a common man ಸಂಜಯ

I watched the gorilla’s eyes again, wise and knowing eyes, and wondered about this business of trying to teach apes language. Our language. Why? There are many members of our own species who live in and with the forest and know it and understand it. We don’t listen to them. What is there to suggest we would listen to anything an ape could tell us? Or that it would be able to tell us of its life in a language that hasn’t been born of that life? I thought, maybe it is not that they have yet to gain a language, it is that we have lost one.

~ Douglas Adams

Remind me in a way of UG (only in a way, UG was & is unimaginably unique )… esp this one…

We are not an endangered species ourselves yet, but this is not for lack of trying.

Saw this on onion…

New Wearable Feedbags Let Americans Eat More, Move Less

For those not familiar with Onion, its a really funny satirical look at the world… its comedy but with some background of truth in it… this particular one reminded me of the link between  multitasking and absentmindedness… (absentmindedness has reduced for me over recent years)

I once came across an article that helped me trace one of the main reasons for my absentmindedness back to my childhood days – it said that kids who have the habit of reading while eating end up becoming absentminded living in their own dreamworld.

TAKEN FROM “WAKE-UP CALLS WRITTEN BY JERRY JAMPOLSKY, M.D. AND DIANE CIRINCIONE, PH.D.

1. TO BE AWAKE IS TO KNOW THAT WE WERE NEVER SEPARATE

2. NO ONE EVER TOLD US WHEN WE WERE BORN THAT “HANGING LOOSE” OR BEING “UPTIGHT” WAS A CHOICE

3. IF HEARTS WERE MORE OPEN TO LOVE, WE WOULD HAVE LESS NEED FOR OPEN HEART SURGERY

4. WE HAVE THINGS BACKWARDS BECAUSE “REST IN PEACE” SHOULD BE FOR THE LIVING AND NOT THE DEAD

5. THERE ARE ONLY TWO EMOTIONS; LOVE AND FEAR

6. FEAR IS NEVER DEAR AND ALWAYS COMES FROM LIFE’S REAR

7. AWAKENING OCCURS WHEN WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS NEVER ANYONE TO BLAME

8. ONE OF OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES IN LIFE IS TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH OURSELVES

9. CHANGING THE THOUGHTS IN OUR MINDS CAN CHANGE OUR LIVES

10. ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT CHALLENGES THAT HUMAN BEINGS HAVE IS TO STOP LOOK INTO THE MIRROR AND SAY, “ I LOVE YOU WITH ALL M HEART JUST AS YOU ARE”

11. TO AWAKEN AND EXPERIENCE FREEDOM IS TO LET GO OF THE ATTACHMENTS WE HAVE TO ALL OF OUR POSSESSIONS

12. THE LAW OF GUILT IS TO PUNISH YOURSELF OR BLAME SOMEONE ELSE. THE FIRST STEP IN LETTING GO OF GUILT IS TO NO LONGER SEE ANY VALUE IN HOLDING ONTO IT

13. PERCEPTION IS A MIRROR NOT A FACT

14. IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE ONE OF YOUR DOCTOR’S MANY PATIENTS, MAKE IT A PRIORITY IN YOUR LIFE TO HAVE INFINITE PATIENCE

15. TENDERNESS AND GENTLENESS WALK HAND IN HAND, FOR WHERE THERE IS NO FEAR, THERE IS ONLY LOVE

16. CELESTIAL AMNESIA IS LETTING GO OF THE PAST AND REMEMERING ONLY THE LOVE WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN AND RECEIVED

17. FORGIVENESS IS THE KEY TO INNER PEACE AND HAPPINESS

source: Archictects of A New Dawn

(vision of legendary Mexican-American rock musician and guitarist Carlos Santana… see him in action below…)

Usually in the West we see everyone forming a disciplined queue, whereas in India even for a plate of idli in a self-serviced cafe, its not unusual to find people crowding around the counter, elbowing each other out as if there was some impending famine and its some urgent fight for survival for the last remaining stock! However during one of my travels, I had been in an unusual situation in a European airport. Everyone – mostly fair skinned foreigners – were in a disciplined queue as usual, and suddenly there was an announcement that there was some mess up in reservations on the flight, and there were only a few seats available. Suddenly the discipline scene changed dramatically and it became more unruly than the local Bangalore mob that tries boarding a public bus even before it stops! I was really stunned to see this incredible sight that I’d never witnessed before in the west, and realised that everyone sticks to discipline as long as resources are guaranteed. In India we’ve somehow been brought up to believe that if we don’t fight for it we lose it… I think this terrible idea is inbuilt into our psyche right from our childhood due to the competition in our educational system.

Sudhee recently sent me a link from Robin Sharma‘s blog on the discipline of being ethical. The post talks about how he takes a stand on not standing in a shortcut queue, but taking the extra time of standing in the longer one because it was the right thing to do.

He writes…

My daughter and I were following the rules – but this meant we ended up waiting another 15 minutes to ride up the mountain. And this meant less runs. On a perfect day.

He finds the advantages…

But I get to stay true to my values. And I get to show my precious daughter a little leadership by example

I appreciate this idea and find the post quite inspiring. On the other hand, I don’t know if one could stand by it if the situation was something more critical than a skiing trip. But well atleast one can practice it in simple things There is a story from the truly wonderful book Zen in the Martial Arts, by Joe Hyams…

“You will never learn to do anything well in life unless you are willing to give yourself time,” he said. “I believe you are accustomed to having everything come easily to you, but this is not the way of life or the martial arts.”

“I try to be patient,” I responded.

“We are not talking about patience,” he answered. “To be patient is to have the capacity of calm endurance. To give yourself time is to actively work toward a goal without setting a limit on how long you will work.”

…

One day I asked him (Master Han) how he could remain so patient with the many demands on his time. We were then having tea in his office and I noticed on his desk an unopened letter from Korea that had just arrived in the morning mail. I expected him to excuse himself and read the letter at once, but he put the letter aside. “Why don’t you read your letter from home?” I asked. “I’ll wait.”

“I am doing what I would do had I been alone,” he said. “I am putting the letter aside until I conquer haste. Then when I open it, it will be as though it is something precious.”

I thought over what he said for a moment and finally remarked that I didn’t know what such patience led to. “It leads to this,” he said. “Those who are patient in the trivial things in life and control themselves will one day have the same mastery in great and important things.”

In any case, hopefully Robin also used the opportunity to spend quality time with his daughter

One who learns to truly listen (aka a meditator) finds that waiting is never a hassle. Even standing in a queue (of course may not be practical in the context of any urgent worrying situation, but easier in ordinary situations) can be an opportunity to re-discover that one has all the time in the world!

Wonder what is happening in this patch on the globe called Pakistan. With all due respect to the Pakistanis I’ve met in person during my foreign trips who have all been really nice friends, going by the news, there seem to be so many armed and dangerous segments of its society that generally seem to be having something against the whole world! For example the latest attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team, though one can’t imagine what they have got anything to do with anything…

March 03, 2009 10:11 IST
Last Updated: March 03, 2009 10:22 IST

Gunmen killed at least four people in an attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team’s bus on Tuesday as it drove to the Gadaffi stadium in Lahore [Images], according to witnesses and cricket officials.

Sri Lankan media, quoting the sports minister, said four players received minor injuries in the attack — Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis [Images], Thilan Samaraweera [Images] and Tharanga Paranavithana.

Pakistan television channels said four people were killed.

I’ve been an occasional reader of the Pakistani newspaper Dawn. In the past few years, and maybe it was a series of wild coincidences as I’ve only seen it at random times, it seemed to be more of an anti-Indian rather than a Pakistani newspaper! Most of the headlines had something or the other to do with something bad that India was supposed to be up to! Today I saw it after quite a while, and was pleasantly surprised to see something refreshingly different. Apart from having more Pakistan centered news and nice improvement to its site design, it also had something positive to say about India…

Indian women of brilliance and grit
On the hope that ever so often springs up from the deep recesses of India.

Hopefully this will kindle the idea that Indians aren’t so bad after all, esp considering cases like the four year old Pakistani boy’s heart surgery in India recently.

A four-year-old Pakistani boy, Mohammed Moshin, a ‘blue baby’ – born with a congenital heart defect-, was cured of his ailment in Chennai at the ‘Frontier Lifeline’ hospital of the Dr KM Cherian Heart Foundation, named after the ace cardiac surgeon who pioneered heart transplants in India.

“We performed a very complex and rare heart surgery to rectify the congenital defect by relieving the boy of the obstruction without touching his right ventricle,’ Dr Cherian who led the team of doctors to successfully accomplish this task, told reporters here today.

Though we’re witnessing the results of some dark past… this kind of positive turn in the media and opening up to the world by means of the blogosphere in the same site, should facilitate good reason for optimism going forward in the future.

Has been quite a while since last time, so about time for another trip to the village… Luckily my mom could join me again and this time my sister as well. It had been a pretty cool trip (inspite of the hot weather) with my brother in law Anand and the three women in my heart – my mother, sister and wife. Only regret was that we hadn’t left earlier in the day! Though it was only a half a day trip – it was one of those times where time stretched making it like an eternity…

Passed a flowering field with Amma having the time of her life as she loves flowers… though I don’t know how she managed not to pluck any over here!

There was a lovely small lake there and Abhinav had a good time running wild on the huge open bank, and got himself in a mess amidst some convoluted creepers…

Here’s the main purpose of the visit – to meet his great grandmother over a century old…

On the way back passed a nice temple and stopped over for a while… (have a look at the different details in these pictures by clicking on them to get a full screen view)

Photo album of the trip…

This is the follow up of this was easy to draw?

Submitted by cartoonist and fellow blogger Bellur in his inimitable style…

The HOD,
‘Rediscovers Nature’ Block,
Common Man’s College of Engg.
Bangalore Branch (H.O. Igatpuri)

Sub: Submission of Assignment

Kindly accept my Pelican assignment.

Sincerely Yours
Bellur
Roll No:260109

…please click on the image to view it better (just click again to return*)

[SinglePic not found]

Thank you Bellur, simply superb full marks to you!

For others: I’m with you on the laziness part but please remember ‘better late than never’ so hope you don’t take undue advantage of the fact that there’s no deadline… further entries are always welcome!

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* thanks to the amazing NextGen plugin

Today I received a handwritten letter. Its been a long time since I got a handwritten letter in the mail, many years (I don’t even remember when the last time was!) So it was a good surprise to find one today.

The contents had a photo of a little girl, and a copy of her marks card which had only Goods and Very Goods, and the following letter, that quite made our hearts jump…

Priya* is good in studies. Father works as a coolie and mother as a maind servant. The income of the father is very meagre as he does not go for work regularly. He drinks a lot and does not care for the family. Mother is taking care of the children and is interested to educate both the children. They stay in a small house for rent. Grandmother helps the children for food. Priya met with an accident & got hurt in the head, she had underwent operation at NIMHANS and still under medication. Our assistance is needed to educate Priya.

* name changed for privacy

We felt deeply touched and grateful at this opportunity to be part of someone else’s life. There is a certain almost inexplicable quiet joy.

We will be receiving this report regularly every few months, and depending on our time and inclination, can provide whatever support we like to Priya. This was after sponsoring a year’s education for her through the Karanata State Council for Child Welfare, which costs Rs. 2500. This is an annual commitment till she completes her 12th standard.

Priya studies in Gnaneshwari Vidya Mandira in R.T. Nagar, Bangalore. Not only money, they can use some help in teaching the children as well – anyone interested please email me for further details.

Not being some millionaire but only a common man running a middle class family – and I need to work hard to support my family and try to sustain some kind of security for the future especially amidst a very uncertain market with all the economic gloom.

Nevertheless, I feel the satisfaction of having made a good investment for the future (even though if it may not my own future! ;) ) A song sung by Whitney Houston I’d first heard years ago still rings in my head (and heart)…

I believe that children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be

The Taj Mahal was built on the love of a man for his wife. The Pyramid is built on the belief of after life. The Great Wall of China has been built as a  political divide, The Colosseum was built to pit fighter against fighter for cruel fights to the death. In our current era, with advanced technology we can no doubt expect more spectacular buildings. Current in construction for example are the Twin Towers that will replace the towers that destroyed the WTC in 9/11, and speak about the wealth and power of America.

This is about one monument that’s being constructed in India, which I myself have visited twice, and have had the priviledge of contributing to, though not unlike a squirrel that helped Ram build the bridge to Lanka. This is the Global Pagoda in Mumbai. And this particular monument is not dedicated to something beyond a particular ideology or country or religion – it speaks about love and peace across the whole of humanity!

Since my first visit to the construction site in 2006, its come a long way and finally to completion on the 8th of February, 2009, inaugrated by the President of India.

It is the biggest pillarless dome in the world today, the second one comes close to only half the size. On Sunday I was watching the live telecast of the inaugration on TV, where they said that among other things it took 3.7 million man days and over Rupees 1000 crore went into its construction! It was the wishes of Buddha, who’s relics are in the dome, that his relics be kept at a public pagoda rather than any museum.

The above is the view from the ferry of the outside. Below is the view looking upwards from the inside.

Excerpt from wikipedia…

The Global Pagoda is a monument being built in Mumbai, India. … It is being built combining ancient Indian and modern technology to enable it to last for at least 2000 years. The center of the Global Pagoda contains the world’s largest stone dome built without any supporting pillars. The planned height of the building is 96.12 meters, which is twice the size of the previously largest hollow stone monument in the world, the Gol Gumbaz Dome in Bijapur, India.[1] The inside of the pagoda is hollow and serves as a very large meditation hall with an area covering more than 6000 m² (65,000 ft²).

Her excellency the President of India and a student herself, spoke… “Buddha taught “be the light within yourself” – the light within you.” and concluded with “Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”.

“The fact is that all human beings are one and our behaviour should be based on this basic truth. People create distinctions in their own mind and believe them to be true. Today, it is the perceived differences that are dividing people,” said Patil.

~ President Patil inaugurates world’s biggest Pagoda in Mumbai

Finally the barely known (and he tends to keep himself out of the way), Principle Teacher Archarya Goenkaji, himself spoke about how the defilements in one’s mind need to be removed by the very root. A student who learns this knowledge will be able to see this by his own experience.

Vipassana is a technique of India. Laudable references to Vipassana are given in the Rig Veda. The most ancient literature of this country is full of words of praise for Vipassana:

Yo viovabhih vipaoyati bhuvanah
sanca paoyati sa na paroadati dvioah.

One who practices Vipassana in a perfect way_sanca paoyati, sa na paroadati dvioah_comes out of all aversion and anger; the mind becomes pure.

~ Vipassana Research Institute

All the ancient monuments in all their majesty, existed for visitors to see them and experience the joy. But here is a space where one goes to see oneself, and give Joy to the world through that seeing. While all the historic ones have a purpose fulfilling the retention of memory from the past, this one will exist to simply facilitate people continually evolve.

This is the crystal that was placed at the summit – embedded is another picture of it with some light in the background.

Here the crystal has been installed at the summit. In a way it can be reminder for us to strive to reach the summit of our own potential in whatever humble way it may be.

The ultimate goal behind this particular wonder is simply the wonder – the truth and love – that the common man, the individuals like you and me, can discover within ourself.

Came across a music video that was shot entirely in Greenland in the Arctic… has amazing footage of the location and I liked the music as well… it definitely makes a strong statement about our environment.

I heard recently that often times the most difficult path is also the right one. Well, this project was definitely one of the most painstaking and difficult creative challenge we have ever undertaken as a band. It has also been one of the most inspiring – a rare opportunity to reach into our imagination and push the limits of whats possibile. It will always be an important part of our story and a defining element of our lives.

…says Jared Leto on his abeautifullie site, which has a forum for discussing environmental issues.

I quite liked the music and here are the lyrics and the video…

Lie awake in bed at night
And think about your life Do you want to be different? (Different…)
Try to let go of the truth
The battles of your youth
’Cause this is just a game

It’s a beautiful lie
It’s a perfect denial
Such a beautiful lie to believe in
So beautiful, beautiful lie makes me

It’s time to forget about the past
To wash away what happened last (happened last)
Hide behind an empty face
Don’t ask too much, just say
‘Cause this is just a game

It’s a beautiful lie
It’s a perfect denial
Such a beautiful lie to believe in
So beautiful, beautiful lie makes me

Lie….Beautiful

Everyone’s looking at me
I’m running around in circles, baby
A quiet desperation’s building higher
I’ve got to remember this is just a game

(LLLLLIIIIIIIIEEEEEEE)So beautiful, beautiful… X4

It’s a beautiful lie —
It’s a perfect denial —(So beautiful, beautiful)
Such a beautiful lie to believe in —
So beautiful, beautiful lie makes me

Global Warming seems to be mostly like some hypothetical situation, a typical Somebody Else’s Problem that nobody can really see. A really interesting aspect of this video is that it begins with a common man from Greenland actually talking about the difference in his lifestyle in his day to day life caused due to global warming…

What about the emission gone into making of this video? This shows a pretty amazing sense of responsibility at the end of the story on the site…

P.P.S – Emissions from the energy consumed in connection with producing the A Beautiful Lie video were offset using Solar Energy Certificates purchased from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. The certificates support enough solar energy to offset approximately 250,000 Kilowatt hours, or 350,000 pounds of CO2 emissions – the approximate emissions reduction equivalent of planting 46 acres of trees or not driving 36 cars for one year.

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See also:

The Neurobiology of Mass Delusion

RwB: June 5 is World Environment Day