down, question all logic and theories, aspire to be different, do not follow the herd, believe no one, create your own path that is true liberation. – Vinay-
But most athletes who had practiced and were conditioned over the years did not change their technique for more than a decade even after this stupendous feat. It was only when the next crop of new kids who had nothing to lose started copying this style that it became popular and has become a standard method in the sport now.
Similarly the creative idea of Face book has overnight become the biggest business entity in just 3 years. Steve Jobs also likewise changed the face of the cell phone and laptop industry. It means we have to stretch our dreams and imaginations to explore new horizons while ignoring the obvious.
An adolescent day dream can have earth shattering implications and become utterly beautiful transforming our whole lives. We inhabit a strange world where disruption is the new mantra. Turn all conventions and traditions upside down, question all logic and theories, aspire to be different, do not follow the herd, believe no one, create your own path that is true liberation. – Vinay-
Yoga the New Satanic Poses ?
The 86 year old Father Gabriele Amorth who has been cloaked in anonymity for years has suddenly emerged from the shadows of the Vatican’s dubious designation as “chief exorcist”. In his endeavor to earn his 5 minutes of fame before the Lord summons him to Headquarters’ has deemed the practice of yoga as satanic and evil. In his profound ignorance he has claimed that yoga is worship of Hindu religion; after 86 years on this planet the poor soul and theologist has not even comprehended that “Hinduism” is not a religion but a way of life.
What he perhaps will never understand with his conditioned duck brain is that neither Yoga nor Hinduism are religions. In feet it is more popular in the west where it has proliferated like wild fire. The fallout of such popularity is that there has been massive monetization of yoga as a discipline. Sinister yogi’s have moved in, and like a product tried to take it to the next business level, which has caused the externalization of yoga in the west.
Yoga simply means union or junction; it is more or less a physical, mental and spiritual discipline. A technique to still the mind from the outer and increase concentration and thereby consciousness in an attempt to integrate and strengthen the inner & outer compartments and reduce turmoil.
However the Vedic view is not introspective but rather extrovert tilting towards the predatory! Stilling the mind requires years of practice and the west with its love of instant gratification is trying to project yoga like a product or Nike shoe. Just don your yoga outfit and “Stop it”. (Mind), which is easier, said than done. But father Gabriel should try yoga as he seems to have developed arteriosclerosis of the mind.
What he perhaps will never understand with his conditioned duck brain is that neither Yoga nor Hinduism are religions. In feet it is more popular in the west where it has proliferated like wild fire. The fallout of such popularity is that there has been massive monetization of yoga as a discipline. Sinister yogi’s have moved in, and like a product tried to take it to the next business level, which has caused the externalization of yoga in the west.
Yoga simply means union or junction; it is more or less a physical, mental and spiritual discipline. A technique to still the mind from the outer and increase concentration and thereby consciousness in an attempt to integrate and strengthen the inner & outer compartments and reduce turmoil.
However the Vedic view is not introspective but rather extrovert tilting towards the predatory! Stilling the mind requires years of practice and the west with its love of instant gratification is trying to project yoga like a product or Nike shoe. Just don your yoga outfit and “Stop it”. (Mind), which is easier, said than done. But father Gabriel should try yoga as he seems to have developed arteriosclerosis of the mind.
meet the grim reaper
One of these days I will encounter the grim reaper hope he is not the religious type. I will not be conscious of the moment of passing. In this life I have already been declared brain dead many times. It wasn't so bad, after the first ruptured artery, the doctors thought I was finished. My wife,Smita, said she sensed that I was still alive and that I wasn't finished tormenting her yet. Although my heartbeat couldn't be discovered, the doctors told her I might take a turn for the worse. But I fooled them all and took a turn for the nurse, and here I am, still alive and kicking
War of spirits
Emperor Ashoka’s edicts in the 3rd century B.C promoted human rights. This was when Catholics of Europe were tyrannizing each other, persecuting Jews and burning heretics at the stake. Even the Mughal Emperor Akbar, was magnanimous enough to ensure that no man was ill treated because of his faith. The tradition of secular tolerance was woven into India and the Hindu way of life. Unlike in the west Indian secularism has tended not to be about the separation of church from state and prohibition of religious activities but about tolerance of a profusion of religions none of which are privileged or favored by state. Like opium whose trade was initiated from India and similar to “lotus eaters” who consumed this to induce sleepiness because opium has “dormitive” powers.
Many attribute the human susceptibility to religion and morality because of our “capacity for ‘abstraction’ and ‘proclivity’ to norm following. Religion is also an opiate, because it dulled our sense and underpinned our sense of who we are and where we are going, by blinding following the scriptures. One difference between opium and religion however is that by being able to describe religion in this way means being immune to it or emancipated from it. Moving away from faith may remove the stain from the face of the earth and in a small way, ease the anguish of those who were victims and suffered the unimaginable horrors perpetuated in the name of religion.
We are all condemned to live, but can hope to counter the apathy of religion with our own minds will power - inheriting as we all do, the lessons of this century- the wars of the faiths. Our task would be to rather to look for non violent ways of harnessing the human desire for struggle, recognition in a new “war of the free spirits.
Many attribute the human susceptibility to religion and morality because of our “capacity for ‘abstraction’ and ‘proclivity’ to norm following. Religion is also an opiate, because it dulled our sense and underpinned our sense of who we are and where we are going, by blinding following the scriptures. One difference between opium and religion however is that by being able to describe religion in this way means being immune to it or emancipated from it. Moving away from faith may remove the stain from the face of the earth and in a small way, ease the anguish of those who were victims and suffered the unimaginable horrors perpetuated in the name of religion.
We are all condemned to live, but can hope to counter the apathy of religion with our own minds will power - inheriting as we all do, the lessons of this century- the wars of the faiths. Our task would be to rather to look for non violent ways of harnessing the human desire for struggle, recognition in a new “war of the free spirits.
origin of tweets
It’s been rumored that back in Hollywood’s early days movie stars and moguls communicated with each other using the 140-character instant-messaging system we now know as Twitter.
According to legend, the system was invented by the actress Hedy Lamarr, over drinks at the Mocambo club with Howard Hughes, shortly before she patented the frequency-hopping spread-spectrum radio technology that paved the way for cell phones, dooming America to decades of listening to actresses insist they were not just talented or beautiful, but smart.
In search of the truth about Twitter’s allegedly glamorous origins, Vanity Fair sent contributing editor Bruce Feirstein to the bottom of a salt mine in Kansas, where the studios store their archives and original film negatives. There, among ancient contracts and discarded film scripts by dimly remembered hacks such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and William Faulkner, Feirstein confirmed the story and discovered the lost tweets of Golden Age Hollywood …
Among the first unearthed was this tweet, from the notoriously priv
According to legend, the system was invented by the actress Hedy Lamarr, over drinks at the Mocambo club with Howard Hughes, shortly before she patented the frequency-hopping spread-spectrum radio technology that paved the way for cell phones, dooming America to decades of listening to actresses insist they were not just talented or beautiful, but smart.
In search of the truth about Twitter’s allegedly glamorous origins, Vanity Fair sent contributing editor Bruce Feirstein to the bottom of a salt mine in Kansas, where the studios store their archives and original film negatives. There, among ancient contracts and discarded film scripts by dimly remembered hacks such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and William Faulkner, Feirstein confirmed the story and discovered the lost tweets of Golden Age Hollywood …
Among the first unearthed was this tweet, from the notoriously priv
The Power of Erotic capital.
French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu’s distinction between economic, social and cultural capital missed out a vital additional aspect of what makes up all human beings, namely Erotic capital. Catherine Hakim calls it the ‘fourth personal asset’. Erotic capital comprises six elements or seven in some cultures where fertility is highly valued. The six elements are beauty, sexual attractiveness, social ability, liveliness (physical fitness, social energy and good humor), social presentation and sexual competence.
Hakim explained the existence of a ‘male sex deficit’; essentially, the idea is that, in general, men want more sex than women (shock horror). This means that women have more bargaining power and therefore a higher level of erotic capital than men do. Feminist theory often erects a false dichotomy: either a woman is valued for her human capital (her brains, education, work experience and dedication to her career) or she is valued for her erotic capital (her beauty, elegant figure, dress style, grace and charm). Women are not encouraged to do both.
Catherine also states, quite rightly, that ‘men who buy sexual services are not deviants but ordinary, normal people’. While she does put men’s demand for sexual services down to the elusive ‘male-sex deficit’, she also makes an important point that is often overlooked. Too often men who pay for sexual services are seen as monsters rather than human beings capable of distinguishing between fantasy and reality. She points out; many women (particularly migrant workers) see the sex industry as a crucial source of employment, as something that enables them to gain some independence.
Feminists who seek to take this choice away on the grounds of supposed exploitation are not empowering women. In fact, they’re doing the complete opposite by seeking to undermine the choices we all make.Today’s feminists are squeamish about the idea of women using their feminine wiles to get ahead.The meritocratic capitalist values of the Western world invite us to admire people who exploit their erotic capital for its full value should not be equally admired. Honey Money by Catherine Hakim
Hakim explained the existence of a ‘male sex deficit’; essentially, the idea is that, in general, men want more sex than women (shock horror). This means that women have more bargaining power and therefore a higher level of erotic capital than men do. Feminist theory often erects a false dichotomy: either a woman is valued for her human capital (her brains, education, work experience and dedication to her career) or she is valued for her erotic capital (her beauty, elegant figure, dress style, grace and charm). Women are not encouraged to do both.
Catherine also states, quite rightly, that ‘men who buy sexual services are not deviants but ordinary, normal people’. While she does put men’s demand for sexual services down to the elusive ‘male-sex deficit’, she also makes an important point that is often overlooked. Too often men who pay for sexual services are seen as monsters rather than human beings capable of distinguishing between fantasy and reality. She points out; many women (particularly migrant workers) see the sex industry as a crucial source of employment, as something that enables them to gain some independence.
Feminists who seek to take this choice away on the grounds of supposed exploitation are not empowering women. In fact, they’re doing the complete opposite by seeking to undermine the choices we all make.Today’s feminists are squeamish about the idea of women using their feminine wiles to get ahead.The meritocratic capitalist values of the Western world invite us to admire people who exploit their erotic capital for its full value should not be equally admired. Honey Money by Catherine Hakim
In the beginning there was the sea...
In the beginning… was a very female sea. For four billion years on earth, all life forms floated in the womb like environment of the planetary ocean—nourished and protected by its fluid chemicals, rocked by the lunar- tidal rhythms. Charles Darwin believed the menstrual cycle originated here, organically echoing the moon pulse of the sea. And because this longest period of life’s time was dominated by marine forms reproducing parthenogenetically, he concluded that the female principle was primordial. In the beginning, life did not gestate within the body of any creature, but within the ocean womb containing all organic life. There were no specialized sex organs; rather, a generalized female existence reproduced itself within the female body of the sea.
The reach of rationality in Hinduism is deeply a rooted in its ethos, with as explicit tradition of agnosticism embedded in it. It is emancipated from many ungrounded norms is what it means to live after the end of history. Hinduism being a way of life is dedicated to the idea that the cosmos itself undergoes an immense and intimate number of deaths and rebirths. Its cycles run from ordinary days and nights to a (Brahma) day and night of 8.64 billion years long, longer than the age of the earth or the sun and about half the time since the beginning
The way of the soul in which impermanence is an undeniable and inescapable fact of life; from which nothing that belongs to the earthly realism of existence is ever free. The insight of “Frozen reason” does not have to adhere to the idea of the soul’s eternal existence.
Impermanence can be stilled by uniting with the atman-Brahman or Universe which exists within one self. Thus a nation of ‘before’ before time existed has no meaning as we have birthed time itself. The process is cyclic and the whole thing repeats itself over and over again. -Early culture and religion.-
The reach of rationality in Hinduism is deeply a rooted in its ethos, with as explicit tradition of agnosticism embedded in it. It is emancipated from many ungrounded norms is what it means to live after the end of history. Hinduism being a way of life is dedicated to the idea that the cosmos itself undergoes an immense and intimate number of deaths and rebirths. Its cycles run from ordinary days and nights to a (Brahma) day and night of 8.64 billion years long, longer than the age of the earth or the sun and about half the time since the beginning
The way of the soul in which impermanence is an undeniable and inescapable fact of life; from which nothing that belongs to the earthly realism of existence is ever free. The insight of “Frozen reason” does not have to adhere to the idea of the soul’s eternal existence.
Impermanence can be stilled by uniting with the atman-Brahman or Universe which exists within one self. Thus a nation of ‘before’ before time existed has no meaning as we have birthed time itself. The process is cyclic and the whole thing repeats itself over and over again. -Early culture and religion.-
Monday, December 5, 2011
Divine Wealth
From time immemorial the state and church have connived to amass wealth from the masses. Irenaecus the Greek orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem was involved in shady property deals. Divine kings and divine priests are often linked to material concerns like these shady property deals which are prevalent all over. Sometimes kings too take umbrage under divine rights to rule and assume spiritual authority to protect them from temporal challenges. Charles the I, King of Saudi Arabia, Brunei, Sultans &, become custodians of their land and mosques in their oil rich countries.
Preventing this kind of dynastic divinity amassing wealth is presumably one reason why so many religions require their leaders to be celibate, yet this alone cannot address this problem especially in Islamic states where poly gamy flourishes and other religions where marriage is permitted.
The Catholic Church, Islam and many religions as the self defined owner of the true spirit, denounces Marxism as materialistic They view the desire of the poor to eat, feed, clothe their children, and better their lives as materialistic. The dualistic system separates flesh from the spirit and then sermonizes that the lifelong degradation of one leads to eternal liberation of the other.
One has to just look at the Vatican, Bishops, wealthy churches, mosques and temples and these divine people who have spent most of their lives in a heady atmosphere of gold, velvet, good wine and food; who have never spent time sweating starving or shaking with cold, but are liberally endowed with accumulated material wealth.
Isn’t it strange that when the world’s richest industrialists, capitalists, and business magnates like Bill gates, Warren Buffet, and many others; are tripping over each other along with N.G.O.’s to share and disperse their wealth into altruistic and philanthropically meaningful pursuits to help the underprivileged, religions are silent.
The Church, Sultans, sheikhs, and despotic rulers and religious heads of wealthy mosques, temples are using their wealth to profligate their own religion.
It is not the poor, who need “redemption” but these fabulously rich Sultans, Sheikhs, and princes of religion.
Preventing this kind of dynastic divinity amassing wealth is presumably one reason why so many religions require their leaders to be celibate, yet this alone cannot address this problem especially in Islamic states where poly gamy flourishes and other religions where marriage is permitted.
The Catholic Church, Islam and many religions as the self defined owner of the true spirit, denounces Marxism as materialistic They view the desire of the poor to eat, feed, clothe their children, and better their lives as materialistic. The dualistic system separates flesh from the spirit and then sermonizes that the lifelong degradation of one leads to eternal liberation of the other.
One has to just look at the Vatican, Bishops, wealthy churches, mosques and temples and these divine people who have spent most of their lives in a heady atmosphere of gold, velvet, good wine and food; who have never spent time sweating starving or shaking with cold, but are liberally endowed with accumulated material wealth.
Isn’t it strange that when the world’s richest industrialists, capitalists, and business magnates like Bill gates, Warren Buffet, and many others; are tripping over each other along with N.G.O.’s to share and disperse their wealth into altruistic and philanthropically meaningful pursuits to help the underprivileged, religions are silent.
The Church, Sultans, sheikhs, and despotic rulers and religious heads of wealthy mosques, temples are using their wealth to profligate their own religion.
It is not the poor, who need “redemption” but these fabulously rich Sultans, Sheikhs, and princes of religion.
Banking on religion.
Money is the root of all evil is the universal adage; a wealthy man who was discontented plagued by illness approached a sage, who advised him to give all his money and wealth to the sage for eternal happiness, soon the man ended up in a soup kitchen. This reminds me of a similar anecdote that happened many years ago; a wealthy merchant approached a doctor with many ailments, he was advised to go on an austere diet of rice gruel and water, the same the doctor was approached by a poor skinny rickshaw puller with health issues, the doctor advised him to indulge in rich foods like, meat, cakes, wine and venison.
As Mark Twain stated “the lack of money is the root of all evil” the East and West may never meet but will agree on this truth. Monasteries, Seminaries and Madrasah’s are the theological schools that churn out erudite ministers, priests, rabbi’s and mullahs who are supposed to be enlightened after they complete their theological education. However even through scores of men flock to these schools we hardly find any true leader emerging from these schools. By contrast many students who attend academics and institutions to pursue, engineering, science and management find their place in the world and many become leaders in their own vocations or spheres.
There must be a something fundamentally wrong with theological schools as their products become more inclusive and dig deeper into then own superstition and beliefs. None of them have emerged as leaders or innovators to show the”. People then tend to worship deities, Feng shuie, in the hope of acquiring wealth and happiness. Greece the ancient citadel of learning and religion is knocking on the doors of Plautus and Zeus (gods of wealth) to ensure indiscriminate allocation of resources. Now they are reduced to a bunch of beggars begging for Euros.
The Middle East with its vast oil resources is witnessing internecine revolts and violence. India with its multitude of divine gods is still floundering; the Japanese with Shinto and Feng shuie are devastated by natural calamities. The Chinese meanwhile who are communists are laughing all the way to the bank, like the Taoist laughing Buddha. Knowing one’s truth is a state of mind and an intuitive capacity to be right and correct. People must be free to choose by overcoming myths towards understanding capitalism.
Mullah Nasuruddin illustrates this verily. He was walking with his followers in the Bazaar, jumping up & down shouting “hu hu” his followers copied him & he was asked by a shopkeeper, how he would impart spiritual wisdom by these silly antics and how these students would become erudite? Mullah Nasurudeen replied “those who are enlightened will leave my school”. As Confucius said “remember, no matter where you go, for enlightenment there you are”
As Mark Twain stated “the lack of money is the root of all evil” the East and West may never meet but will agree on this truth. Monasteries, Seminaries and Madrasah’s are the theological schools that churn out erudite ministers, priests, rabbi’s and mullahs who are supposed to be enlightened after they complete their theological education. However even through scores of men flock to these schools we hardly find any true leader emerging from these schools. By contrast many students who attend academics and institutions to pursue, engineering, science and management find their place in the world and many become leaders in their own vocations or spheres.
There must be a something fundamentally wrong with theological schools as their products become more inclusive and dig deeper into then own superstition and beliefs. None of them have emerged as leaders or innovators to show the”. People then tend to worship deities, Feng shuie, in the hope of acquiring wealth and happiness. Greece the ancient citadel of learning and religion is knocking on the doors of Plautus and Zeus (gods of wealth) to ensure indiscriminate allocation of resources. Now they are reduced to a bunch of beggars begging for Euros.
The Middle East with its vast oil resources is witnessing internecine revolts and violence. India with its multitude of divine gods is still floundering; the Japanese with Shinto and Feng shuie are devastated by natural calamities. The Chinese meanwhile who are communists are laughing all the way to the bank, like the Taoist laughing Buddha. Knowing one’s truth is a state of mind and an intuitive capacity to be right and correct. People must be free to choose by overcoming myths towards understanding capitalism.
Mullah Nasuruddin illustrates this verily. He was walking with his followers in the Bazaar, jumping up & down shouting “hu hu” his followers copied him & he was asked by a shopkeeper, how he would impart spiritual wisdom by these silly antics and how these students would become erudite? Mullah Nasurudeen replied “those who are enlightened will leave my school”. As Confucius said “remember, no matter where you go, for enlightenment there you are”
The wages of worship is death.
“It is the duty of all Muslims to kill infidels, especially Americans” thus spake Osama Bin Laden; who had the soft demeanor of a sage and not a killer, though one could detect a predatory quality extolling terrorism and conquest “prophetically”. He was expelled from Saudi Arabia then helped the Mujaheddin fight the Soviet invaders in Afghanistan, then built al Qaeda as the base, from which he outsourced it to the world. Though he has no political ideology nor was considered a visionary yet in American culture and urban legend he is the sinister guru of the violent and the deranged. His hatred of Americans and the Bible belt was a valuable moral stimulant that would energize zealous Muslims to violence and martyrdom.
His obsession was to drive out infidels establish Palestine and destroy Israel and eject the “heretics” who ruled Saudi Arabia. Wahhabist fundamentalists used Osama’s elitism and scorn of the west as a weapon to fight against the Americans. He argues that we must purify Islam with a violent form of Jihad; the holy duty of all Muslims is to continue to fight to make Allah’s word victorious by using the eye for an eye justice system. He was a leader who rallied against the pretensions of despotic rulers and their orthodoxies in an age that was clamoring for revolt against inherited and dynastic authority. He was the king of terrorism who sat in his parlor and ate yoghurt and honey which he loved, and took his children to the beach to sleep under the stars, according to his 5 wives.
A man who as no other embodies in himself all the hatred, pain, sickness and violence, all the age, galvanizing the youth of our tortured times; Osama Bin Laden the patron saint of religious violence and terrorism. A man whose mind has been inoculated with the worst symptoms of the violent disease of violence and wanton destruction. Cushioned and contained by the sanctity of religion, his challenge to peace and humanitarianism is in sharp contrast to truth and goodness which for him are essentially meaningless terms. The abject decadence of religion and animalisization of the human being were all part of his essence before the bullets of the Special Forces cut him down and at the same time exalted his station. The polite, pious boy under the tutelage of Abdullah Azzam became the coldest of the cold monsters. Americans love life, Muslims love death he stated after 9/11. Mounted like the prophet on a white horse, he claimed that he had destroyed the myth of the superpowers. Though he is stone dead, his dream lives on through al-Qaeda.
His obsession was to drive out infidels establish Palestine and destroy Israel and eject the “heretics” who ruled Saudi Arabia. Wahhabist fundamentalists used Osama’s elitism and scorn of the west as a weapon to fight against the Americans. He argues that we must purify Islam with a violent form of Jihad; the holy duty of all Muslims is to continue to fight to make Allah’s word victorious by using the eye for an eye justice system. He was a leader who rallied against the pretensions of despotic rulers and their orthodoxies in an age that was clamoring for revolt against inherited and dynastic authority. He was the king of terrorism who sat in his parlor and ate yoghurt and honey which he loved, and took his children to the beach to sleep under the stars, according to his 5 wives.
A man who as no other embodies in himself all the hatred, pain, sickness and violence, all the age, galvanizing the youth of our tortured times; Osama Bin Laden the patron saint of religious violence and terrorism. A man whose mind has been inoculated with the worst symptoms of the violent disease of violence and wanton destruction. Cushioned and contained by the sanctity of religion, his challenge to peace and humanitarianism is in sharp contrast to truth and goodness which for him are essentially meaningless terms. The abject decadence of religion and animalisization of the human being were all part of his essence before the bullets of the Special Forces cut him down and at the same time exalted his station. The polite, pious boy under the tutelage of Abdullah Azzam became the coldest of the cold monsters. Americans love life, Muslims love death he stated after 9/11. Mounted like the prophet on a white horse, he claimed that he had destroyed the myth of the superpowers. Though he is stone dead, his dream lives on through al-Qaeda.
Is enlightenment a true reflection of religions?
You don’t need religion to know know who are - our ultimate motive is to achieve our goal! Do we actually know what our goal is? Our sense of purpose - our reason for existence , all profound quests and words, but nevertheless empty rhetoric with which at the end of the day we are all left with a feeling of deprivation.
The concept of a benevolent bearded old man up above the clouds so high, who grants wishes as a reward for sub-servience is downright absurd. It seems like a leaf taken from the Harry Potter book. Does it sound logical? And then God in turn appoints, Guru’s, Bishop’s, Mullah’s and Lama’s to teach enlightenment to humanity And all the great teachers, preachers, true healers, can only point the way, they themselves have not attained Nirvana or Satori! Everybody becomes a healer, the moment he forgets himself.
Do prayers get answered, the answer is “not all the time” or mebbe sometimes a prayer is answered. What is salvation - escape from divine retribution; can we identify this as our reason for existence? To sum up succinctly was it not, that all this suffering is due to the pre-conceived notion of a so called supernatural power, the idea of a creator? And we carry the heavy burden of guilt for not believing and praying for this creator - who is the outcome of undefined incidents of some one’s bizarre imagination. Despite all the religions available and the material wealth around us, there is a lack of fulfillment in everyone’s lives.
I am deeply sad and touched at the fate of these believers. For me this resonates with my own struggles with the forces of traditionalism - and the stiff resistance of new ideas by these obdurate priests, Lama, Rabbis, Mullahs and theologians and other deluded beings. None of them are willing to understand the simple austerity of life, nor the majesty of the intelligent independent thinker. Like an albatross around their necks they will carry their religious swans also into their dark abyss.
If you believe in me, I am the holy Ganges (river), otherwise I am just a flowing dirty river.-Vinay-
The concept of a benevolent bearded old man up above the clouds so high, who grants wishes as a reward for sub-servience is downright absurd. It seems like a leaf taken from the Harry Potter book. Does it sound logical? And then God in turn appoints, Guru’s, Bishop’s, Mullah’s and Lama’s to teach enlightenment to humanity And all the great teachers, preachers, true healers, can only point the way, they themselves have not attained Nirvana or Satori! Everybody becomes a healer, the moment he forgets himself.
Do prayers get answered, the answer is “not all the time” or mebbe sometimes a prayer is answered. What is salvation - escape from divine retribution; can we identify this as our reason for existence? To sum up succinctly was it not, that all this suffering is due to the pre-conceived notion of a so called supernatural power, the idea of a creator? And we carry the heavy burden of guilt for not believing and praying for this creator - who is the outcome of undefined incidents of some one’s bizarre imagination. Despite all the religions available and the material wealth around us, there is a lack of fulfillment in everyone’s lives.
I am deeply sad and touched at the fate of these believers. For me this resonates with my own struggles with the forces of traditionalism - and the stiff resistance of new ideas by these obdurate priests, Lama, Rabbis, Mullahs and theologians and other deluded beings. None of them are willing to understand the simple austerity of life, nor the majesty of the intelligent independent thinker. Like an albatross around their necks they will carry their religious swans also into their dark abyss.
If you believe in me, I am the holy Ganges (river), otherwise I am just a flowing dirty river.-Vinay-
Spirituality is not about faith.
It is a mistaken notion to think that spirituality is in any way connected to religion, it is just an inner compass followed by human beings to discover themselves. It is a sort of reflection on the interiors of oneself to discover the consciousness that merges with the universe. In the Veda’s there is no creator for the Universe, the logic is that it evolved or the basis is that it “became” and the invisible aspect is the spirit.
A spiritual life has nothing to do with religion or leading an ascetic life; in fact one can wine, dine, womanize, smoke, be an atheist and yet be spiritual. A person who attains a broad outlook, tolerance, patience, compassion, and is an aesthete, is able to find peace within and reach the equipoise to accept life in its myriad hues.
Spirituality is not the preserve of a select few and it also does not mean one should give up worldly activity. There is no separate compartment for worldly and spiritual life, desires and ambitions are also part of the reality in life. People also think spirituality is for old and retired people who have no other work. This is a paradox because it is during our active working life that we need spirituality to complement our hectic social life, and thereby increase our confidence & self esteem that acts as a support system.
Reality as constructed by our senses is sometimes referred to as an illusion because it excludes the invisible. The world may be a temporal reality, but while it evolves it is not unreal. It comprises of layers of matter and spirit and as such illusion is a process through the senses with a beginning and an end in constant flux. Illusion and reality are part of the whole. Spirituality embodies pain, pleasure, sickness, and convalescence, all ages, all the youth of our tumultuous and tortured lives. There is no shortcut for a tranquil life the footpath has to encompass desires, ambition & life affirming view of spirituality, to evolve into the next step of collaborating with the Universe.
You may conquer the world around you but if you are not aware of the world within you, you will shrink I drown in your own hubris. Spirituality helps you to cope with joy, sorrow, hard ship and stimulate our brains to get total satisfaction in life.
A spiritual life has nothing to do with religion or leading an ascetic life; in fact one can wine, dine, womanize, smoke, be an atheist and yet be spiritual. A person who attains a broad outlook, tolerance, patience, compassion, and is an aesthete, is able to find peace within and reach the equipoise to accept life in its myriad hues.
Spirituality is not the preserve of a select few and it also does not mean one should give up worldly activity. There is no separate compartment for worldly and spiritual life, desires and ambitions are also part of the reality in life. People also think spirituality is for old and retired people who have no other work. This is a paradox because it is during our active working life that we need spirituality to complement our hectic social life, and thereby increase our confidence & self esteem that acts as a support system.
Reality as constructed by our senses is sometimes referred to as an illusion because it excludes the invisible. The world may be a temporal reality, but while it evolves it is not unreal. It comprises of layers of matter and spirit and as such illusion is a process through the senses with a beginning and an end in constant flux. Illusion and reality are part of the whole. Spirituality embodies pain, pleasure, sickness, and convalescence, all ages, all the youth of our tumultuous and tortured lives. There is no shortcut for a tranquil life the footpath has to encompass desires, ambition & life affirming view of spirituality, to evolve into the next step of collaborating with the Universe.
You may conquer the world around you but if you are not aware of the world within you, you will shrink I drown in your own hubris. Spirituality helps you to cope with joy, sorrow, hard ship and stimulate our brains to get total satisfaction in life.
Cell-fish! Texting the Death of conversation.
Cataclysmic changes are taking place all around us and it effects children, marriage and our homes. We text when we should be talking and are forever hooked on to the network 24/7. Control and convenience, enables you to unfriend when you want in the cozy comfort of the internet. Our behavior is changing and becoming maddeningly intractable and cell-fish. The convenience of blocking or going offline etc has changed the way we deal with relationships in our real life. Like life’s illusion, the internet world with its many virtual friends, with whom we exchange intimate details, makes us think we have an active social life. But this a fallacy as it is devoid of depth and real bonds and in the process, real family time disappears. We don’t read or discuss anymore, conversations don’t happen, sports and games are neglected and even memories of good old days fade out.Have we pondered on the impact of technology in our lives?
We are growing up in a culture of distraction and we don’t look up from our face book screen when parent’s friends or relatives walk into our homes. On the positive side connectivity helps you deal with the difficulties of separation and you are not cut off as the generations before us. You can now message, text, speak or Skype, from anywhere in the world. People are confused of intimacy and solitude. We are in a tenuous complicity with strangers as we assiduously build up a following yet not knowing to what degree our followers are our real friends. We spend hours befriending strangers on face book, but are too busy for our kith and kin who are there in the real world.
Those who are insecure in life, find it great when they get so much attention in their little lives. Changes can be hard while some are easy, , but to change our behavior we have to change the situation. Today we measure our success by the number of mobile communication gizmos,Face-book friends, group’s, emails and posts, contacts and texts replied.
People are worried of being cut out off from the grid and loss of a cell phone is like someone has died. We need instantaneous response and gratification. Herein lies the greatest paradox in our complex world, instant communications has reduced our time to sit and think uninterrupted about life’s problems.
We are trying to customize our wants like a smoker who keeps smoking away but find it difficult to switch or change the situations, not just the environment but in our hearts and minds. Like drug addicts in rehab afterwards we are hooked on to the network and tethered like cows.
We are growing up in a culture of distraction and we don’t look up from our face book screen when parent’s friends or relatives walk into our homes. On the positive side connectivity helps you deal with the difficulties of separation and you are not cut off as the generations before us. You can now message, text, speak or Skype, from anywhere in the world. People are confused of intimacy and solitude. We are in a tenuous complicity with strangers as we assiduously build up a following yet not knowing to what degree our followers are our real friends. We spend hours befriending strangers on face book, but are too busy for our kith and kin who are there in the real world.
Those who are insecure in life, find it great when they get so much attention in their little lives. Changes can be hard while some are easy, , but to change our behavior we have to change the situation. Today we measure our success by the number of mobile communication gizmos,Face-book friends, group’s, emails and posts, contacts and texts replied.
People are worried of being cut out off from the grid and loss of a cell phone is like someone has died. We need instantaneous response and gratification. Herein lies the greatest paradox in our complex world, instant communications has reduced our time to sit and think uninterrupted about life’s problems.
We are trying to customize our wants like a smoker who keeps smoking away but find it difficult to switch or change the situations, not just the environment but in our hearts and minds. Like drug addicts in rehab afterwards we are hooked on to the network and tethered like cows.
RIP… No Computer, Laptop, Tablet, I-pad or Face book account, no excuse for living!
Throughout the world, the mushrooming of population growth, that too at an accelerated pace, during the 1970’s brought in its wake myriad problems. Old order was trampled upon, new values sprouted, all this led to a sort of sinister telekinesis, which brought Cyclones, Droughts, Tsunami’s, Hurricanes ethnic violence, global wars and terrorism all types tragedies, which paradoxically attempted to curb growth.
Forty years, is a long time, especially, when the world order is changing at a frenetic pace. Memories begin to flood through me as inexorable as a tide, they caress me, and I melt inside. I can’t help it, fragments half remembered, takes me back into the past, flashes of images and times interweave themselves across my mind. In the flickering twilight of my life, I can visualize my father, and the ghost of his smell, lingers in the empty room. Sadness, unlike sensation remains for a long time, the life and death struggle in this material world becomes real, and I wonder what it does, besides inflicting pain and sorrow. Nothing I learnt or was trained, prepared me for this man eat man, 21st century.
Honor, values, empathy, compassion, love and content, are in short supply, appearances are important, affectation personified, content nil. It’s really pointless of course, instances of the stolen glances in the bus- or brushing shoulders in the teeming train terminals do not exist, there is no hope for intimacy anymore. We expect the wrong values from today’s generation, whose innocence has been compromised, to be replaced with impatience, intolerance and arrogance. Earlier we had a moral obligation to be intelligent and wise; today the internet is connected with intelligence.
What does it matter if they think ‘Keats’ is the villain in Robot Cop, they are still very clever and have access to artificial intelligence. They might fail at reading, writing longhand and math’s but it’s the internet age, where websites, blogging, virtual reality, tablets and E- books are the new tools and skill sets required. They know how to operate a computer, even dropouts are adept, at texting, e-mails, remote controlling, digital streaming videos, scanning, hi-speed dubbing, morphing , creating virtual content, and they can fast forward themselves through modern life. There are few people who want to join me on my journey, as I try to flee this cyber life to wander in the winter landscape with only a solitary seagull and crow as my companions. Everyone is online on Face-book and twitter communities. What is the use of living if you cant use a computer?
Forty years, is a long time, especially, when the world order is changing at a frenetic pace. Memories begin to flood through me as inexorable as a tide, they caress me, and I melt inside. I can’t help it, fragments half remembered, takes me back into the past, flashes of images and times interweave themselves across my mind. In the flickering twilight of my life, I can visualize my father, and the ghost of his smell, lingers in the empty room. Sadness, unlike sensation remains for a long time, the life and death struggle in this material world becomes real, and I wonder what it does, besides inflicting pain and sorrow. Nothing I learnt or was trained, prepared me for this man eat man, 21st century.
Honor, values, empathy, compassion, love and content, are in short supply, appearances are important, affectation personified, content nil. It’s really pointless of course, instances of the stolen glances in the bus- or brushing shoulders in the teeming train terminals do not exist, there is no hope for intimacy anymore. We expect the wrong values from today’s generation, whose innocence has been compromised, to be replaced with impatience, intolerance and arrogance. Earlier we had a moral obligation to be intelligent and wise; today the internet is connected with intelligence.
What does it matter if they think ‘Keats’ is the villain in Robot Cop, they are still very clever and have access to artificial intelligence. They might fail at reading, writing longhand and math’s but it’s the internet age, where websites, blogging, virtual reality, tablets and E- books are the new tools and skill sets required. They know how to operate a computer, even dropouts are adept, at texting, e-mails, remote controlling, digital streaming videos, scanning, hi-speed dubbing, morphing , creating virtual content, and they can fast forward themselves through modern life. There are few people who want to join me on my journey, as I try to flee this cyber life to wander in the winter landscape with only a solitary seagull and crow as my companions. Everyone is online on Face-book and twitter communities. What is the use of living if you cant use a computer?
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Secularism is not a word in a dictionary.
I was born into a distinguished and aristocratic, socially well connected family in North Malabar. I grew up in a highly stimulating and intellectual environment, where open discussions of ideas and concepts were encouraged and endorsed. We have always been cosmopolitan and secular in our outlook and liberal and broad minded in our views. Tolerance and secularism were not words in a dictionary but something that we practiced in life.
My Grand uncle ( father’s uncle) MP Narayana Menon was the Kerala Pradesh Capital Committee who sided with the Muslims during a police clamp down is my hero and Archetype who opened the doors of wisdom to us. He was the main force behind the Hindu-Muslim solidarity witnessed in Malabar during the early phase of the Khilafat and non cooperation movements
He and his Moplah friends Kattilasseri Mohammed Musaliyar and Thaliyil Mohammed Kutty Musaliyar (K.M. Moulavi Saheb) who were responsible for awakening the Moplah peasants which led to the famous Malabar rebellion of 1921-1922. He was also the initiator of the agrarian reforms which give absolute rights over the land to the tillers and kudiyans of Kerala and put an end to the exploitation by the landlords. . He was a friend and colleague of Anne Besant, C. Rajagopalachari and Pattambhi Seetharamaiah. M. P. Narayana Menon never stood for an election in free India although he was offered the parliamentary seat from Malabar and would have got elected unopposed. He refused the other crumbs thrown by the congress government like ministerial posts, land, money, free travel etc. His life was a saga of courage, coolness, integrity and commitment amply deserving the honor of the title “The Abu Tualib of Malabar” bestowed on him by the Moplah Muslims of Kerala.
During the communal riots in India in the early fifties, both Muslims and Hindus were killed in the mayhem. He was in the midst of all these conflicts and spear headed the congress movement. He refused to bow down to the might of the British Empire. He was sentenced to ‘Transportation for Life’ and spent 17 years in British jails. He was the only non Muslim who was charge-sheeted under the ‘Moplah’ outrageous act.
He was crystal clear on his take; He told us the "individuals and vested interests" are responsible for the bloodshed and not the religions; he would emphasize that you cannot blame the intangible religion and expect justice, we must blame the individuals who caused it and punish them accordingly for disturbing the peace and thus bring a resolution to the conflict by serving justice. He said you cannot annihilate, kill, hang or beat the religion, then why bark at it like dogs? Barring some fundamentalists on both sides I think Muslims in India are happy and are leading a life of dignity in India. I wish we had leaders like him at our helm now. As his biography reads he is a forgotten pioneer. – K. Vinay Kumar
My Grand uncle ( father’s uncle) MP Narayana Menon was the Kerala Pradesh Capital Committee who sided with the Muslims during a police clamp down is my hero and Archetype who opened the doors of wisdom to us. He was the main force behind the Hindu-Muslim solidarity witnessed in Malabar during the early phase of the Khilafat and non cooperation movements
He and his Moplah friends Kattilasseri Mohammed Musaliyar and Thaliyil Mohammed Kutty Musaliyar (K.M. Moulavi Saheb) who were responsible for awakening the Moplah peasants which led to the famous Malabar rebellion of 1921-1922. He was also the initiator of the agrarian reforms which give absolute rights over the land to the tillers and kudiyans of Kerala and put an end to the exploitation by the landlords. . He was a friend and colleague of Anne Besant, C. Rajagopalachari and Pattambhi Seetharamaiah. M. P. Narayana Menon never stood for an election in free India although he was offered the parliamentary seat from Malabar and would have got elected unopposed. He refused the other crumbs thrown by the congress government like ministerial posts, land, money, free travel etc. His life was a saga of courage, coolness, integrity and commitment amply deserving the honor of the title “The Abu Tualib of Malabar” bestowed on him by the Moplah Muslims of Kerala.
During the communal riots in India in the early fifties, both Muslims and Hindus were killed in the mayhem. He was in the midst of all these conflicts and spear headed the congress movement. He refused to bow down to the might of the British Empire. He was sentenced to ‘Transportation for Life’ and spent 17 years in British jails. He was the only non Muslim who was charge-sheeted under the ‘Moplah’ outrageous act.
He was crystal clear on his take; He told us the "individuals and vested interests" are responsible for the bloodshed and not the religions; he would emphasize that you cannot blame the intangible religion and expect justice, we must blame the individuals who caused it and punish them accordingly for disturbing the peace and thus bring a resolution to the conflict by serving justice. He said you cannot annihilate, kill, hang or beat the religion, then why bark at it like dogs? Barring some fundamentalists on both sides I think Muslims in India are happy and are leading a life of dignity in India. I wish we had leaders like him at our helm now. As his biography reads he is a forgotten pioneer. – K. Vinay Kumar
The veil of ignorance!
We see the Burkha as a very symbol of Islam, but women interact with this piece of clothing in myriad ways, mostly to shield, often to mask and sometimes to camouflage. Whatever the motivations in deciding to wear the hijab, a woman makes a statement about herself as much as about society she lives in.
Rahul Irani has a story to tell about photo ops he undertook, and here are some of the excerpts Arshi Khan a student at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi says she wears the Burkha to please Allah, but manages to keep her fashion quotient high with a shocking pink contrast bag. Sebha Jafri a former convent school teacher in Bhopal says she is as modern as any other 28 year old girl and wears expensive lingerie and shorts to entice her spouse within the four walls of her room, but wears the burkha when she steps out of the house like a typical Muslim housewife. Gul feels her burkha makes her feel more secure during her early morning jogs, though it is not comfortable while running. Even women in Burkha feel targeted all the time, but get used to it, Gul feels her security blanket, ironically makes her stand out in a crowd and spends a lot of time in a gym to battle this sense of vulnerability. For Nidhi, the burkha is not a religious diktat, it is the perfect foil. It assures her anonymity, it is an equalizer, and she is a commercial sex worker at Kabri Bazaar in Meerut. She manages quite a few respectable glances as she walks down the sheets to shop in a hijab. It is another matter that she actually seeks out the leering advances of prospective clients once she gets down to work. Burkha tailors tend to be men; women cover themselves in loose clothing while getting their measurements taken. In India women who refused to reveal their identity cards were not issued identity cards.
The veil issue is part of a heated debate about multiculturalism in Europe. The issues involved are religious freedom, female equality, secular traditions and even fears of terrorism. In Italy a draft bill banning the burkha/hijab in public places is in place. France in April banned women from hiding their face behind a veil; Spain has imposed a ban on full face veils in public places, similar to the ban existing in Belgium. There are three distinct types of veils worn by Muslim women, Burqa is a loose cloak covering the whole body from the top of the head to the toes and includes head covering and face veil. Chador is an open cloak full body length of fabric split open down the front, with a head hole in the top. Hijab- refers to both the head covering and modest style of dressing. It means covering everything except face and hands in public. Niqab- covers the face unlike a burqa which covers the whole body. Excerpts of Photo ops-Op
Rahul Irani has a story to tell about photo ops he undertook, and here are some of the excerpts Arshi Khan a student at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi says she wears the Burkha to please Allah, but manages to keep her fashion quotient high with a shocking pink contrast bag. Sebha Jafri a former convent school teacher in Bhopal says she is as modern as any other 28 year old girl and wears expensive lingerie and shorts to entice her spouse within the four walls of her room, but wears the burkha when she steps out of the house like a typical Muslim housewife. Gul feels her burkha makes her feel more secure during her early morning jogs, though it is not comfortable while running. Even women in Burkha feel targeted all the time, but get used to it, Gul feels her security blanket, ironically makes her stand out in a crowd and spends a lot of time in a gym to battle this sense of vulnerability. For Nidhi, the burkha is not a religious diktat, it is the perfect foil. It assures her anonymity, it is an equalizer, and she is a commercial sex worker at Kabri Bazaar in Meerut. She manages quite a few respectable glances as she walks down the sheets to shop in a hijab. It is another matter that she actually seeks out the leering advances of prospective clients once she gets down to work. Burkha tailors tend to be men; women cover themselves in loose clothing while getting their measurements taken. In India women who refused to reveal their identity cards were not issued identity cards.
The veil issue is part of a heated debate about multiculturalism in Europe. The issues involved are religious freedom, female equality, secular traditions and even fears of terrorism. In Italy a draft bill banning the burkha/hijab in public places is in place. France in April banned women from hiding their face behind a veil; Spain has imposed a ban on full face veils in public places, similar to the ban existing in Belgium. There are three distinct types of veils worn by Muslim women, Burqa is a loose cloak covering the whole body from the top of the head to the toes and includes head covering and face veil. Chador is an open cloak full body length of fabric split open down the front, with a head hole in the top. Hijab- refers to both the head covering and modest style of dressing. It means covering everything except face and hands in public. Niqab- covers the face unlike a burqa which covers the whole body. Excerpts of Photo ops-Op
Red Market
The term black market, or grey market is familiar to all of us but I am sure the red market is fairly unknown to many, but may be lurking somewhere since we have some idea of organ transplants. It is difficult to accept that the human body is a commodity and can be traded like meat or vegetables. The cultural and social fears have covertly hidden humans from being perceived as an anthropological object, but the brutal story of the organ markets is an eye opener. It is a morbid world inhabited by organ traders, brokers, doctors and the victims. India is a leading supplier of kidneys, blood, hair, bones for gelatin other organs and even children for adoption. It is difficult to imagine human bodies and lives as something quantifiable or consider the social transactions in economic terms but that is the bitter medicine we have to swallow.
Red markets are the products of contradictions that arise when social taboos surrounding the human body collide with the individual urge to live a long life. Whether we like it or not organ buyers of flesh create a lifelong debt to the person who supplied it. How can we prevent willful donation from commercial exploitation? The organ market is a literal flesh trade, where everything from wombs, hair, blood, kidneys, heart and entire human beings are treated as commodities. From the grave diggers of Calcutta’s (bone factories), wig market in Chennai & Tirupati, blood banks of Mumbai (where the blood of the poor slum dweller is drained for a few rupees), to the fertility clinics in Cyprus and Organ harvesting camps in China, is a morbid trail of blood and gore where medical ethics is viewed with a Nelsons eye by corrupt authorities.
Even the less dangerous trade of extracting Ova or surrogate conception now takes on sinister connotations
Inputs from Scott Carney’s book
Red markets are the products of contradictions that arise when social taboos surrounding the human body collide with the individual urge to live a long life. Whether we like it or not organ buyers of flesh create a lifelong debt to the person who supplied it. How can we prevent willful donation from commercial exploitation? The organ market is a literal flesh trade, where everything from wombs, hair, blood, kidneys, heart and entire human beings are treated as commodities. From the grave diggers of Calcutta’s (bone factories), wig market in Chennai & Tirupati, blood banks of Mumbai (where the blood of the poor slum dweller is drained for a few rupees), to the fertility clinics in Cyprus and Organ harvesting camps in China, is a morbid trail of blood and gore where medical ethics is viewed with a Nelsons eye by corrupt authorities.
Even the less dangerous trade of extracting Ova or surrogate conception now takes on sinister connotations
Inputs from Scott Carney’s book
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