Properties of Matter

(One of my friends emailed me that "Nature is everyone's friend indeed because its the same for everyone", and that sparked off the thought process that entails this blog.)

I didnt mean for the title to sound like a high school physics lesson, but I've learned that those three words have plenty of wisdom packed in them. The property of fire is to burn, of water is to cool - stating the obvious? perhaps...bear with me, I will come to my point. We don't expect anything other than a substance's property and we merely maneuver our way around nature's properties...Why then, do we expect people to be different than they are? If a person's property is to sting with words, or another's property is forgetfulness, why do we take it personal and expect them to be more of our property?
I've realized that most often, people do a certain thing, not because they want to hurt you, but because they honestly dont think they have any other choice for their personal happiness or whatever comes close to it.

We humans are selfish beings and I dont mean it in a derogatory way. Being selfish is one of our properties. Even when we do good to someone else, its because we feel good doing so. Selflessness may be a virtuous trait, but I honestly believe its un-natural for humans to be so.

I believe most of the time we 'expect' something of someone (that they normally wouldnt do), we are really saying, "do something thats un-natural for you, something thats not your property, but something I want. " We probably think they are unkind, thoughtless, unloving for doing things that they do. Implicit in that thought, is the truth that we are unkind for expecting others' behavior to be consistent with our desires.
What do you think???

Superficious superstitious beliefs

When I hear of people (well-meaning) warning me of dire consequences if I dont follow the family protocols of several centuries, I wonder if their threats are too different from the viral chain emails that demand that you forward the email to 20 people, which if you do, you will win instant lottery and if you don't, the next car on the street will devour you. I don't think I know everything and granted that these seemingly superstitious beliefs had some base in reason centuries ago, but why are we following without questioning? My belief is that,inherent in my culture is a tendency to obey, to be submissive - qualities that have been exacerbated by centuries of colonial rule.

Chromosomally, we probably have the survival instinct warning us not to question the person in authority, whether at home or at work, so to not hamper the bread winning process.

I love for people to follow what they believe in, and by the same token, avoid influencing by coercion or cajoles, the free-will of another to decide for themselves....Unless their opinions are sought, of course.

But then it doesn't really matter what I want, does it? As long as I'm pushing against it, I know it will come to me. I've been loving Byron Katie's work, that I'd like to put it to test for a while. More about Byron Katie later. :-)

Jason Mraz

The genreless song, "I'm Yours", by Jason Mraz is apparently making history. I have to admit it is fresh, uplifting and makes your soul do a little dance, just listening to it. I was introduced to it on the radio and the song organically grew on me - I didn't know who the singer was, nobody told me it was good...it was one of those things that you cannot attribute it to a fad or a in-thing or an extraneous factor. The simplicity of the song, minimal instruments, original music are truly moving. Rhythm and melody intertwined perfectly..I'm no connoisseur of music, but in the recent years, few songs have evoked this reaction in me. I melt into "I'm Yours" and let this number work its magic on me.

A Seeming Coincidence!

I was experiencing Monday morning blues yesterday, feeling bored at the thought of start of another week or routine, work, running around and same old.
So.. I was driving in to work and for some reason the song, 'For a Moment Like This, Some People Wait a Lifetime', kept playing over and over in my head. I hadn't really listened to it in a while and it was boom out of nowhere. A couple minutes after dropping my son off, I remembered to turn on my radio and it was the very same song playing in the radio!!! What are the odds of that?? So its a fairly popular song, and I wanted to dismiss the radio playing the song as a mere coincidence, but what startled me was that it happened at the exact instant I turned on the radio. It was as if someone hit you on the back of your head and asked you to take notice.

Take notice? Of what? I don't know.

But the thought that came to me was that, life has got to be more than mere everyday living and what we can merely perceive with our five senses. This seeming coincidence seemed to tell me to be open to greater connections out there waiting to be explored, grander happenings than the mundane activities that entail making a living, eager anticipation of the next moment while savoring the present, and.... to be prepared to be smacked in the head if the feeling of boredom ever sets in!!! Now, that smack in head, I can handle and welcome!! :-)

Life Being a Series of Aha Moments

Sometimes I like to look at the nature around me, imagining myself to be from a different planet and looking at earth for the first time and I'm awe-struck at the colors, the landscape and the beauty of our planet - one we take for granted.

As huge as my planet is, astronomy tells me that its a mere speck in the explored universe...and I'm probably an amoebic creature (in the vastness of whats around me), leading my own little life, with unwarranted worrying about future, unneeded brooding of the past, while missing the beauty and love around me thats ready to encompass me in its grandeur, if only I'd let myself enjoy my present moment.

Most of us have forgotten the joys of (re-)discovering things. We forget to inquire, question, ponder, wonder...in the mundane tasks that entail making a living, we forget to lose ourselves in awe of something or someone. Oh, what joy when something you've been grappling with, suddenly gets clearer, when the fog lifts, when someone flicks the light switch on.

Oh, how I'd love for my life to be a series of aha moments!!!

We Are All Connected

It dawned me on me today, that we are all connected beings. Even though, its something we hear about all the time that we are connected, there is always a shift in consciousness when a seemingly mundane truth is, "realized." No longer can we hope for only ourselves to be successful. No longer can we hope for salvation only for us. We all either rise together or we fall together. The stock markets around the world rallying behind the United States' economic performance is one glaring everyday example. The United States is in turn dependent on the rest of the world for its business-as-usual. The world wide web connects us from any corner of the world. People of common thoughts, ideologies and views form unions not bound by physical distances anymore. We've weaved an intricate virtual web of sharing knowledge, wisdom and everything in between, merely by inhabiting in the world of electrons. How cool is that!!

I believe that even though all of human and non-human consciousnesses all come from a common 'Source' that some others choose to call 'God', today, we are more connected at several levels than at any time in the recent past. Lets celebrate the successes of our closest competitors, for that gives us hope and inspiration to do better. Lets foresee the future achievements of those that have yet to realize it themselves.

I see a world of abundance and prosperity, health and luxury, beauty and creativity, unlimited joy, not just for me, but for everyone, no matter whether our paths have crossed or not. That's a nice thought to go to bed with - isn't it? :-)

Head Vs Heart

A recent conversation with my cousin sparked my thought process about my personal views of what to follow when there is a conflict between the heart and the head. These are my personal opinions, not in anyway absolute truth, that came about because of my life experiences. Before I go further I need to define what I commonly refer to, as the Head and the Heart.

The Head or the mind is a great tool, that lets us analyze and decode a problem, find solutions and is an information processor, whether you're interested in watching the grass grow or listening to a Nobel laureate's dissertation, depending on your level of training. The mind operates in the finite realm, which is why, trying to comprehend the enormity of the Universe or the beginning of time or the concept of God, mostly eludes us, if we used the mind alone.

Contrary to its most common association, emotions are not your heart. Emotions are felt there, but thats just one of the uses of the metaphorical heart. Heart is the part of you, that feels. Its like a magnetic compass, that tells you if you are going north or south.

Making a decision when angry or agitated is not acting from the heart. Infact its far from it. Finding oneself in a state of extreme anger or sadness is often the case when one is not connected with one's heart. (The cause may be justified, but the fact remains - you are not connected with your heart).

Feelings are great, because they cannot be controlled. Their expressions can be controlled, but not the feeling itself. For example, a success in something feels good inside, loss of a personal item/person feels not so good, however much you attempt to mask your feelings about the ups and downs of life. Feeling emotions is natural and what we are born with.

Some spiritual teachers abhor the use of the mind and many extremely logical thinkers deny the use of the heart, but I believe these are two tools that help us lead a better life and neither one in isolation would help make our lives more meaningful.

So what do you do when your mind tells you to do something and that doesn't feel right...or metaphorically, your heart says the opposite? In my personal experience, the heart has been right. Because the heart is intuitive and tends to know a little more than the mind - it can sense the unknown. This is not mystical or psychic - just a tool that all of us humans have. Not all of us have been taught to pay attention to how we feel. But that might just be the key to unlocking our future, or what we refer to as 'luck'.
When I feel anxious without reason, I know that I should be careful where I tread, and try to check inside and feel if taking a different course makes me feel better. When I feel good without any particular reason, I know that I'm on the right track.

Like I said in the beginning of the blog, this is personal, but I can see how the exact argument can be made in favor of the mind and all I would say is, "Do what you've learned from YOUR experience", because words don't teach, only life experience does. :)

First Harvest

As we get older, the number of times you say, "thats the first time I've done that!", drastically reduces, so I'm going to cherish the ones I get to experience for the first time. I've found a new love - gardening. I sprinked a few coriander seeds into a pot with some soil and watered it for a few days..Lo and behold, nature blesses me with some cilantro (coriander) or "kothamoyi" as my toddler son likes to refer to it. A few days later, the plant started bearing flowers and then decides to give me hundreds of coriander seeds.

While this is the universal law of procreation, regeneration and an example of the divine design keeping life on planet earth, being a first hand witness to one seed producing more like it, without huge monumental effort, absolutely overwhelmed me. My first harvest of any kind and a moment to cherish. I decided to get brave after this new found success and tried to plant tomato seeds, okra and egg plant. I also have a mint plant. The plants are thriving so far. While I dont claim to have a green thumb, I hope I'm able to provide the plants a little more than water and food - lots of love!!

Triumph of spirit

What is it about the human spirit that never gives up? I've been so fascinated by stories of utter impending doom where the resilient find a thin strand of hope to hang on to, refuse to give up and emerge unscathed to share their hope with the rest of us.

Yesterday, I finished reading the book 'Escape', by Carolyn Jessop, a woman who fled her polygamous abusive husband with 8 children (one of them with cancer, another a toddler) to start life afresh. Her insatiable appetite to learn, never say-die attitude and willingness to hope for something better, deeply moved me.

I watched an interview by Donna Eden, practitioner of energy medicine, who in her early years was so weak and depleted that western medicine practicing doctors told her there was nothing they could do, and she stumbled upon the healing energies of the body and is now not just living, but thriving, teaching and writing. (Her laughter and uplifting energy is highly infectious).

When I read 'Anne Frank's diary, a few years ago, a little jewish girl hiding from the nazis and exposed to human tortures that we can only shudder to hear about, believing, "Basically, people are good at heart", I thought that it was a testament to what good lies within each of us.

Then, there are everyday unsung heroes that we never hear about, who continue to defy odds to do what we as humans do best - Bear evidence to the triumph of our spirit.

Interestingly, inspite of injustices, poverty, bodily conditions, ever increasing diseases, depletion of our resources, (or atleast thats what we hear from our news media) we only keep growing in numbers as a human race. I believe its the indomitable human spirit, that can keep you alive and well and filled with love and hope - inspite of un-co-operating external circumstances. If there's one catch, its simple enough to get around. All you need to do is, want to want something and badly enough...And, its impossible not to find a way.

Feeling Spiritually Alive

Its fascinating for me trace my spirituality from my beginnings in Hinduism to what I currently believe in. As a child I remember following the ritualistic Hinduism. But that didnt last very long. During my early teens, I started being interested in vedanta when I read teachings by Swami Vivekananda. (I still love what Vivekananda has done to Vedanta). The proximity of Ramakrishna Mutt from my house, and the incredible energy of that place endeared me and I spent many evenings at the Mutt in peace and quiet (Thats something I miss a lot here). I understood what it was to smile from the inside when I saw Ramakrishna in meditation.

In my early 20s, I was introduced to reiki and I pondered on the energy aspect of healing and the relationship of the universal energy to one's personal energy. Yoga and reiki seemed complement each other and seemed to have a wonderfully calming effect on me.

One day at a Barnes and Noble store, Eckhart Tolle came into my life. Eckhart is a wonderful teacher, one I cannot write enough about. I also started being drawn to A.Parthasarathy's literature on vedanta and Bhagvad Gita. I read a few interpretations of the Gita and I believe that its one timeless epic. I was surprised to find that the Bhagvad Gita didnt really tell you what to do, just offered a lot of suggestions and said you could choose whatever fitted you best. I love that aspect of that book.

I found myself looking for that one truth of which everything I'd studied before were derivatives. I read a lot of new agey and eastern philosophical works by J.Krishnamoorthy, Deepak Chopra, Louise Hay, Wayne Dyer. Watched the Secret. They were all nice. But there were too many paths to follow, too many details to remember. My mind needed something uncluttered and organized. I stumbled upon Abraham. I think after I met Abraham, I stopped looking. The teachings of Abraham sort of put things in perspective for me. I dont feel guilty about not following the religion of my ancestors because in the multi-facted, multi-threaded, constantly evolving religion of hinduism, the abrahamic teachings are already present.

Here are the reasons I like Abraham
1.To me, spirituality is not as much about finding as it is about remembering. I think the Abraham's teachings help me remember and validate what I already know. So its not like someone is pushing their ideas on me.

2.Its simple. My belief system had to simple. Because, as humans, we have a basic right of conduit to the divine. Lack of mental interpretive skills should not stand in the way of perceiving God. I dont think God would have designed a path to reach Him, that only a select few have access to.

3.I have many opportunities to validate the teachings in practice as part of everyday life. I'm also able to validate it against some timeless epics like Vedanta and the Gita, which proves that the truth always stands the test of time.

4.Practical. I do not wish to renounce this life to be a saint (atleast not right now). I wanted something comfortable that can be practiced anywhere and something that integrates right into my life.

I think its exciting for me to not just ponder spirituality, but look back and see how every single teacher I've crossed paths with, has molded my belief system today. I do not think my beliefs will be right for everyone, but hey, there is no right or wrong in this. Just what works for you.

I dont feel the need for organized religion. But I still like to go to a temple because I like how it makes me feel. Maybe a few years from now, I will have evolved from Abraham and on to someone/something that helps me remember more about myself....maybe just a tad more. Isnt that (Personal Evolution) what spirituality is about?

Residing on the Writer's Block

(I'd like to use the term 'writer' very loosely to refer to myself here.)

Every writer from Pulitzer Prize winners and Nobel Literary Laureates to the likes of amateur bloggers like me have experienced the infamous 'writer's block'. Your mind just goes blank when you've finally some time, and find yourself in front of your laptop or typewriter. I've felt like I was a permanent resident on the writer's block at times, but then, one thought always bails me out. I start thinking about what I want to write and not what I have to write - and then the words start flowing (I want to say, flowing like the Niagara Falls, but I won't take it that far).

I'm fortunate enough not to depend on writing as my sole source of income and I want to use that incentive to feel free to write whatever makes my soul dance. Having any audience is a nice bonus. Afterall, doing-this-because-I-love-it the only reason I even want to do it...

Eat, Pray, Love

I'm a big fan of my local library's online digital service, because it gives me the chance to "read" audio versions of my favorite books, without leaving my home, without giving me a chance to miss due dates. As much as I absolutely enjoy holding a real book, smelling the paper, flipping the pages, re-reading favorite sections, audio books have become a necessity of my lifestyle. I especially love the experience if the book is narrated by the author, because I think it captures the original emotions, intonations and expressions that the author intended to convey.

So, as I was aimlessly browsing my library's catalog, the book "Eat, Pray, Love", started calling out to me and said 'Read me'. Boy, am I glad I listened. Its a very fresh, honest, humorous, original written work the likes of which I havent had a chance to read in a long time. Its about a woman's journey through Italy, India and Indonesia to enjoy her food (Italy), experience spirituality (India) and balance (Indonesia). Since my copy is an audio book, and the book is auto biographical in nature, I'm having an even richer experience to hear the author talk to me. Its like having a conversation with someone you've known all your life. Only, you dont want to interrupt, because, she keeps you captivated with the answer to the unasked question, 'ok, whats next?', in every page. Its also uncannily relatable.
This book has been out there for a while. Since I'm usually the last to get on the bandwagon of anything popular, I didnt feel the urge to read this before, even though I'd lent some cursory glances to reviews a while ago. I havent completed the book, but the book has got me - hook, line and sinker. I can't do anything (except blogging, of course), before I can finish this bad boy.

Good Work! Elizabeth Gilbert.

Breathe!

I listened to Dr.Andrew Weil today talk about the importance of breathing. His tone, delivery of narration and most importantly the content of his audio book 'Breathing:The Master Key to Self-Healing', makes me want to hold on to every word, because, here's a trained medical professional who teaches and practices Integrative Medicine, who keeps away from the toxic effects of pharmacological treatment, who is not for suppressing the body's symptoms, instead focuses on treatment of the cause of the disease. He's penned several books and I have to admit that I'm spellbound by this one.

He says that breathing is the only bodily function that is done both voluntarily and/or involuntarily. We can focus on breathing and do it deeply, or if we forget to do it, the internal mechanism of the body takes care of it. Its literally the way life force moves in the body. It clears blocks, keeps circulation, digestion, and neurological systems in balance. Sanskrit terms the breath as prana and there are two meanings for prana - breath and life force. I believe that the essence of the two meanings is the same.

Dr.Weil claims that most diseases of today can be cured completely by following his breathing exercises. I tend to agree and to the more extreme skeptic, Dr.Weil has scores of patients that have followed his process and seen results. The most basic meditation also focuses of breathing consciously and holding that as the point of attention. Breathing correctly is integral to the practice of yoga. Practicing pranayama in addition to yoga, is, in my opinion, all thats needed in terms of taking care of your mind, body and soul.

RK Narayan

R.K.Narayan, inspite of his wide acclaim, might be a little known author in the western layperson world, or even an author that those who grew up in the Harry Potter era don't know/care much about. But he is one of my favorite authors. He is ample proof that to be able to write fiction or non-fiction, all you need is being able to connect with yourself first. His extra-ordinary skill is to write about ordinary things in simple, unpretentious style that you and I can identify with. His chief characters all have the same insecurities, fears as any of us. What I learned from his books is that, words and actions of most of us is not about good/evil, right/wrong - its merely that we don't know of anything better given our situation. Its ok to make mistakes, as long as we make new ones each time.

When R.K.Narayan passed away in 2001, at age 94, it felt like I'd lost someone I'd known personally for a while. You know its a good writer if he could make you feel that. Its hard to pick a favorite book, but 'English Teacher' lingered in my memory longer than the others.

Religion - about God or Power?

(The following post is not about people that are religious and who hold high righteous religious principles. Its about the institution of religion and its present manifestation as a powerhouse of politics and corruption.)

In this day and age, its become important not to let religion come in the way of your spirituality - because religion is about Power, not God. If love is the basis of every religion and God is the epitome of everything thats pure and good, why is every war being fought today, rooted in religious fanaticism?

Origin of religion?
Maybe what must have started as a coming together of people with common goals and noble intentions has somehow, over a few hundred years, metamorphosized into frenzied, fanatical communities that more resemble cults.

1.Exclusivity:
When a religion says that they alone have the exclusive path to the Omnipresent, I have a problem with being able to follow that religion. If by avoiding certain rituals, I have reserved my place in hell, that doesn't sound like a merciful God to me.

2.Telling People What to Do
I believe that we, as human beings, are born with the free will to do what we want, be with who we want and lead a life style of our preference. When religion goes beyond offering suggestions, thats a warning sign for me to back off.

3.Money
Power and money complement each other. Where there is money and power, purity is lost. So, even if they are donations, when there is a lot of money brought into a religious institution, corruption and politics are very likely to follow. Money, power, corruption and politics - most likely partners in crime.

4.Prejudice
I'm not against people that are religious. I like someone who stands by what they believe in. What I'm against is people that are religious looking down upon atheists and followers of alternate faith, and ,athiests treating religious people with disdain.

5.Insecurity
Why do people like to convert non-followers into their religion? The age-old human tendency to believe that there is security in numbers. There are some religions that multiply organically. Some others believe their aim in life is to bring civilization to people that have no food and trade food with religion to increase their following.

I believe that being a human (or a human being) is far too important that being a follower of my religion or being a citizen of a country, or having excessive tendencies of language or region nativity. A sense of belonging is a good feeling to have, but that cannot define who we are.

If the heart be followed in our actions and if love is our prime emotion and if we treat ourselves and others with compassion and empathy, do we really 'need' a religion to tell us what to do? Isn't it important to feel the God inside us than to look for the "godmen" outside us?

Why I like Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle is easily one of the most influential teachers of our time. The concept of 'Now' has been around for millions of years. Zen Buddhism and Hinduism have had roots in focussing on the present, but it took an Eckhart Tolle to make the concept of the 'Now' an accessible and easily understood idea. After my thinking was revolutionized by his words such as, (paraphrasing),"Now is all you will ever have. The past was a Now at one point, the future will be a 'now' going forward, but life is always in the now" and that 'A Happy life is just a series of happy moments'. The book, 'Stillness Speaks' moved me in a way very difficult to articulate. Other good reads are 'Practicing the Power of Now' and 'A New Earth'. I think any teaching is only as good as how comprehensible the teacher is. In that respect, kudos to Eckhart Tolle for delivering the spiritual material of the century.

Of late

I've been writing a lot online - maybe not a lot, but it seems like a lot because I do it only over the weekend. I've been having a busy month at work. It seems like a lot is happening, but I like it. I don't want to postpone my writing projects to next month when the workload will be lesser at the office, because the momentum will be gone, if I take a sabbatical even before I've taken off. I'm starting to explore different websites to do it. Its not as easy as it seems to be. Writing a good article requires a decent amount of research and its important for the article to still seem different and offer something unique to the reader. Writing is fun and if nothing else, very therapeutic. Without sounding like the LG commercial, I want to say, Life's Good.

Randy Pausch

Sometime last year, after seeing what the euphoria about the 'Last lecture' was all about in the news, I went to youtube to listen to this man talk. Years of learning from books can only give a person so much knowledge, depending on how much you choose to cram in the brain. Most professors talk - they impart knowledge, some great teachers talk - they exude wisdom. What can be gleaned from the unspoken words, is probably what stays with us through the lifetime. Randy Pausch is one such person. His speech of his childhood dreams was very engaging. What moved me was his attitude - his positive exuberance, his genuine sense of humor and his overwhelming love for his family. So I asked myself, with all my background of 'you-create-your-disease' new agey paradigms - why is this man - with outwardly impeccable personality, life loving, passionate about work, home and family - why is this man terminally ill and is now no more. He was 47 when he died. I don't claim to know every answer, and I most certainly don't know this one.

I think his message and his inspirational speech has reached far and wide, not only because they deserve every iota of attention, but because he was about to die also. I do not mean to sully the image of his message, by suggesting his credit has a little bit of pity attached to it, but merely that - the silver lining of his death is that his life message has reached thousands more, including me, who would have had little to no chance of listening to a carnegie mellon professor of computer science talk about his love for virtual reality and imagineering.

But I'm glad I did know Randy for 75 minutes. Randy - a little bit of 'you' has stuck with your listeners/students and you still live on through the lives you've touched.

What is success?

I have wondered for a long time what success means. Is it material wealth, mental well being, physical health coming together in one person? Or is it contentment? Or is it happiness? If its contentment, is an ambitious person unsuccessful? Is it having lot of friends or is it having a few friends that mean a lot? Is a renounced saint more successful than a materialistic person? Or is a crazy person on the street without a care or concern about the next meal happier than any of us, because he has nothing to lose? Since this is such a subjective question and our lives keep changing every day sometimes even by the minute, even if success were defined, it would be hard to evaluate one's life until after a person has passed. At which point, even if we've been assigned the crown of a successful person, we are not alive to enjoy the accolades. Who cares? (Or do we need to care? Well, life after death will have to be a topic for another day's blog.)

Since there are almost always more questions than answers, like most of life's questions, the answer is different for each of us. In my opinion, all we need to be concerned is whether we are living by what we think is important to us. I feel like I'm successful this moment if I can fully live in that moment, fill that moment to its potential, lose myself in the process and just treat every moment like its the last.

New Year, New Beginning, Clean Slate

I thought I'd be the last person to make New Year resolutions - I'm very bad at keeping resolves I'd already made, new year or not. Even though the first post is on New Year's day and its a new beginning at expressing myself through the written (or typed) word, I'm hoping (not necessarily resolving) this venture could be kept alive and well, sustained and nourished. With my already busy home and work life, why do I want to take up another venture? Well, I guess I've reached a point where I felt this need to provide a vent to my thoughts and this seems like the most natural thing to do at this point. And I couldn't let my 'making a living' come in the way of living my life. Here's my attempt to start something new, hopefully non-jinxed by the Jan 1 beginning.