Life is Beautiful

Chutki is having fun

2010-11-14T11:08:00.001-08:00

Well, she is 2yrs old now.

Symbolism and Spiritual meaning in the Divine birth of Ganesha!

2010-09-11T12:51:00.000-07:00

As explained by Sri Sri Ravishankar.

We are all familiar with the story on how Ganesha became the elephant-headed God. Shiva and Parvati had been celebrating and Parvati becomes dirty. When she realizes this, she removes the dirt from her body, creates a boy out of it and asks him to keep guard while she bathed. When Shiva returned, the boy could not recognize him and obstructed his passage. So Shiva chopped off the boy’s head and entered. Parvati was shocked. She explained that the boy was their son and pleaded with Shiva to save him at all costs. Shiva then instructed his helpers to go and get the head of someone who was sleeping with the head pointing to the north. The helpers then got the head of an elephant, which Shiva affixed to the boy’s torso and Ganesha was born!

Does this story sound strange? Why should Parvati have dirt on her body? Didn’t the all-knowing Shiva recognise His own son? Was Shiva, the epitome of peace, so short-tempered that he cut off the head of his own son? And why an elephant head on Ganesha? There is a deeper meaning to all these.

Parvati is symbolic of festive energy. Her becoming dirty signifies that celebration can easily become Rajasik or feverish and can take you away from your center. Dirt is symbolic of ignorance and Shiva is symbolic of the Supreme Innocence, Peace and Knowledge. So when Ganesha obstructs the path of Shiva, this means that ignorance, which is an attribute of the head, does not recognize knowledge. Then knowledge has to overcome ignorance. This is the symbolism behind Shiva chopping off the boy’s head.

And why the elephant head? Elephant represents both gyan shakti and karma shakti. The principle qualities of the elephant are wisdom and effortlessness. The enormous head of the elephant signifies Wisdom and Knowledge. Elephants don't walk around obstacles, neither do they stop at them. They just remove them and keep walking straight on – signifying effortlessness. So, when we worship Lord Ganesha these elephant qualities within us are kindled and we take on these qualities.

Ganesha's big belly represents generosity and total acceptance. Ganesha’s upraised hand, depicting protection, means, “Fear not - I am with you,” and his lowered hand, palm facing outwards means - unending giving as well as an invitation to bow down – symbolic of the fact that we will all dissolve into earth one day. Ganesha also has a single tusk which signifies one-pointedness. Even the implements Ganesha wields are symbolic. He carries in his hands, the ‘Ankusa’ (signifies awakening) and the ‘Paasa’ (signifies control). With awakening, a lot of energy is released, which without proper control, can go haywire.

And why does Ganesha, the elephant-headed God travel on something as small as a mouse? Isn’t that so incongruous? Again there is symbolism that runs deeps. The mouse snips and nibbles away at ropes that bind. The mouse, which gradually nibbles away, is like the mantra which can cut through sheaths and sheaths of ignorance, leading to the ultimate knowledge represented by Ganesha.

Our ancient Rishis were so deeply intelligent that they chose to express Divinity in terms of symbols rather than words, since words change over time, but symbols remain unchanged. Let us keep these deep symbolisms in mind as we experience the omnipresent in the form of the elephant God, yet be fully aware that Ganesha is very much within us. This is the wisdom we should carry as we celebrate Ganesh Chaturti.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi...

2010-01-24T10:19:00.000-08:00

DNA, 24th January, 2010

H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

One should be content with the qualities he or she is bestowed with in the journey of life

In a state of ignorance, imperfection is natural and perfection is an effort. In a state of wisdom or enlightenment, imperfection is an effort; perfection is a compulsion and is unavoidable! Perfection is the very nature of the enlightened one.

Perfection is, taking total responsibility. And total responsibility means working as if you are the only responsible person in the whole world. When you work this way and when you are in total vairagya (dispassion), you can take care of even the most trivial and insignificant things with great perfection.

In this perfect world, why is man so imperfect? It is so that he can become more perfect. Recognition of imperfection leads you to more perfection. This is a very delicate point. Usually when you recognise imperfection you may just sulk and brood over it - "Oh, I am imperfect." I would say recognise the imperfection but dont condemn or condone it; rather overcome it by focusing on the perfection around. It is important to become Anasuya (devoid of fault-finding eyes) otherwise you cannot blossom.

There are three kinds of perfection: Perfection in action/work, perfection in speech and perfection in feelings (intention). Some people are very good in their actions but inside they feel very grumpy and angry. Some people tell lies, so their speech is not perfect but they do their jobs with the right intention. For instance, a doctor may tell a patient, dont worry, your disease will be cured, but that may not be true. Here, the intention behind lying is perfect. But if someone lies intentionally, then the feeling is imperfect, the speech is imperfect and the action will also reflect the same.

When someone makes a mistake and you get angry about it, then you are no better than the person who has made the mistake, because there the action was imperfect, but here your feelings have become imperfect. Any action will have some flaw. But when the feeling becomes imperfect the innermost perfection is lost.

There are six Vikaras, imperfections or distortions of nature; lust, anger, greed, entanglement, arrogance and jealousy. The whole creation is made up of nature and distortions of nature. Thats why we call it Prakriti and Vikriti. They are part of this creation but we still call them distortions, because they do not allow the Self to shine forth fully and lead you to sin. Lust is considered a sin because in lust, you treat the other person like an object. Anger or arrogance is a sin because when you are angry, you lose your centre; you lose sight of the Self. Greed and entanglement lead you to possession and obsession.

If you nourish these Vikaras inside, they change from one impurity to another and keep multiplying inside you. Understand that sin is not your nature and you are not born out of sin. Sin is just the wrinkle in the cloth. It needs proper ironing. Sadhana helps you maintain your centeredness and not be shaken by these distortions.

Deep inside, you are a fountain of bliss, a fountain of joy! Be thankful that you have been bestowed with the qualities that you have. When you understand this basic truth then your imperfections diminish and the inner perfection begins to blossom.
A perfect life can be yours.

Source: http://bestofsrisri.blogspot.com/2010/01/perfect-life-can-be-yours.html

Jai Guru Dev!!!

Home remady for Swine flu

2009-08-13T04:55:00.000-07:00

It is essential to remember that all kinds of viruses and bacteria can attack you when your immune system is weak, or they can weaken it easily. Hence, building your own defences would be a better, more practical, long-lasting and much more economical idea.

Here are some easy steps you can take to tackle a flu virus of any kind, including swine flu. It is not necessary to follow all the steps at once. You can pick and choose a combination of remedies that suit you best. However, if you are already suffering from flu, these measures can help only up to an extent. And, if you have been infected by H1N1, visiting a hospital and staying in solitary confinement is a must.

1. Have five duly washed leaves of Tulsi (known as Basil in English; medicinal name Ocimum sanctum) everyday in the morning. Tulsi has a large number of therapeutic properties. It keeps throat and lungs clear and helps in infections by way of strengthening your immunity.

2. Giloi (medicinal name Tinospora cordifolia) is a commonly available plant in many areas. Take a one-foot long branch of giloi, add five to six leaves of Tulsi and boil in water for 15-20 minutes or long enough to allow the water to extract its properties. Add black pepper and sendha
(salt used during religious fasts), rock or black salt, or Misri(crystalised sugar like lumps to make it sweet) according to taste. Let it cool a bit and drink this kadha (concoction) while still warm. It will work wonders for your immunity. If giloi plant is not available, get processed giloi powder from Hamdard or others, and concoct a similar drink once a day.

3. A small piece of camphor (kapoor) approximately the size of a tablet should be taken once or twice a month. It can be swallowed with water by adults while children can take it along with mashed potatoes or banana because they will find it difficult to have it without any aides. Please
remember camphor is not to be taken everyday, but only once each season, or once a month.

Note: People with G6PD deficiency ( I am one of them) should not use camphor, its a poison for them. If you feel weak after having camphor, consult your doctor immediately. If you are not sure of your G6PD status, don't take risk.

4. Those who can take garlic, must have two pods of raw garlic first thing in the morning. To be swallowed daily with lukewarm water. Garlic too strengthens immunity like the earlier measures mentioned.

5. Those not allergic to milk, must take a glass of hot or lukewarm milk every night with a small measure of haldi (turmeric).

6. Aloe vera (gwarpatha) too is a commonly available plant. Its thick and long, cactus-like leaves have an odourless gel. A teaspoon gel taken with water daily can work wonders for not only your skin and joint pains, but also boost immunity.

7. Take homeopathic medicines — Pyrogenium 200 and Inflenzium 200 in particular — five tablets three times a day, or two-three drops three times a day. While these are not specifically targeted at H1N1 either, these work well as preventive against common flu virus.

8. Do Pranayam daily (preferably under guidance if you are already not initiated into it) and go for morning jog/walk regularly to keep your throat and lungs in good condition and body in fine fettle. Even in small measures, it will work wonders for your body’s resistance against all such
diseases which attack the nose, throat and lungs, besides keeping you fit.

9. Have citrus fruits, particularly Vitamin C rich Amla (Indian gooseberry) juice. Since fresh Amla is not yet available in the market (not for another three to four months), it is not a bad idea to buy packaged Amla juice which is commonly available nowadays.

10. Last but not the least, wash your hands frequently every day with soap and warm water for 15-20 seconds; especially before meals, or each time after touching a surface that you suspect could be contaminated with flu virus such as a door handle or a knob/handle, especially if you have returned from a public place or used public transport. Alcohol-based hand cleaners should be kept handy at all times and used until you can get soap and warm water.

For point 8 above, you can contact me. For point 9, you can order over telephone on Uniheal Foods. Delivery any where in India. Amla Panchamrut is very good to improve your immunity. All required herbs already included.

Source: Modified version of a forwarded mail

Sixth Sense: the technological way

2009-06-08T02:21:00.000-07:00

MIT Media lab project:

'SixthSense' is a wearable gestural interface that augments the physical world around us with digital information and lets us use natural hand gestures to interact with that information.

Dialing a number with dialpad projected on hand:

The device consists of a camera, a projector, and a mobile for communication. Simple hand gestures are recognized and online help is available any time. If you want to take a picture, simple, just make a gesture of taking a picture and its done..

Details:
http://www.pranavmistry.com/projects/sixthsense/

Live demo

Or: Youtube link

Pranav Mistry is IIT Bombay Alumni, M. Des. 2005 batch from IDC IIT Bombay.

Qualifications of a Researcher

2009-05-10T10:53:00.000-07:00

Researcher: One who is keen in learning/knowing about some thing that interests him/her.

Having the following qualification, a researcher can accelerate in his/her research. The more you are having these qualities, better will be your research outcome.

Acknowledging that I know very little and there is so much to learn: Acknowledging this fact is the first qualification of a researcher. The moment a researcher develops an "I know everything" attitude, his/her growth diminishes.
Urge to learn more: Many will acknowledge that they know little but will not have an urge to know more. The burning desire to reach the very depth of your problem is absolutely essential in attaining excellence.
Non-judgmental open-hearted attitude towards research: Based on your prior experience, there will be some notions about research, particularly related to your area. You need to step out of the familiar confines of these notions and be open to new ideas, new ways of doing things. This is like looking at a diamond. If you look at it from one side, you will get only one view thereby missing all the other possible dimensions of the same diamond. A non-judgmental and open hearted attitude will open all the perspectives for you.
Giving priority to Truth and Research before your personal comfort and conveniences: Research has to be the priority even preceding your personal comfort. If you are comfortable with yourself then you will do your research of that level only. You will not achieve the highest level of research and hence the satisfaction. If you are resisting discomfort, your process of learning is always hampered. If you have this attitude then you will not be able to see the depth of any thing. Your relationship with discomfort plays a major role. If you are comfortable to be uncomfortable, your learning process is much faster. The discomfort is because of certain weakness within yourself. Suppose you are required to work on a research problem in the subject in which you are weak, then in such a situation 1) You will try to avoid the work; or 2) If you can not avoid it then you will be unhappy/frustrated doing that work. A true researcher has a different perspective. You should take this as an opportunity to learn something new. Once you have mastered the topic, you will be looking for something new to explore.
Complete Commitment to Research Area: Once you have zeroed down on a particular area of research, you must be totally committed to that topic and stop moving around in different areas of research. This is important because as you go deeper and deeper into one particular field of research, your line of thinking develops in a particular way and the moment you change your field, your thinking has to again realign with that new area. If you want to dig a well for water then your need to dig deep at one place and not small pits at many places. The same way you need to focus on your research area rather than just moving around.
Having patience and perseverance: This quality is a key to the success of a researcher. Many a times, what you think will work, will actually not work and you will get dejected, feel low and might even think of giving up. Having patience and perseverance will help you to be on the path till you get to the success.

Apart from knowing the qualities of a researcher, it is also interesting to know why people turn away from research. The three reasons that puts people off from research are:

Confidence in their own inabilities: People are so much confident about their inabilities that they do not even think of research as an option. They are not aware what they can do and hence are not even thinking of research. A saying in this regard goes very well here: If you know what you can do then you will progress. If you don't know what you can do then you will progress by leaps and bounds.
Fear of failure & What will people think about me: This is another reason for people turning away from research. Their insecurity regarding the research outcome compels them not to go for it.
Lower level of energy: A person with lower enthusiasm toward study will take research as burden and will not opt for it as a career option.

Make research your journey and not just your goal

PS: The article is an adaptation of an article on “Signs of a seeker” by H. H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Celebrating Silence and a discourse by Rishi Nityapragya, Art of Living advanced course teacher on “Qualifications of a seeker”. A seeker in this context, is a person who is interested in knowing more about Self.

PPS: Thanks to all those who helped me fine tune this article.

चुनाव की चाट !!

2009-04-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

पत्नी बोली, चखकर देखें, इस बार के चुनाव की चाट !!
इस चटपटी चाट की, कुछ अलग लग रही बात !!

Congress की खस्ता कचौड़ी, BJP की पानी पूरी
3rd Front की खिचड़ी चाट, 4th Front की अभी अधूरी !

Varun की stall पर स्वागत हुआ, धर्म के उसी आलू से
Bulldozer से कुचल दिया, रहा गया ना लालू से !

Mayawati ने तुरंत छिड़का, NSA का गरम मसाला
BJP ने अपनाया आलू को, और प्रचार कर डाला !

Advani ने "week PM" की, लाल मिर्च तबियत से डाली
PM ने भी पुरानी Kandahar की, बड़ी हरी मिर्च निकाली !

Modi बोले Congress की खट्टी चटनी, अब बुढिया जैसी दिखती है
Priyanka की मीठी चटनी पड़ने से, "गुड़िया जैसी दिखती है" !

Advani ने "गुलाम" के छोले संग, पानी पूरी पकडा दी
Sonia ने "संघ के गुलाम" की, खट्टी दही बिखरा दी !

चटनी के संग अब चाट में, कीचड़ भी पड़ने लगी
आचार संहिता की श्वेत साड़ी, काली सी दिखने लगी !

Chidambaram, Advani की stalls पर, जाना ज़रा सम्भल के
तीर चल रहे उनके stalls पर, जूतों और चप्पल के !

Pawar छिड़क रहे मीठी चटनी, सारे ही चाट stalls पर
PM बनने का मौका है, बात है उनके होठों पर !

कौन किससे मिल रहा, गठजोड़ की इस मजबूरी में
सेव-पूरी है टिक्की संग, दही-बड़ा डूबा पानी-पूरी में !
मीठी चटनी लिपट रही, हरी मिर्च के संग
लाल संग गठबन्धन में, मिल रहा है हरा रंग !

खट्टी, मीठी या तीखी हो, चाट तो हमको खानी ही है
पेट सलामत रहे पांच वर्ष, उम्मीद तो कम लगती ही है !
लगता है जल्दी ही हम सबको, पेट-दर्द की गोली खानी होगी
एक - दो वर्ष में ही हमको, नयी चाट बनानी होगी !!

- Raj Seth
18th April, 2009

Disclaimer: This is a forwarded mail. I would like give credit to the author, who so ever he/she is. Could not get any pointer on google.

Spirituality, politics deal with people

2009-04-12T02:14:00.000-07:00

by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar...

Both spirituality or religion and politics deal with human beings. A politics devoid of spirituality is infested with corruption and creates an unethical atmosphere of manoeuvred situations, circumstances and people. If you do not recognise the individual or universal spirit, there is no reason for you to be ethical. Politics without ethics and human values would result in chaos, crime and corruption.

The goal of politics is to bring good governance and increase material, emotional and physical comfort of people. The aim of spirituality is to boost morality and human values. Both politics and spirituality need to go hand in hand.

For good governance, spirituality is necessary. Only spirituality can invoke commitment, care and confidence. Spiritual people live the values, which are absolutely essential for those in governance. A leader has to be a samadarshi , one who sees everyone as being equal; satyadarshi , who moves with the Truth; paradarshi, who is transparent in action; doordarshi, being broad-minded and a visionary; and priyadarshi, embodying love and compassion.

On the one hand, religion has been the cause of many wars on this planet. On the other hand, religion and spirituality have thrived only because of the patronage of the state. If a society is chaotic and has no spiritual values it is difficult to govern and if there is no official patronage, it is difficult for spirituality to survive.

Spirituality makes people honest and committed and this is necessary to create a crime-free society. State patronage makes spirituality spread faster to all sections of society. While many wars are fought in the name of religion, spirituality has given courage, confidence and commitment to people even in the toughest of times. Many saints, prophets, Sufis and sanyasis have been victimised due to lack of political patronage. For example, many Sikh gurus were persecuted by the state. This affected the morale of society and resulted in bad governance.

Religion has created conflict, but irreligious societies have created chaos and corruption. Did not millions suffer in Russia, China and Cambodia in the name of freeing society of religious beliefs? Today, both religion and politics need reform. Religion has to become more spiritual to allow freedom of worship and broader to encompass all the wisdom in the world and politicians have to become more righteous and spiritual.

When spirituality and politics don't coexist, then you have corrupt politicians and pseudo-religious leaders. Spirituality is ingrained in the Indian polity. Since ancient times rajgurus have guided and counselled rulers and in turn rulers have supported religious and spiritual leaders. Rama's guru was Vasishta and Krishna's guru was Sandipani. Jainism and Buddhism flourished under the patronage of the rulers of their time. Shivaji gave patronage to Samarth Ramdass.

M K Gandhi appealed to people across the board because of his spiritual approach. Spirituality brought freedom to India. Indian spirituality has given a secular ethos to the world.

The need of the hour is a prejudice-free political system. Consensus can emerge only when politicians learn to drop prejudices of religion, caste and gender. To be able to drop prejudices, politicians need to widen their sense of belongingness. This can happen only when they are free from stress and gain a spiritual perspective.

Politics is mainly about caring for people, providing for their welfare. Spirituality gives you a broader vision of life, teaching all to share, care and nurture each other selflessly and with equanimity.

The writer is founder, the Art of Living and the International Association for Human Values.

Source: TOI-6 Apr2009

March against corruption, terrorism held in Delhi

2009-03-01T08:26:00.000-08:00

Citizen activism against corruption and terrorism saw a new high on Sunday when prominent personalities, including former top cop Kiran Bedi, ad guru Prahalad Kakkar and others, came out in a unique march to pledge support against the two evils.

Under the aegis of WAYE, the youth wing of the art of living, and youth for equality, the citizens undertook the March against corruption and terrorism from Jantar Mantar in the national capital, which they claimed is the launch of a "nationwide movement" against the evils.

"A positive step towards a positive direction has taken place today. Our 'chalta hai' attitude towards corruption, which is ingrained in us, has to be forced out from the individual level," Anirudh Bahl, who is editor of the 'Cobrapost', said.

Commenting on police's "apathy" towards security, former IPS officer Kiran Bedi said, "Crime registration is your right. Ask the number of entries in police control rooms to get data which is otherwise never revealed by the police."

Bedi also appealed to the youth to "fearlessly exercise their right of no-vote if they were not satisfied with their candidates during the polls".

Appealing citizens for greater use of the RTI Act, social activist Arvind Kejriwal said, "Using RTI is more effective than paying bribes." to get rid of corruption.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Delhi/Kiran-Bedi-leads-march-against-corruption-terrorism/articleshow/4209035.cms

Let's march for a better India

2009-02-27T07:11:00.000-08:00

Let's march for a better India

HIS HOLINESS Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder, Art of Living, has conceptualised this march to awaken and empower citizens in order to create an on-ground structure that will actually effect a change in societal circumstances and situations, in keeping with his vision and mission of a stress-free, violence-free planet where individuals contribute towards the goal of a One-World Family. The objective of the march is to awaken and empower the people of India, especially the youth, to participate in the democratic process. This march is the first step of a nationwide campaign aimed at amplifying the collective voice of the citizens and propelling the youth of India against Corruption and Terrorism. We endeavour to catalyze this movement, across the nation, with a three fold solution: Awareness, Accountability and Action.

With this motive Youth for Equality along with WAYE and AOL has planned a march on March 1, 2009. India has been badly hit by terrorism in the last decade or so and yet our government hasn't taken any concrete step to enhance the security and intelligence of the country. Corruption, another evil in our system, is eating up all the progress which we are making towards becoming a developed nation. If we want to prosper it is very essential to uproot terrorism and corruption. As a country, we need to actively start moving in a concerted way against these twin evils that are now threatening our very existence. So let us send out a call to our country to create a safe society. A society where there is no fear in walking into an airplane, a train or a bus. Or when we enter a mall, a cinema or a hotel, with our children. Or even our very own homes.

Let us take responsibility and bring the change - for our future and our future generations. Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what can you do for your country.

We need to take the future in our hands; see it resting on our palms and take nation ahead.

Change is inevitable and it is important that Indian youth takes the responsibility to bring the change. So, here is the call for all the citizens whose conscience is yet awake and they want to make the system effective.

Be the Change.

Join the march on March 1, 2009 (www.themarch.in)
Time: 2 pm to 5 pm
Venue: Parliament Street, New Delhi

Remember, it is no good when citizens of nation only complain and expect someone else to fix their problems.

http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=15712018

Aamir Khan celebrates Valentine's day in IIT

2009-02-14T07:56:00.000-08:00

Aamir Khan celebrated his valentine's day in IIT Bombay :). Well, he was in IIT to shoot his movie 3 Idiots based on Chatan Bhagat's bestseller 5 Point Someone- What not to do at IIT. I was filling up my water bottle in the department when I saw few student running and few like me, lazily following the others. I asked the lazy ones and came to know about Amir's shooting.

I too got curious and decided to visit the location. The shooting location is less than 100meters away from my department else, would have given up on the idea. Students as well as campus residents were gathering to see Aamir. Got the news that he had just gone inside the workshop for and will not be coming out soon. So came back and continued my work.

Later, went to Lake side to watch the Sunset and met two kids who were telling me about Aamir and were also disappointed that they could not meet him. Gajani effect?

Meanwhile, the sunset happened as usual. No Aamir effect on it and I enjoyed that, with my Valentine :).

Jai Guru Dev!
Sandeep (Pitamah)

Are you in LOVE? Decide yourself

2009-02-12T18:14:00.000-08:00

V-day special :)

* If you like to get out from a noisy party and walk together outside only with him/her, you are in love with him/her.

* When you are together with him/her, you pretend to ignore him/her. But when he/she is not around you, you might look around to find him/her. At that moment, you are in love.

* Although he/she is someone else who always makes you laugh, your eyes and attention might go only to him/her. Then, you are in love with him/her.

* Although he/she supposes to call you a long ago to let you know he/she is safe arriving at home, your phone is quiet. Then, you realize that you are in panic for the waiting. At that moment, you are in love with him/her.

* When you look at a group picture, you might rather look for him/her ( to know who was next to him/her or how he/she look like in that picture ) than look for yourself. Then, you realize that you are in love with him/her.

* You have to hook out your telephone line for your busy study, but you can not do it for one phone call from him/her. Then, you are in love with him/her.

* If you are much more exciting for one short e-mail from him/her than other much long e-mail, you are in love with him/her.

* When you find yourself who can not erase full of messages in you answering machine for one message from him/her, you are in love.

* When you get a couple of free movie tickets, your first thinking will be to take him/her with you. Then, you are in love.

* You keep telling yourself, "He/she is just a friend," but you realize that you can not help avoiding the special attraction from him/her. At that moment, you are in love with him/her.

* (Very important) While you are reading this mail, if someone appear in your mind, you are deeply in love with him/her. (no cheating please?!!!)

TRUE? Isn't it.

Hey I am happy that I have made you think about and recognize your partner.

Thanks for sharing your precious time.

Hope you enjoyed this............

Jai Guru Dev!
Sandeep (Pitamah)

My Country is My Valentine

2009-02-08T08:16:00.000-08:00

Recently there has been regular terror attacks on many cities in INDIA and these attacks were taken like a regular day to day happening by most. Every attack, involving multiple bomb blasts had become just another news, till the Mumbai Terror Attack happened and then every one came out of their so called secured shell to demand an overall change in the system. The need to stand tall against terrorism was felt for the first time. Terrorism can be stopped if and only if every citizen of INDIA is committed towards the cause.

Corruption is another big obstacle for growth of INDIA. We boast ourselves of future economical superpower but unless corruption is completely trashed out of the system, things are going to be only in the dreams. Right from the birth till the end corruption has made its way. To get the birth certificate; the death certificate, and all the certificates in between.

The World Alliance for Youth Empowerment (WAYE) has appealed people to join their hand to spread awareness about the two issues and participate in the march on 1st March 2009 in Delhi, Parliament Street.

This year My Country is My Valentine is the tagline of The March and rightly conveys the need to change the mindset of citizens for their country.

Excerpts from http://www.themarch.in

Against Terrorism. Against Corruption

The objective of the march is to awaken and empower youth to participate in the democratic process. It is the very spirit of patriotism that has been corrupted – resulting in blatant and brutal acts of terrorism that threaten each citizen. This march is the first step of a youth campaign aimed at amplifying the collective voice of the citizens of India against Corruption and Terrorism.

Why are we marching?

Corruption in India is shockingly rampant.

India has the dubious distinction of belonging to the category of the most corrupt nations in the world. The World Economic Forum Survey 2003 ranked India 45th out of 49 countries based on the honesty of its officials.

A study conducted by Transparency International India estimated that Rs. 883 Crores in all was paid as bribe by BPL (below poverty line)households in the year 2007 in availing 11 public services. Due to corruption having seeped into the roots of the governance system, our progress as a nation has been severely stunted.

Visit: http://www.themarch.in

Jai Guru Dev!
Sandeep (Pitamah)

Farmers' suicide: Do we really care?

2009-02-05T05:23:00.000-08:00

India reported 122,637 suicides last year — an average of 336 every day — with more men ending their lives than women, the latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has revealed.

As far as suicides committed by farmers (16,632) are concerned, Maharashtra (4,238) surpassed all other states, with its Vidarbha region having become the focal point. According to the NCRB’s report, Karnataka saw 2,135 farmer suicides, Andhra (1,797), Chhattisgarh (1,593), MP (1,263) and Kerala (1,232).

The number of farmers who committed suicide in Maharashtra accounted for more than a quarter of the total suicides reported in the state.

The farmers suicide has been happening since more than 10 years. There was a big package announced by the Indian government but had hardly any impact. Once the package was declared and it was even heard that the normal deaths were also being reported as suicides and then the compensation by the government was mainly kept by the concerned officer and a small part was given to the family. Essentially, nothing noteworthy was achieved by the government.

But there are people in this world who do care, even about the poor farmers and every one else. With the blessing of Guruji - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the Project Vidarbha was started in Amravati district in August 2006 with 32 Yuvacharya ( 6 Girls and 26 Boys) selected after a rigorous training of 10 days. The outline of the project was also decided during these 10 days.

The people were reached out via the Navchetana Shibeer, Health Workshops and Satsang by going closer to them and listening to their problems. Slowly people started accepting the change and started smiling. The smiling virus was soon spreading and covered other districts of Amravati Division (507 villages of 6 districts). Lot many workshops were conducted which could impart practical training to the people and youth. The youth themselves came forward and started taking responsibility of their own villages, after undergoing proper training.

Till 15th October 2007 (I have a copy of that report only), no suicide was reported in the villages where The Art of Living foundation has reached and started their work and I sure none will happen in future.

There are three types of people
- People who make things happen
- People who see things happen
- People who wonder what happened!

If you are determined, you can make things happen and I am proud to be associated with organization which makes things happen. Many people ask why the foundation charges money for their course, and here is the reason. The organization utilizes the money collected from the people who can pay, and redirects it for development of the poor and the needy. There are about 35,000 villages adopted by the Art of Living foundation and many more are in the waiting. I will write more later about the program and the success stories.

With such good people around, happiness is going to be all around. I hope to be part of the instrument that spreads happiness in the whole world.

References:

Report on Suicides

5H program

The 5H program - on lifepositive.com

Jai Guru Dev!
Sandeep (Pitamah)

Commitment to Life

2009-01-30T22:03:00.000-08:00

By His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Creating a Stress-Free Mind and a Violence-Free World.

Every living creature wants to be happy. Whether it is money, power or sex, you get into it for the sake of happiness. Some people even enjoy misery because it gives them happiness!

To be happy, we seek something. But, despite getting it, we are not happy. All of one’s life is spent in preparing to be happy someday in the future. It’s like making a bed all night, but having no time to sleep. How many minutes, hours and days have we spent our life being happy from within? Those are the only moments you have really lived life.

There are two ways of looking at life. One is thinking that, “I’ll be happy after achiev- ing a certain objective.” The second is saying that “I am happy come what may!” Which one do you want to live?

Our life is like a river. A river needs two banks to flow. The difference between floods and a flowing river is that in a river, water flows regulated in one direction. During floods, the water is muddled and has no direction. Similarly, the energy in our life needs some direction to flow. If you don’t give direction, it is all confusion. Today most of the people are in confusion because there is no direction in life. When you are happy, there is so much of life energy in you; but when this life energy doesn’t know where to go, it gets stuck. When it stagnates, it rots! Just like how the water has to keep flowing, in the same way, life has to keep moving.

For life energy to move in a direction, commitment is essential. Life runs on commit- ment. If you observe every small thing or big thing in life, it goes with certain com- mitment. A student takes admission in a school or college with a commitment. You go to a doctor with a commitment saying that you are going to take the medication or listen to whatever the doctor says. Banks work on commitment. The government works on commitment. Needless to say, a family runs on commitment: a mother is committed to the child, a child is committed to the parents, the husband is committed to his wife, and the wife is committed to her husband. Whether it is love, business, or friendship or at work or any area of life, you take, there is commitment.

You cannot stand someone who does not commit, but see how much commitment have you taken in your life? Of course, our commitment is proportional to what we have our power, our capacity or capability. If you are committed to taking care of your family, that much capacity or power you gain. If your commitment is for the community, you will get that much energy, joy, that much power. More will be given to you only if you utilise properly what you already have! This is a law in nature. Why should nature give you more when you are stuck with your little mind?

The tendency to seek more is there in you; you only have to give a twist to it. Instead of “What more can I have?”, just start asking yourself “What more can I do?” Then you will see that there is joy. The more responsibility you take, the more power will come on to you.

Greater the commitment you take, greater the power you gain to fulfil that commit-ment. Greater the commitment, easier things are. Smaller the commitment, suffocating it is for you. Smaller commitments suffocate you because you have more capacity, but you are stuck in a small hole!

If you just sit and think, “What about me, what will happen to me?” you will get thor- oughly depressed. The way to expand from individual to universal consciousness is to share the sorrows and joys of others. As you grow, your consciousness should also grow. When you expand in knowledge with time, then depression is not possible. The way to overcome personal misery is to share universal misery! The way to expand personal joy is to share universal joy. Instead of thinking “What can I gain from this world?”, think “What can I do for the world?”

Mumbai Marathon: A conversation with the Self

2009-01-27T07:26:00.000-08:00

My preparation for Mumbai Marathon started just after Diwali. Although not very regular, I was on the jogging track about twice a week and had managed 3-4 km at a stretch. Things were in right direction and I was targeting completion time of about 3hrs for 21KM (half marathon), which is my previous worst, the best being 2 hr 50 mins.

Amey specially came from Banglore for the Mumbai Marathon. On the eve of the Marathon, Amey and me were discussing things to do before and during the marathon. Amey encouraged me to set the target time to 2 hr 30 mins and I reluctantly agreed to it as I knew its a difficult task to achieve, looking at my level of practice and my previous records. Still, we planned how we can achieve our target. We even chalked out hour by hour plan along with detailed route analysis, the hurdles we might face and few contingency plans. We did not wanted to keep any stone unturned. We were handling the event as professional marathon runners ;) and followed what we could. We went to have Pasta, which is very rich in carbohydrate contents and recommended before Marathon. We bought few energy bars, chocolates, lots of bananas and dates. To save the time on the D-day, we even booked the Meru Taxi so that we don't have to walk to get out of IIT to catch a rick. Every thing was set for the D-day, including the alarms :).

We woke up early and made sure that all of us get ready in time. The taxi arrived sharp at 5.00am. We got in and reached there at 5.42am. It was about 1hr to start the race. Amey and me were running the half marathon for the third time and the other two with us were the first timers, also running the half marathon. So, we were having some fundae sessions for them. We had enough bananas to get some instant energy. We completed other mandatory tasks and were there at the racing point at 6:45am. By the time we reached the start line, in a big queue, it was already 6.54am. So, we had started 8-9 minutes late. As Amey and me had opted for the timing chip, the time we started is noted automatically by the system so we were not worried about that.

To start with, it was very crowded, even smooth jog was also difficult and hence it was difficult to get the rhythm. I burped initially as we had more bananas than we should had. The first two kilometers were like warm-up. After that I got into the rhythm. Amey and I got in touch with each other over mobile and got to know that we were close but still not together. We first met at 5km milestone but separated soon due to nature's call break. We met again at the 12th kilometer milestone and then thought of running together so that we can encourage each other and keep our target of 2 hr 30 mins. It was at 8.20am and about 7 km were remaining. The target was very clear, one more hour to go and 7km. We decided to go for it and hence started running in full swing. We continued till 15 KM mark where I thought that Amey is running faster than me and I am not able to cope up with his speed. I asked him to continue with his own speed and that relaxed me. I was just behind him, but for a short time only. Unfortunately Amey suddenly developed some pain in his knees and hence slowed down. I overtook him and aimed at the target time. I was left alone. Up to that point it was only because of Amey's encouragement that I was targeting the 2:30hrs time. Now suddenly I was running with out him. Both of us continued running independently and kept encouraging each other via phone. Things continued that way, till I managed to reach 17 km mark when my body was all drained. I had no energy to continue jogging. I just wanted to walk the remaining distance.

This was the time when I started conversation with my Self. All the knowledge points that I got from the Art of Living YES!+ course and advanced courses surfaced into reality. I was given a chance to implement all of them. My stamina was all over So, there I was to go for the target time or to let it go. All this conversation continued in my mind and I kept running and walking alternately. Running was for a longer time than walking but still the body was saying the other way round. Finally the equation was left to 2KM and 7 minutes. It was a difficult task to achieve but I wanted not to give up at any cost. So, continued running. The body was not supporting, so the mind started giving me alternatives and giving me option of ditching the target. But I was fresh from my advanced course and hence all knowledge points were alive! The most striking point was Live life on commitment and not on emotions.

So, I decided to go with my commitment and not by emotions. Fitness was not an issue and hence it was only a matter of continuing till the end, with increased speed. I needed some different way to tackle my mind as I was thinking more of the future than being at the present. I was continuously thinking of the distance and time equation. I knew, live in the present moment but how to do that? And it just clicked!!! I committed myself for the goal, and just surrendered to my Guru and the Divine. I dropped the distance-time equation and concentrated on only the next step that I was going to take. At every step, I was asking this question to my Self, can I run the next step and most of the time the answer used to be YES. This helped me and I could run more compared to walk. I was still walking in between but the ratio was 200 meters running to about 10 meters walk. This continued till Hutatma Chauk, from where the finish line was enough to go for the final assault.

The final assault was to start now. I decided not to stop for the last phase of about 1000 meters. I kept going and going. I was totally drained by that time but commitment was to my Self and not to any one else and hence had no option but to continue and continue running. In between, I took a walk break, for about 10 seconds but then got into action immediately. Finally, I could see the finish line, about 500 meters away. It was like "कितने पास और कितने दूर". The sight of the finish line gave me another boost and I increased the speed, although marginal, there was increase in the efforts from my side. And there I was, crossing the finish line and it was 9:25am in my mobile. My time was 2 hr 32 mins, creditable for me. There was no one to welcome me on the finish line but I was celebrating myself, as also all other finishers. Just missing the target time was of no importance to me compared to the satisfaction of making it against all odds and being victorious.

Soon Amey also finished in 2 hr 45mins. As he was having pain in his knees he walked from 15KM till end. The other two friends, Kishore and Pranav, who were participating in half marathon for the first time completed the race in about 3 hrs. A very good time indeed as they hardly had practiced for the same.

A perfect experience of When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going.

Jai Guru Dev!
Sandeep (Pitamah)

Diary - A Day at the Gym

2009-01-24T22:07:00.000-08:00

Today was my first day in the gym. I know I was procrastinating. So evening I just forced myself to go. It was terrible. I felt my legs cramping in the first 10 minutes. Nothing was going right for me.

As I entered the sauna I saw five huge sweaty bodies. And I suddenly felt home sick. I was an alien among these ogres. What was I doing in this country I thought.

Shortly, two of them walked out.

I always sit on the top one; perhaps a psychological ploy so as not to get intimidated by these hunks.

As I started sweating , I was thinking about where my life was going.

Suddenly the one below me looked at me and said, “ I was fired this week”.

Now I am never very good at handling these situations. But I had to say something.

“Stop feeling sorry for your hairy ass. I am jobless for the last 4 months”

There was a moments silence. I thought I am a dead man.

And suddenly they all exploded. Big giants. Big laughs.

One guy between gasps said ”Fuck Bush”. The third one turned to me “hey you look like Bush.” “don’t fuck me. I wouldn’t be able to handle your weight.” I said.

There was again huge laughter. and suddenly the first one said come guys shower we are going for a drink. I was among friends!

As we sat gulping beer in the Applebee’s ,This is home I thought happily.

Slowly as the beer started giving its effect, the atmosphere became somber. Each man narrating his travails. Rodney, the guy who first spoke with me , was weeping silently.

I couldn’t take it any more. So I said my good byes to my new friends. Lots of high fives and patting each other and promises to see next day in the gym.

I sat in the car for some time. I don’t know how long I sat there till suddenly I heard a tap on my window. A cop was asking me anxiously if I was alright. I assured him I was fine and thanked him for his concern.

He had an avuncular smile on his crinkled face. “don’t worry son. Things wont remain the same. “ he winked. He had an infectious smile.

I smiled back at him and waved.

“God Bless America. “

Now the officer was grinning from ear to ear.

I was laughing as I drove. There was this one thought.

If winter comes can spring be far behind?

--
Sudir

Run Mumbai Run...

2009-01-17T05:25:00.000-08:00

Run Mumbai Run are the magic words that inspire me and many other Mumbai Marathon runners to continue their journey toward the finish line with out giving up in between. This slogan has the power to keeps me going on and on till I cross the finish line. The crowd cheering with this slogan has made me complete successfully the half marathon twice.

I still remember my first attempt of half marathon (21 km). No one believed that I could complete the marathon and they were constantly discouraging me from participating in the marathon. On the eve of the marathon my close friend me advised me not worry about completing the marathon and advised me to take shelter of the medical camp in case of emergency. On the marathon day I met few other friends who also had similar experience, people in the same boat. Frankly, we were also not sure of what we are diving into but had very high energy to get experience it.

The marathon started at 6.45am. It was still dark when it started and cold enough not to get exhausted early. The real test was later during the race when sun comes up and shines bright enough to exhaust the runners. There was a sunny patch with no cover of the buildings, near the Girgaon Chaupati and that was the testing period for all the immature runners. I was almost exhausted but kept running. There was no water booth in that area and we all kept sharing our reservoir. The scene was similar with all people. Every one was looking for water and was happy share if they had any water left. The humanity was seen live. After that sunny patch of about 1km, I could sense the finish line coming closer but still about 4 km away. Now I was confident of finishing and just continued running and finally in about 2hr 50mins I crossed the finish line. It was an experience of the lifetime, satisfaction at its peak. At the same time I had tremendous boot in my confidence. I could see it as removal of a big mental block in my life. In the next few days I could see myself doing any task with increased confidence and had no problem in taking new challenges.

The second year was comparatively simple as I had my prior experience with me. I had hardly practiced and hence could finish the half marathon in 3hrs, still not bad.

Many celebrities like Anil Ambani, Milind Soman, Rahul Bose, Gul Panag actively participate in Marathon.

Now, all geared up for tomorrow's 6th Edition of Mumbai Marathon and to hear Run Mumbai Run.

Jai Guru Dev!

Amla & Vitamin “C”

2009-01-15T22:00:00.000-08:00

      
As promised in my last post, here is the guest article, by Mr. Ninad Deshmukh, CEO Uniheal foods.
Why we need Vitamin  C?
We need vitamin C to  improve resistance of body i.e. to build immune system. Deficiency of  vitamin C could lead to Scurvy 
Why we have to take  Vitamin C from outside?
For all except four mammalian  species, ascorbic acid is not a vitamin, because they make their own  abundant supply. Man is one of the four exceptions. Of the four enzymes  necessary to make vitamin C, man has the first three. Somewhere in our  evolution, we lost that fourth enzyme, and ascorbic acid became a vitamin  for us — we have to obtain it from our diet. Animals make that amount  of vitamin C that would be the equivalent of four grams (4,000 mg.)  daily for an average size human. 
While the U. S. government  RDA (recommended daily allowance, some say “recommended deficiency  allowance”) is 60 mg., this is merely the amount that will prevent  death from scurvy. Optimal health requires the higher dose levels. This  enzymatic defect in humans undoubtedly accounts for a shorter life span  than we were designed to have. Advocates of vitamin C prescribes very  high daily dose of vitamin C. 
What is Vitamin C?
(Vitamin C a.k.a. Ascorbic  Acid, Ascorbate)
This well-known vitamin  is important in the maintenance of collagen, the protein that holds  most of the soft tissues of the body together. Along with B6, it is  also vital to the utilization of amino acids. It enhances the absorption  of iron from vegetable sources. It inhibits the synthesis of nitrosamines,  compounds implicated in cancer. Fruit sources are citrus fruits, fresh  strawberries, cantaloupe, pineapples and guava. Vegetable sources are  broccoli, Brussel sprouts, tomatoes, spinach, kale, green peppers, cabbage  and turnips. Regular intake of vitamin C insures health of the soft  tissues of the body and perhaps an ounce of cancer protection. There  is ample research evidence that substantial doses of vitamin C, taken  regularly over the course of years, prolong a person’s life expectancy  by lowering the probability of vascular disease. (The same is true of  vitamin E.) 
One of the many functions  of ascorbic acid in human biochemistry is to regenerate oxidized vitamin  E that, in turn, serves to protect cell walls from oxidative damage.
The ascorbate form of  ascorbic acid is the form that is effective in the treatment of colds  and flu. Do not bother trying to treat a cold or flu with ascorbic acid.  It will not work. The L- form is the bioactive form of vitamin C. The  D-form is just so much stuff the body must get rid of. Synthetic ascorbic  acid contains equal amounts of L- and D- forms. Natural sources of vitamin  C contain only the L- form. Read the label to know what you are getting.  If it is not specified otherwise, assume it to be synthetic. If it doesn’t  say “ascorbate,” assume it to be ascorbic acid. 
Natural Vs Artificial  Vitamin C
There is great fight  between manufacturers of Synthetic Vitamin C and manufacturers of supplements  based on Natural source of Vitamin C. Each one claiming that there is  better! My Common sense says that Natural is always better (Disputable)!
Studies indicate that  the naturally occurring Vitamin C is easier for body to absorb than  synthetic Vitamin C. This and other studies indicate that naturally  occurring Vitamin C may be ten times more beneficial to body than synthetic  ones. 
Why Vitamin C in amla  is more powerful?
The natural tannins in  Vitamin “C” complex of amla prevent oxidation of the vitamin content  in dry condition-in other words it is heat stable. Sabinsa Corporation  has prepared a high tannin standardized extract at 40% polyphenols (mostly  in the form of tannins), leaving behind some of the other carbohydrates.  The presence of a large proportion of tannins in the fruit may easily  explain some of the more prosaic proclaimed benefits of amla, including  treatment of respiratory and intestinal disorders, particularly intestinal  ulcerations. In addition, polyphenols have been shown to have numerous  health protective benefits, including lowering blood lipids and blood  sugar, enhancing blood circulation, and blocking the action of carcinogens,  which together contribute to the anti-ageing effect. The apparent superior  effect of the mistaken “vitamin C” component is actually the more  stable and potent anti-oxidant effect of the tannins that appeared to  be the vitamin.
Dr. Shibnath Ghosal,  at the Banaras Hindu University, published his findings about active  constituents of emblica fruits in 1996, reporting on the mistaken identification  of vitamin C. He turned his research findings into a patent just four  years later; describing the production of the mixture he called Capros.  It is derived from amla by a careful process of extraction that prevents  breakdown of the tannins. It contains:
Emblicanin-A: 27% ;Emblicanin-B:  23%; Punigluconin: 8%; Pedunculagin: 14%
Gallo-ellagitannoids : 18%; Rutin: 10%
The first four ingredients  listed are polyphenols (tannins); the next constituent is a combination  primarily of gallic acid and ellagic acid, the tannoid components that  are linked together to make the other tannins. Rutin is another phenolic  compound, a common flavonoid found in many plants and isolated as a  natural health care product. Dr. Ghosal describes his extract (U.S.  patent # 6,124,268) as having a greater antioxidant potential than vitamin  C, while being more stable against heat and oxidation. It can be formulated  into skin creams that are designed to protect the skin from damage due  to excess sun exposure and may also be used as a component of internal  remedies for health protective effects, especially for cardiovascular  risk factors.
So vitamin C in amla  is powerful as it is a complex of ascorbate, tannins and polyphenols.
Several  properties that are talked about amla are as follows:
Antioxidant,  anti-inflammatory, Immuno Modulator, anti-bacterial, expectorant, antipyretic,  cardio tonic, anti-emetic, anabolic 
It is considered  to cure or help in skin problems, hair problems, acidity, diabetes,  asthma,cholesterol and cholesterol induced atherosclerosis (Obstruction  of the arteries), etc. 
Amla is getting popular all  across globe among people as well as commercial organizations (Pharma  MNCs),  as rich source of Natural Vitamin  “C”.
Why amla  never become table-top fruit like mango or apple?
When amla fruit  is having such powerful medicinal values, why it is not consumed like  other fruits such as mango, apple or other berries? The answer to this  question is its sour taste! Amla became famous worldwide as main constituent  of Chyvanprash, which is the most popular rejuvenator in the world.  In India, it is consumed in almost every home in the form of Murabba  (Amla preserved in sugar syrup). 
Now amla processing  is picked up in India and efforts are made to develop products that  are good in taste so that people can consume amla everyday and improve  health. 
Amla is getting popular all  across globe among people as well as commercial organizations (Pharma  MNCs),  as rich source of Natural Vitamin  “C”.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some Amla products that are  available in market are Amla Candies and Amla Juice. If you are interested  you can contact:
          Uniheal Foods
     113, Block 1, Emerald Plaza,
     Hiranandani Meadows,
     Thane (W) - 400 610
     Phone : +(91)-(22)-4012 1186
     Fax     : +(91)-(22)-4012 1190
     Web: http://www.uniheal.com/
     Email  : info@uniheal.com
          Customer Care:
     Mobile : 09967210489
     Email  : customercare@uniheal.com 
If you are interested in any of the Uniheal products, they can be ordered over the phone and can be delivered free of cost within INDIA.

मध्य प्रदेश शांत तो जम्मू कश्मीर से कन्याकुमारी तक का रास्ता साफ़ (If Madhaypradesh is peaceful, then JnK to Kanyakumari road is clear )

2009-01-08T22:54:00.000-08:00

I will not be talking of the geography or even politics of INDIA but will be more interested in mapping these areas to the human body and their functioning. Madhya Pradesh symbolizes central part is our body, mainly the digestive system; Jammu & Kashmir the upper part; and Kanyakumari the lower part of the body. The upper part, especially the head symbolizes the thinking process while the lower part symbolizes the physical work required to convert those thoughts into action.

If the digestive system is not functioning properly, then you feel low on energy. Although in the busy schedule, you tend to neglect the indications given by our body and especially the digestive system, you attempt to think and work as usual. Possibly, that is some thing we have accepted so well that we don't even give much importance to our bodily signals. We keep on ignoring them as if thats the reality of life.

On the other hand, if the digestive system is doing well, all the other systems perform well. You are fresh and alert, able to think positively and quickly. At the same time you are physically active and better able to convert the thoughts into action. You feel very much relaxed and contented and your productivity goes up.

In these days, where you are busy with your work, whole day and night, acidity, gas, constipation has become part of life. You just gulp in some tablet to get it under control and move on. These tablets only suppress the cause but never removes them completely. For example, acidity is caused due to the the pitta dosha, due to increased secretion of acid required for digestion. In Ayurveda there are simple ways to control acidity and in general most of the digestive problems. If these measure are taken on regular basis then your digestive system is perfect for most of the time and you can feel the difference.

As usual, I am not different from the excuse of busy life and hence used to have acidity, constipation and related problem. Hardly used to think them as problems as possibly had accepted them as part of day to day life. But once I started having Awala Juice as a medicine, on a daily basis, I could see a sudden change in my health. I could feel myself fresh in the morning and could feel light in the stomach. The lightness of stomach spread into my mind and body and gave me enthusiasm to work better maintaining my freshness for longer time. I felt boss, if I can be so fresh and active then why was I living like a dull guy for so for long. Triphala is another churna which can be taken before going to bed to balance all the three doshas and is bowel cleanser.

In this busy life, we never give importance to keeping ourselves fit. Most of the problems will not arise if we are fit and our digestion system is well. But then we need to put in that extra awareness NOW to avoid the issues in the FUTURE. This is where most of us lack the zeal to follow up on good things. We are aware that some thing needs to be done NOW to avoid problems in FUTURE but we just ignore all that with our chalta hai attitude and then are hit back some time later to realize our mistake. Unfortunately, very few learn from their mistakes and continue to be ignorant.

As I could experience the silence of Madhya Pradesh and its effect which caused peace in Jammu & Kashnmir to Kanyakumari, I requested my brother who is in food processing industry to write a guest column here, focusing mainly on Awala/Amla and its benefits. Hope to post that soon on this blog.

(For those who are not aware of the geography of INDIA, Madhya Pradesh is the central part of INDIA and Jammu Kashmir and Kanyakumari are the northern and southern ends of INDIA, respectively.)

Resolution 2009: Rude or Phony

2009-01-02T07:52:00.000-08:00

A guest article by my Mentor/Friend/Uncle Mr. Sudhir Kekre. I am sure you are going to enjoy new/different thoughts here.

As the year 2008 draws close, the New Year ushers in ; albeit quieter than usual carrying the hangover of recession and bomb blast.

There’s a sense of relief more than joy that 2008 is over.

Nevertheless we have a new year and now its time to take stock.

Everyone must imbibe at least one good quality each year. Something that would be a value addition. Most of us are adults. Think if we had started early we would have at least more than a dozen good ones to be proud of.

I have been globe trotting for almost a decade now; straddled three continents and worked across various cross sections of people across various Nations.

A common complaint I hear is that Indians are rude. Something which I vehemently deny.

On introspection and discussion with many Indians I find that our perception about politeness is different. We have a notion that being honest at the cost of everything is always correct. We generally also lack a sense of humor ; perhaps because we take life too seriously. Also we feel that the western people are phony , they believe in flattery and are artificial. Something which is not true. Flattery is not always bad. Specially if it brings happiness and joy. A sense of humor can help in a big way in making you popular and also furthering your career.

I give below a few experiences and leave it to you to decide.

“Madam , is your father a thief” the American woman’s cheek went red. She was furious. the other members of her group looked at her strangely. This was Agra railway station. And she was being stalked by a skinny teenager. “ how dare you” she said her eyes smoldering. “ because madam , he stole the stars from the sky and put them in your eyes” he said, his eyes twinkling mischievously. Now the whole group was roaring with appreciation. The boy was hired as a guide that very moment leaving a very very competitive field. This was narrated to me by an American friend.

Once I was having a drink in Taj residency in Hyderabad. I saw the barman mixing a drink . “ Margarita “ I smiled at him. It’s a tequila based drink very popular in Miami , my home for the past few years. The barman mixed the drink expertly and giving me a smile gave me a small shot to taste. “ Hmm” I said “smacking my lips appreciatively . “ you could make a Mexican proud.”. The barman beamed with pride and left with the order.

My friend eyed me suspiciously . “ Is it really that good.” “ little weak “ I confessed. “ lacks the punch of the real one”. My friend was annoyed. He said this is the problem with you guys who live abroad. He could have improved if you had told the truth. “ he didn’t quite understand. The barman was looking me with professional pride which as a guest I couldn’t shatter. Besides I was no expert. There was no way I could advise him on what was missing. Least I could do was make his day.

Another time I remember I met one guy from Honduras in the swimming pool in my community in Miami. He said that lot of people mistake him for an Indian . I immediately agreed and said that you know when you were walking in I thought hey there comes one of my Indian brothers. His face lit with joy. The same friend derisively commented

“ Even a blind man can tell he doesn’t look Indian. You are phony!”

So guys call me phony! Call me a liar. Call me what you will. But if one lie can bring even a little happiness I shall keep doing it.

I think of that American woman who was on a Vacation in Agra. Vacation must be full of fun and joy. And if that skinny guide spiked his marketing with a little flattery he didn’t do any harm to anyone? I am sure the lady will go back and tell happy tales about our great land.

So guys, if you agree make this your resolution. Bring happiness and cheer in others life- a little deception or a little flattery will be forgiven.

Here’s wishing you all – the loveliest and most beautiful people on the planet - a great and a happy 2009.

Now WHAT? At least I didn’t call your father a thief!!!!!!!!!

Bye Bye 2008, Welcome 2009!

2008-12-30T11:31:00.000-08:00

This is my last post of 2008. The first one was on 19 April 2008. It was a Sunday morning, I woke up from the bed and straight on to the computer to write the blog. I was inspired by Bawa's blog and I am happy to be the inspiration for a few other bloggers. Blogging has definitely helped me improve in my thought process and even in expressing them.

For me the year started on the Art of Living advanced course in Bangalore Ashram. I was in silence and Guru Pooja was going on right at 00:00 of 1st Jan 2008. Previously, I used to jump, dance, make noise, hug friends but this year, I was in complete silence, even the hug was quiet; no halla-gulla, no dance, no singing, and still blissful from inside.

That was my first advanced course, so I was very much curious about it. Being in the silence for so long was a different experience. I could not believe that I too can be in silence. I still remember the night when I came to know that I will be coming out of silence the next afternoon and how disappointed I was. I thought, why so early? Can I not extend my silence little more? Well, He heard my prayer and blessed me with two more advanced courses this year. People who know me still laugh at the thought that I can be in silence but the fact is, silence gives me that chance to be with myself, at least for 2-3 days where I am not a student, not a son, not a brother, not a friend. Basically, I am nothing. During the first advanced course, I also started my journey to the question, Who am I and Why am I here for?

I also listened to the Aashtavakra Geeta. The commentary by Guruji on Aashtavakra Geeta, which continued for 34 days, one VCD per day. That answered many questions about life and lot of the ideas and pre-concepts about life got some direction. As I was listening for the first time, I could not sip in all the knowledge but hope to digest more in the future.

Apart from spirituality, the year went quite happily. I got promoted in the family and now no more the youngest person in the family. Chutki is now the center of our family. Academically the year was so-so. The standard question of "Ph D कब ख़तम कर रहा है?" was answered simply by दुबारा मत पूछाना ! (Don't ask me again!).

The Mumbai terror attack was a big blow for the entire nation. I was glued to the TV for the entire duration. I just stopped working those days. I could not even move away from the TV. I seriously started thinking on how can we contribute for the nation. We need good people over there in the government. Some gmail chat status said, "We need to worry for people who came by BOAT but we need to worry more about people who came by VOTE". Just changing the CM/Dy-CM, Home Minister is not going to work. We need to strengthen our base so that any building that is build over it is strong enough to sustain any attack. One of the TV channel reporter said "Even the rich were not spared this time!" and I had no option but to wonder how people/reporters think in INDIA. Although the blood is RED, it is still labeled as poor, middle class, and rich. Probably it was the rich class that was shaken more this time as they realized that they too are no more safe here. Previously, when the attacks were in the local train, bus stops, markets, the rich people used to say that they are far away from all these places. They are safe, but that was proved wrong this time. And hence they were also seen on the road, voicing their concerns. And being rich, their voice was definitely louder and is good for INDIA.

In all, I could see myself getting matured. The rise was steep as compared to previous 2-3 years. I could see more confidence in what ever I was saying and I was able to make stronger comments, when ever needed. It is said, the most satisfying thing in life is knowing that you are improving day by day and I could experience it.

Some 2008 moments best expressed via photos:

My Rangoli @Diwali: I was really disturbed by the Marathi and Non-Marathi movement in Maharashtra and particularly in Mumbai. I have always been surrounded by friends from all over INDIA, from my collage days. So its difficult for me to differentiation people like that. So, the rangoli was my expression of the same.

A prayer for all in 2009: This is the message I wrote in front on Trident. Let all people be happy and let peace prevail all over.

Face painting competition in Hostel 12. Painter: Ayush. We won the first prize :).

This photo finds a place here because there are very few occasions when I will be looking so smart. Tend to be with chalta hai attitude in terms of my dressing sense.

This is real me, Ghochu! (30th Dec. 2008)

Bye Bye 2008 and WELCOME 2009. Happy New Year !

Jai Guru Dev!
Sandeep (Pitamah)

Marry Chirstmas

2008-12-28T01:31:00.000-08:00

This was my gmail chat status message on the Christmas day. I used to have this confusion of marry vs merry but got it clarified long back. My naughty nature came alive on the Christmas morning again and I started wishing people with "Marry X'mas" message.

As I kept my gmail chat status as "Marry X'mas", I was pinged by many friends asking about the status. Well, it served my purpose, because the whole intension was to attract that extra attention from my friends, who see me online but some how think that they will chat with me some time later, may be tomorrow when they will have time, or I will not be busy, or some thing like that. I also think that way many time. So, gave an opportunity to break that ice. And, I succeeded in my intension. Got to talk with many friends. I am naughty sometimes and I continue to be, to keep myself happy.

Other than that, it was a wonderful Christmas day for me. The Santa was walking with me through out the evening. I had few small-small desires and I could see every desire getting fulfilled. In the afternoon I had expressed my desire to attend a Satang and dance and in the evening, there I was, in a Satsang, singing and dancing in full swing, that too on my favorite devotional song. Also had egg-less plum cake, which I got after searching a lot. At one point of time I had given up the chance that I will egg-less plum cake as it was not available in the shops I checked. Later in the night, I had a desire to have the sweet in the mess, but some how got late and hence it was finished at the counter. I thought for a moment and decided to let it go. I was already happy to see that most of my wishes had come true and hence I can forgot sweet that day. Later, my friend gave me his sweet as he had reduced sweet consumption. What more can I ask for? On the dinner table I even got comments on why I was smiling so much. Well, thats all the Art of Living effect. Can't help smiling, what ever may happen and with Santa with you, the smile blossoms.

In our day to day life also, Santa is always walking with us. But we just are not aware of it. The moment we learn to appreciate every good thing happening in our life, miracles start happening. But what we mostly remember are the things which did not worked well for us. So, a reversal in the filtering process, of what to remember and what not to, can bring an massive change in our lives.

So, with Santa walking with us, why do we need to wait for that Christmas day? Every day is Christmas, and can bring celebrations in our lives.

Santa is within us. Just start experiencing it.

Chutki continues to shine

2008-12-26T00:56:00.001-08:00

What would you say to a terrorist?

2008-12-23T11:19:00.000-08:00

A spiritual response to terrorist attacks by THICH NHAT HANH

Published in Times of India, 21 Dec 2008. Original article

First, I would listen. Why had he acted in that cruel way? I would try to understand all of the suffering that had led him to violence. It might not be easy to listen in that way, so I would have to remain calm and lucid. I would need several friends with me, who are strong in the practice of deep listening, listening without reacting, without judging and blaming. In this way, an atmosphere of support would be created for this person and those connected so that they could share completely, trust that they are really being heard.

After listening for some time, we might need to take a break to allow what has been said to enter into our consciousness. Only when we felt calm and lucid would we respond in such a way to help them discover their own misunderstandings so that they will stop violent acts of their own will...

When we react out of fear and hatred, we do not yet have a deep understanding of the situation. Our action will only be a very quick and superficial way of responding to the situation and not much true benefit and healing will occur. Yet if we wait and follow the process of calming our anger, looking deeply into the situation, and listening with great will to understand the roots of suffering that are the cause of the violent actions, only then will we have sufficient insight to respond in such a way that healing and reconciliation can be realised for everyone involved.

In South Africa, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has made attempts to realise this. All the parties involved in violence and injustice agreed to listen to each other in a calm and supportive environment, to look together deeply at the roots of violent acts and to find agreeable arrangements to respond to the situations. The presence of strong spiritual leaders is very helpful to support and maintain such an environment.

What is the "right action" to take with regard to responding to terrorist attacks?

All violence is injustice. The fire of hatred and violence cannot be extinguished by adding more hatred and violence to the fire. The only antidote to violence is compassion. Compassion is made of understanding. To understand, we must find paths of communication so that we can listen to those who desperately are calling out for our underst...

There are people who want one thing only: revenge. The Buddha said that by using hatred to answer hatred, there will only be an escalation of hatred. But if we use compassion to embrace those who have harmed us, it will greatly diffuse the bomb in our hearts and in theirs...

We have to find a way to stop violence, of course. If need be, we have to put the men responsible in prison. But the important thing is to look deeply and ask, "Why did that happen? What responsibility do we have in that happening? "Maybe they misunderstood us. But what has made them misunderstand us so much to make them hate so much?

The method of the Buddha is to look deeply to see the source of suffering; the source of violence. If we have violence within ourselves, any action can make that violence explode. This energy of hatred and violence can be very great and when we see that in the other person then we feel sorry for them. When we feel sorry for them, the drop of compassion is born in our hearts and we feel so much happier and so much more at peace within ourselves. That (empathy) produces the nectar of compassion within ourselves...

Fight with equanimity, channelise energy

2008-12-22T23:32:00.000-08:00

Excerpt from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's address to Mumbaikars during a prayer meeting for 26/11 terror victims.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Opinion/Editorial/articlelist/articleshow/3847315.cms

When there is an attack on society and we lose our loved ones, it causes a lot of sorrow and fear. If we keep reeling in sorrow, fear and anger, We need to come together then life moves on the path of destruction.

But if we want to channelise this energy and prepare to face this war bravely, we need to first calm the mind and come to a state of equanimity.

We need to become sam-darshi or one whose vision is equanimous. Today, we are all angry with the politicians or with our system. Our police lack the necessary tools... The whole of Mumbai seems angry. In a way, we have woken up. We are no longer ready to take the 'chalta hai' attitude. For so many years India has seen terrorist attacks in different places, for the first time, the entire community, especially the youth, have woken up...
How to make our system stronger?

Firstly, we need to come together... We need social leaders who are satya-darshi or truthful, sam-darshi or equanimous, and door-darshi or far-sighted. So let's also resolve to first examine the qualifications of those whom we elect. We need to protect our country from those who manipulate issues for their personal gains and lead by playing vote-bank politics.

Secondly, we must resolve not to act out of anger, but instead channelise our dynamic energy for the common good; to expose all those who are supporting violence, no matter what religion they belong to; to get rid of the mentality which asks us to protect people from our own religion, or community, even if they are doing wrong. This is very important.

Three things need to be done today: Stringent laws should be in place and the hands of the police have to be strengthened. Second, intelligence agencies and the police should be well-equipped and third, politicians should allow them to take necessary steps independently.

We consider the entire world ours... We might have different religions, communities, languages and cultures, but underneath all this diversity, every Indian is One. We are proponents of peace, but we are also from the land of Guru Gobind Singh. Today, we need Sant-sipahis or soldier-saints. Every one of us needs to be a peace soldier...

Peace does not mean inaction. We want a revolution, but a peaceful one. Mahatma Gandhi advocated peace, but he did not just sit back and allow injustice. Being in peace, he took action. The essence of the Bhagavad Gita is this ^ to fight with equanimity. Today, we are again seeing a dharma yuddha a battle for righteousness...

Whenever i visited Israel, i have been told by Jewish leaders that India is the only nation in the world where a Jew has never been attacked. India is known for its tolerance and peace... We shall not let the terror attacks in Mumbai sag our spirits. We shall overcome. And in doing so we will not let go of our culture and nature of peace and non-violence.

I would like to say to all the families who have lost their dear ones that the soul never dies. Know that once you drop the body, there is no more suffering to the soul. Those who have departed have merged with the divine, and their souls are still with you, with us, with the entire nation... Everyone will die, including us. But they have sacrificed their lives to wake us up and make us realise that others should not suffer, that this should not happen again. They are asking us to be Arjuna.

Naming ceremony of Chutki; चुटकीचे बारसे

2008-12-14T21:43:00.000-08:00

Yesterday it was naming ceremony (बारसे) of Chutki, my niece. Chutki was the temporary name given to her by me till some official name is given and it has served its purpose and has already made her popular.

Swini is the new name for Chutki. Swini means one who always shines brighter. The other names are Manali, Gia (her birth name), Chutki - my favorite, and Amla, the brand ambassodor of her Dad's Amla products.

Swini Khara is a cute child actress who has acted in "Chini Kum" and is recently seen in many ads.

Anger is energy

2008-12-08T03:23:00.000-08:00

... says Sri Sri Ravi Shankar urging Mumbaiites to channelise this energy after 26/11

MARK MANUEL Times News Network (Times of India, Bombay Times, 08 Dec 2008, page 1.)

This time, the smile of welcome didn’t quite reach Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s dark and mischievous eyes. The face was troubled, the mind still burdened by the pain of the hundred thousand people he had addressed the previous evening at Priyadarshini Park. Some survivors of 26/11, others bereaved family members of victims, everyone a Mumbaiite let down by the state — all looking for a shoulder to cry on, a spiritual hand to apply the healing touch. That Sri Sri Ravi Shankar had already done. “I told Mumbai, if you stay with anger too long it will take a toll on your health, your mind, your thinking,” the Art of Living guru explained to me at the bungalow of Yash and Avanti Birla yesterday morning. “We need to channelise our energy,” he added. Energy or anger, I asked. “Anger is energy in a more proactive way,” he corrected, “and how to channelise it, is in itself a skill. There’s no point doing the extreme thing in anger and then regretting it. Or being passive and not doing anything at all. Find the inbetween path.”
He’s gone beyond the Art of Living and is into trauma relief around the world now. Like a healing wind with the spiritual touch, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has gone from Ivory Coast to Iraq and Kosovo to Kashmir, reawakening human values in people, making them violence-free, teaching them Gandhian principles, yoga, meditation. His lessons in spirituality are not just for victims of terrorist attacks, but also for survivors of earthquakes, floods, tsunamis. But in Mumbai on Saturday, he was addressing terrorism. “Terrorists are ill-educated people with distorted, poisoned mindsets,” he said derisively. “It’s not true that the uneducated become tools of terrorism, or the poorest of the poor, but ill-educated people with hateful motivation. And they have to be addressed with words. Not guns. You just cannot quell violence with violence. But through dialogue, and spiritual education, I’ve seen this in Iraq.” And what were politicians, I asked. “Politicians are narrow-minded people who, for the smallest gains of position and money, do things which later harm themselves and also the people,” he said in ill-concealed disgust and some anger.
What would he have done in Mumbai last week, I asked. Would he have been able to make the difference during the siege by engaging the terrorists in dialogue, by negotiating with them for the lives of the hostages, or convincing them to lay down the gun? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar regretfully shook his head. “You cannot learn archery on the battlefield,” he replied. “At that moment, the terrorist is not in the mood to talk, he is only in the mood to destroy.” I asked what was the difference between spiritual education and religious, because the terrorists are Islamic jehaadis, boys indoctrined to become men with mindsets that believe the Quran okays mindless killings of innocents. “Spiritual education is different,” Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said, “it makes you a soft, gentle, caring person, it teaches you the principles of ahimsa... of nonviolence. We must teach these principles, the Indian ethos of peaceful coexistence, of inclusiveness, to our neightbours and the rest of the world.”
At this point of time when Mumbai was at the crossroads of change, when emotions were still ragged and the wounds of 26/11 yet festering, did we need spiritual education or an aggressive movement against violence? “Not just Mumbai, the whole of India needs an overhauling,” Sri Sri Ravi Shankar answered. “In Mumbai’s case, just changing the Chief Minister will not help, the new man will take six, eight months to settle in and then make change. But, immediately, there must be a change in values — of the police, especially; a change in vision — of the people responsible for the city; a change in self — people must be true to the country and themselves; a change in sensitivity — people have woken up, but the spate of violence doesn’t touch all, we feel the heat only when the shoe pinches; and, a change in direction — let go of the past and go forward. Move on. Yes — the heart is heavy, but the healing touch will be complete only when hands unite and reconcile with the past.” When I left him, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was smiling in welcome at his next visitors — Bollywood stars Kunal Kapoor, Dino Morea and the lovely Lara Dutta, but the smile still didn’t reach his eyes.

Terrorist love too, but for the wrong reasons

2008-12-08T00:35:00.001-08:00

Article is published in Hindustan Times, 08 Dec. 2008, page 4.

Please click on the image below view full size.

Trident to Taj to CST

2008-12-07T01:28:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, 2nd Dec, 08, A call to ALL PROUD INDIANS was made to assemble at the Air India building to write messages for the brave cops and soldiers of our country. Some of us from IIT reached there at the Air India building around 6.30pm. There were lot of people including some of the celebrities who had come to express their gratitude toward the martyr cops.

Most of the people over there were youth, from all the communities. The nariman point and the strip close to the sea was crowded, although not as it used to be. I remembered how I was sitting at the same spot a month back. Fearless, enjoying the sea and chit-chatting with my friends and today, I was serious, not even in a mood to smile.

We went close to the Trident building. There was heavy security and policemen all around. I could see few broken windows of the Trident building and the repairing work going on. I am really amazed by the Trident people that they are planning to restart the complete operations in next two weeks and I could see that happening.

Next we moved to Taj. The taxiwala dropped us near the back side of Taj heritage. Again no entry near the hotel, heavily protected by the police. We went to the front side of Taj and were actually seeing the Taj Heritage building for the first time after 26/11. The area is still protected/covered and hence could not see it closely. Even the Gateway of India is also closed. There were interviews of general public going on by some channel and slowly the outrage of the people was seen blaming all the politicians, moving on to media, to RGV, to name a few. This continued for good 10-15 mins and not many could make out what exactly was the point put up. One of my friend was trying to understand the issue but of no use.

We got the taxi for CST. It was around 8.40pm. It was not usual Mumbai. Hardly any traffic. After the taxi dropped us near Azad maidan, we went via the subway and it was very less crowded. We had some chaat and juices. Then one of my friend went to a shop to check out jeans. I followed him. Others also joined after they finished their food. While my friend was bargaining, others were discussing the situation on the 26th night. Shopkeepers were saying that the terrorist had come close to the subway and all the shopkeepers there were having terrible time. Fortunately for them, the terrorists didn't came down the subway and hence all of them were saved. Things have changed a lot after that. No crowd in the subway and hence not even in the shops. Previously the shopkeepers were forced to close the shop at midnight. Now, there is hardly any customer to keep the shop open. As we were talking, I realized that we were the only customers there. The scene was similar in other shops also. The corridor was so less crowded that I could stand in the center and click the photos. I could wait till I get a good click with no one in front of the camera. Normally, I don't think it would have been possible for me to even stand in the center.

At the entrance, we were welcomed by the metal detectors. I felt the tension seeing the metal detectors. What if it beeps when I pass through? Will I be checked by the armed police? And when I passed through it, yes, it beeped but there was no one to check me or even to listen to the beep. I was saved. But whats the use of these metal detectors installed at the entrance? They are hardly of any use. When ever you cross them, there is invariably a beep. There is no one to check the person who causes the beep. So, whats the use of these metal detectors? Only to show people that there is something like metal detectors which are installed for the safety of the common people.

In general there were lot of security people. Policemen checking the bags and other belongings and in general tension on very face moving around. I too could feel the tension while roaming around in the station. It was not as usual.

We moved on to buy the tickets and the scene was similar. Hardly any rush on the ticket counter. The ticket counter at 9.00pm used to have a long queue. Today only 5-6 people in the queue.

During the time when we were close to these spots, the thought of what if some thing happens NOW was coming again and again to my mind. I saw a small cute girl enjoying chocolate in the subway and this thought caught me again. I was horrified to think what if there is a terror attack NOW. I hope we all come out of this type of thoughts as soon as possible and start enjoying the beauty of Mumbai.

Trauma Relief for Mumbai Citizens

2008-12-03T21:20:00.000-08:00

Please pass on this message to your near and dear ones in Mumbai:

Art of Living is conducting FREE trauma relief sessions for all those affected by the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

There are 2 locations in South Mumbai (Bombay) where they are being held and the details are as under:

1) Peddar Road - Starts today - Wednesday, Dec 3 2008; Address: 502 Prabhukunj (this is 3 buildings after Cadbury House, going towards Jaslok) - Contact person - Nanda Botadkar - her cell is 98203 42276. Each class for an hour; Session timings: Morning - 9am, 10 am, 11 am, 12 pm and Evening - 4pm, 5pm, 6pm and 7pm

2) Badhwar Park (Colaba) - from 4th to 6th Dec - 3 day course of 1 hour each day; 2 batches per day, 6.30 am and 7.30 am..One could join any one batch - Contact person - Anand Beria - Cell - 9819089071

Please spread message around to anyone you know may be in need. It may change somebody's life or put somebody's back on track ASAP.

-------------------------------------------

The Art of Living Foundation is conducting trauma care and counseling sessions,
following the recent terror attacks in Mumbai.
For Helpline numbers: +91-9821620948, +91-9967477004, +91-9820612152

H. H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will conduct a special prayer, pranayama and meditation session for all
Mumbaikars at Priyadarshini Park & Sports Complex, Nepean Sea Road on Dec. 6 at
6:30 pm.

Join us in our quest to create a peaceful, stress-free society.

For more details visit http://www.artofliving.org/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

Terrorism: The Cause and the Remedy

2008-12-01T23:34:00.000-08:00

By H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Cross posting from : http://bawandinesh.name/

The act which is only destructive and inflicts suffering both on oneself and others is terrorism. In such an act, human values are lost in the process of achieving a goal.

Some of the factors that lead to terrorism are:
- Frustration and desperation to achieve a goal
- Confused emotion
- Shortsightedness and Impulsive action
- Belief in a non-verifiable concept of heaven and merit; a childish concept of God favoring some and angry at others, thereby undermining the omniscience and omnipotence of the Divine.

Terrorism induces fear psychosis in all, increases poverty, suffering and loss of life with no apparent gains. Instead of solutions the terrorist looks for destruction as an answer. If you simply criticize without giving a solution, know that this criticism comes from the same seed as terrorism!

Although there are certain qualities you can appreciate in a terrorist such as:

* Fearlessness
* Commitment to a goal
* Sacrifice

You will have to learn from them things that you should never do:

* Valuing some ideas and concepts more than life.
* Having a narrow perspective of life and dishonoring its diversity.

The Remedy for terrorism is:

* Inculcate a broader perspective of life — value life more than race, religion and nationality.
* Educate people in human values – friendliness, compassion, cooperation and upliftment.
* Teach methods to release stress and tension.
* Cultivate confidence in achieving noble aims by peaceful and nonviolent means.
* Create spiritual upliftment which can weed out destructive tendencies.

The bottom up approach

2008-11-30T08:08:00.001-08:00

In the last post I talked about the bottom up approach to clean up the system. Here I would like to go beyond just INDIA or any nation for that matter, to reach out the world as a whole.

We always say about stopping terrorism. But by this time every one have understand that its not an easy task as the root cause is not under control/territory. Even if the PAK Govt wants to stop supporting terrorism and the outfits that attempt to spread terrorism, they will not be able to stop this completely. The roots of terrorism have reached far deeper than we can think of. Children are being brain washed right from their childhood. Hence their way of thinking can not be stopped by force, it can only be suppressed for the time being. To eliminate this ideology completely, a gradual way which works on the core of the humanity is to be followed. This is a long term and slow process. You need a lot of patience but the fruits are definitely sweet.

The way to go about is by spreading LOVE through the path of spirituality. Don't mix spirituality with religion, which is were many people go wrong. When asked to His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar about the difference between spirituality and religion, he replied "Spirituality is the banana pulp and religion is the banana peel". Under the name of religion some of the wrong activities are spread but remember the core is still intact. We only need to throw away the rotten outer cover and the inner core will start shinning and will spread the message of LOVE and COMPASSION. The very nature of human being is LOVE and COMPASSION. All the other are temporary and can be removed with an intend to do so. There are many spiritual organization which attempt to do that and I am proud to be associated with one such organization which thinks globally when it comes to spirituality and its benefits.

To give a few examples, two of the terrorists from Kashmir are now The Art of Living (AOL) teachers. They are spreading this message of LOVE and even conducting the course in bunkers where the terrorist hide. Two is a small number but remember this is a non-zero start which will improve over the time. In another example, during the Iraq war, when the whole world was moving out of Iraq, few Art of Living teachers were send to Iraq to conduct the trauma relief operations and the Art of Living courses. I know one of the teachers very well and have heard his experiences. During the war time, these people were in Iraq for 18 months and they helped so many people during their crisis time. Today few Iraqi citizens are AOL teachers and have started to spread the message of LOVE throughout Iraq.

A very high dose of LOVE needs to be given to hardcore people but remember we also need it. We too have so much of hatred inside us. We hate some of our friends, relatives for very very small incidents. Friendships/relationships are broken for really stupid reasons, many a times due to misunderstanding and we keep that in our heart till we die. There is no need to do so, just drop it. Looks simple to read/write and let me tell you, is equally simple to implement. You can just start NOW. Pick up your phone and call a friend/relative whom you have not talked with for some time, for what every bitter reasons. Call up and start talking. No sorry, no thank you. Just a clean new start as if nothing happened. And you will be surprised to see your face happy, like never before.

If every one is centered with LOVE and COMPASSION, the whole world is going to be a heaven. We all can be part of it with a bit of contribution from every one of us. Stop pointing fingers to others and start getting into action every now and then and in few years from now we will be living in a world FULL OF LOVE.

United, here we stand!

2008-11-29T09:07:00.000-08:00

Any crisis always gets people together forgetting their personal issues. The Mumbai terror attack is also one such situation, uniting people of not only Mumbai but entire INDIA to come together and stand united.

To any situation like this, there are various types of responses required:
1) Immediate response: This type of response is to counter-act the situation. For this there is a need of disaster management system, which can react immediately to any situation. INDIA has this only on paper.
2) Mid-term response: Here all the related system are strengthened so that the planning of the attacks itself is intercepted , generally by the intelligence and other agencies, to guard the nation. INDIA has them all, scattered here and there with no proper communication between them.
3) Long term strategy: This is a very important aspect which is totally ignored in INDIA. Unless we strength the whole system/society bottom-up, every tremor is going to shake the whole structure. Hence its very important to increase the awareness amongst the people by having higher literacy level and bringing them up to the level where their VIVEKA is awakened. This might takes decades to see fruits but that is a key to have long term solution to any problem. Terrorism is just an instance which attempts to attack the system. Take what ever instances of distraction, if the basic system is solid, nothing can shake the nation.

If you ask yourself this question, "How many BAD people do you know?", I am sure the number will ZERO. So, by and large we can say that there are extremely small number of BAD people. Even then BAD people are able to make noise and disturb the GOOD people. The reason being, BAD people don't think, they only ACT. But good people think, and think, and think and NEVER ACT. Time has come for the GOOD people to ACT, and ACT NOW. Just imagine if GOOD people start making noise, how loud will it be.

We always point fingers to the system because thats much easier than saying I am also part of it. That is why we always blame the system and get away. But remember, we are the first element of that system. We want to change every thing but our own attitude. So, let us first change ourselves and then eventually the system will change/improve on its own.

Where are we moving to?

2008-10-21T19:59:00.000-07:00

Opened google news today morning and saw the news of Chandrayaan and Raj Thakre. One toward the progress of INDIA and another just the opposite, a politically motivated, selfish move. Where are we moving to?

Whats the solution to these selfish moves which leads to tremendous financial loss and also some poor lives. Who is responsible for this? Is Raj going to compensate for all this?

Its a very unhappy state of affairs in the largest democrossy of the world. This has been happening for years and will keep happening.

Review: Hotel Chetana, Kala Ghoda

2008-09-19T04:01:00.000-07:00

I had been to Chetana Veg. Restaurant @ Kala Ghoda last month. It is located close to Prince of Wales Museum, Opposite Jehangir Art Gallery and is within walking distance from Westside Store. It was established in 1946 as a sandwich/coffee corner and currently serves Marathi/Rajasthani food along with Thali and buffet. I had heard a lot about this hotel from my friends and the IIT connection, so was always curious visiting it.

The ambiance of the hostel was good. A person was singing a birth day song, along with guitar, near one of the table. The singer was standing close to the table and singing and hence had a very personal touch but at the same time for people like us, it was a strict no no.

We were four people and selected a corner table. The menu included variety of items, mostly Marathi and Rajasthani. We were not very hungry and hence had a small order consisting of Dal-Bati, Baingan Bharta, Fulka Roti, Bharki, Bajre ki Roti. All the items were good in taste and had that typcial Marathi/Rajasthani taste, although not spicy as general Rajasthani dishes are. The ghee and gud were a delight on the bhakari. The bill also was under Rs. 500/-, which was a surprise for all of us.

All the main Marathi items and sweets are on the menu. I don't know much of Rajasthani items, but must be there. The service is pretty fast and over all behaviour of the staff is good and helpful. They even served us only two pieces of Bati (half plate) in the next round.

One of the key element of any public place is the availability and cleanliness of the toilets. The toilet there was under renovation and hence was in poor state but I hope will be up to the standards after the repair work is done.

Ratings:
Ambiance: ***
Service: ****
Food : ****
Value for Money: ****

Suicide

2008-09-18T22:37:00.000-07:00

A topic on which I always wanted to write and also knew that its very difficult. Luckily Bawa has posted a nice article on this topic and every one must go through it :
Blog on Suicide by BAWA .

The second article by Ashwani, which I like because of its reasoning, is also a must read.
Permanent solution to temporary problem
.

Sandeep

Chutki

2008-09-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

I got promoted this week and now no more the youngest member of the family. My bhabhi gave birth to a baby girl this week. Happy moments in the family. Every one rejoicing, distributing sweets, taking snaps, and all that.

She is so cute and so small that I feared to take control of her. Just touched her and she is so soft-soft. Eyes wide open, open mouth, long fingers, big nose are all the special effects.

Till my niece gets an official name, I named her Chutki :)

Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven, but Nobody Wants to Die

2008-09-09T19:47:00.001-07:00

I read this slogan on a T-shirt in the hostel mess and that touched my heart immediately. It touched my heart and not the intellect as I had gone through two bad news in the recent past. First, suicide of one of my very close friend, who had called me up a week before he committed suicide and second, death of a close relative.
Being away from my home since last 8 years, I only get death news but never was part of any cremation process. Hence although I knew death is certain, I hardly had the realization about it.

The realization that death is certain has changed the whole perspective for me। Last week I had been to ICICI bank and a couple was demanding, very furiously, an apology letter from the bank manager. The statement I overheard was "You don't know with whom you are talking" and the first thought that came to my mind was that they are not going to carry the apology letter with them after they die. I kept smiling at the whole incidence and was watching the couple how they were reacting to the whole incidence. I don't know what exactly happened before I reached there but in any case the way apology was asked for, was a fun to watch. It reminded me of many knowledge points that I learned over my one year of The Art of Living life. Finally the couple asked the concerned person (who might have mis-behaved with them earlier or like that) to sign the letter and the couple left the bank. I thought for a moment, what they will they do with that letter? A photo frame put up in office or home, or in the Devghar at home. What will they do about it? Finally its just to satisfy their EGO, nothing else. I even thought that in case I am in similar situation and I ask for an apology letter, how am I going to react. The immediate answer was to tear it off, may be in front of the person itself. Now if I am going to tear it off then why ask for it. Well, the whole exercise is for that person to realize his/her mistake and not to satisfy my EGO. Tearing in front of the person, I will tell the person to understand the mistake and learn from it and forget about the whole episode. All said and done, its easy to write here, or may be, think while observing others, and difficult to be aware at the very moment when its required.

The other realization is more on the spiritual front. In spirituality, it is believed that you are immortal. Birth and death processes are just like changing clothes. You are not dying, its just that you have completed your part of the journey here and you are moving on to the next one. Its as good as we coming to this college, completing your karma/dharma here and then passing out. You feel bad or little sad while leaving but then the thought that you are moving on makes you happy. If the same analogy is applied to the death process, all the close ones will not feel that deep shock. It is true that the close ones are going to feel that void due the absence of their dear one, with whom they had been sharing their thoughts for so long, were partying, eating, etc. But then that person was to die, today or tomorrow. With this realization the sorrow will reduce and even the death can be celebrated.

To me birth is the start of life on this planet and death is end of it. If I am born, then death is certain. On my death, I would like people to celebrate than mourn, just as they celebrated my birth. People should have satsangs, sing, dance, and yes, definitely have Natural ICE cream on the 13th or 14th day to make me even more happy.

Life is a celebration, death can also be.

PS: In the first para I said that the slogan touched my heart and not the intellect because when some thing touches your intellect, you ask questions but when it touches your heart, you accept it from with in and wonder about its beauty.

You may be implicated as a thief if ...

2008-09-03T11:14:00.000-07:00

Reproduced from : http://www.angelfire.com/realm/shades/ganesh/storybirthday.htm

It was Ganesh's birthday and he had been invited for dinner at a devotee's house.

Ganesh had a very heavy meal and was returning home on his mouse, when a snake crossed their path. Seeing this, the mouse got very frightened and ran away, in the process felling Ganesh. Ganesh fell and his stomach, which was very full, burst open. Seeing this the moon burst out laughing. Ganesh felt very humiliated, so he killed the snake and tied it around his stomach. He then gave chase to the moon who ran for his life. The moon managed to evade Ganesh and hid in his palace. Ganesh soon came there and stood guard outside, telling the moon, "Where will you go now? You have to come out sooner or later and then I'll take my revenge". It became very dark, as the moon refused to come out. This resulted in chaos on earth. The gods went and pled with Ganesh to free the moon. Ganesh finally relented and let the moon come out, but cursed him saying, " You hid in your house like a thief. Therefore, anybody who sees you on my birthday, will be implicated as a thief".

This is the reason why we are not supposed to look at the moon on the auspices of Ganesh Chaturthi. This was also the reason why Shri Krishna was accused of stealing the Shymantaka gem.

Ganeshotsav Special: How it started?

2008-09-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

It was in 1893, freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak started public Ganeshotsav (सार्वज़्नीक गणेशोत्सव) as a mean to unite people against the Britishers. Before that it was celebrated only as a family festival. The public celebrations also had people perform and various artists showing their talent.

Its more than 100 years now and things have changed a lot. In old days, small amount of money (वर्गनी) used to be collected from all and every thing was managed in that. Local people used to work hard, set some play and perform. But now its all commercialization happening. Money comes as sponsorship, people are forced to give more and more money and professionals from outside are invited to perform. The decoration is awesome but very costly. Things are also being controlled by the political parties or underworld.

I remember, back in late 1980s, when I was a kid, Ganeshotsav used to be all fun. When I was in 4th std, in Nagpur, I participated in a play as a lead character. The play used to involve all the small children of our locality and hence the play of 5 characters used to have at least 30 performers. Used to be all fun. Each dialogue being split into one sentence by one kid. Being all kids zone, the whole locality used to enjoy it. On the last day, we also got the consolation prize for participation. I even danced with a girl who was in 7th std. That was my first and last dance performance in public.

Next year I moved to a new locality and it was the first time our locality was having Ganeshotsav. All happy moments, I did well in most of the competitions: sports, literature etc. I used to be a start performer there in my age group and used to very happy on the last day to get so many prizes.

It was only in my first year of engineering that I got an opportunity to handle the sports division, which included all the competitions right from sports, to literature, to cultural. I still remember fighting with my elders, double my age, on an issue about giving first prize to two people who have got equal marks by the judges or arbitrarily giving one person the first and the other second. As the budget was low, every year they used to give only one first prize and of course then you can choose who can be the first. I made sure that the prizes are given to both the participants with no partiality. The end result: people felt that justice was done to their talent and there was no result which was managed, as used to be previously. I was happy that I was part of the system cleaning process in a small way.

Those were my first lessons of organization skills and I cherish them a lot.

The coolest APS

2008-08-31T10:58:00.000-07:00

APS -> Annual Progress Seminar
In IIT, all the PhD students need to present their work once a year, and its called APS.

APS time is never cool in IIT. At least was not till last three years but this time I had totally different experience.

It was as usual,10 days before my APS, nothing ready with me. Yet to start the report. APS scheduled on 20th and on 10th morning I was yet to start the report. The emergency was declared and I had to option but to get down to the reality and work hard. Ya, work hard, easy work not done on time. And this is the perfect definition in such situations. I guess in IIT, we all do hard work :).

I also rememberd Gandhiji's statment "Today I am so busy that I need to meditate for two hours instead of 1 hour". I had heard of this so many times and that you need to be cool when it matters and all that but never could experience it. As I was all f***ed up, I thought of going the cool way and decided to meditate at least twice daily. I do mediate daily, with out fail, for about 30 mins. I increased it to regular 30 mins once, and added 20 mins each twice daily and what I saw was Gandhiji's statement coming into reality.

I was cool and calm throughout the day. Inspite of not having made much progress in the report, I could remain silent in the mind and all this resulted in a much better first draft which I submitted to my guide. Unfortunately, it was too late for him to review and hence I was my own reviewer and to my great surprize, it was not at all a bad draft. In the past, my first draft used to be really really bad and used to get lot of (bad) comments.

With my own review I improved the APS report. Even changed the way I presented my results and again submitted the second draft to my guide and the same result, no review by my guide. He even gave me a go ahead to submit the report. Again, I had to review my own report, and correct it. This time also, the quality of the writing was much better than I though I could write. One of my RPC members reads the report completely and had no negative comment ( as was last year) and the report was also send to my collaborator in Denmark who has commented that the report is well written. So, I am happy that it was read by some one :) compared to many cases where no one even opens it, forget about reading it.

Looking back, I thought its the way I could keep my mind so stable even during the tense period. The quality of the work/output improves if the mind is at rest and I was able to do that. As a preparation for this I attened the Art of Living advanced course in the first week of August and that paid off more than what I could expect.

The second aspect was blogging. When I write the blog, no one reviews it for me. I have to read it so many times and make sure that I am able to convey what I want to convey and that to precisely the same idea/concept. This has improved my writing skills and now I am scanning my blogs just once, to correct a few things. In all my writing skills are improving and the same is also visible in my technical writing.

So, if not doing already, start meditating and blogging :). Need any help, contact me for the first and google for the second.

Thanks to BAWA, who's blog inspired me to start my own blog. Those inpsired by my blog, chain goes up to BAWA :).

Contribute to the society, e-way.

2008-08-31T10:51:00.000-07:00

You can contribute, sitting on the comp. Just do the needful, explained below.

Cross positing from BAWA's blog: AMEX and Art of Living

Here is the post, reproduced for you.

Hi everyone
Jai Gurudeva!

All of us could potentially see to it that a nice partnership can be formed between AMEX and Art of Living... read on...

AMEX (American Express) has offered USD$2.5 million for a Service project that will be chosen among many that people all over have put up on their website... The process of choosing is simple... people vote, the top 25 projects will be reviewed and considered for the grant... There are many interesting projects out there... AND Art of Living has 2 projects, who need votes to get into the top 25 (about 600 votes away)... i would prefer them to get into the top 5 :) (about 4000 votes away)

Could whoever reading this please goto their site and vote for these 2 projects?

You can sign in as a card member if you own an AMEX card, or you can sign in as a guest as well... and you can do so anonymously too!

So please, take a few minutes out and go vote for these projects... btw, you can vote for multiple projects, so if any other catches your eye, feel free to vote for those as well :)

Voting stops on Monday the 1st of September, so PLEASE do it now!! :)

here is what you do:

1. Click the links below
2. SIGN in either using your American Express Card Membership or as a guest. (When u click the link below, a window opens and bottom right there's guest signup, go signup and assign yourself a screen name)
3. Once you have registered,window automatically opens to the project selected. Click the Nomination Button. Thats it!

Jharkhand Tribal Project

End Gang and Youth violence in California

Once you have done it, PLEASE leave a comment here to let me know that you did it :)

Also get friends, relatives, family, etc to do it... It will be great if Art of Living can have a partnership with AMEX to do the fantastic work that it is anyways doing!

Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa

BlogDay

2008-08-31T10:39:00.000-07:00

Today, August 31, is the blog day. So, this blog. I will put my blogging experiences here.

My blogging started one Sunday morning when I woke up and felt like writing some thing. And here is the results, my first blog. That is one of my best blogs. This blog inspired many people to write/restart their blogs and I am happy that I could be some where part of it. I am not sure what exactly inspired them but as long as the results are positive I need not worry.

Then came Life is a template , another blog which I personally liked very much. This was read and explained to my parents by my brother and sister in a family get-together. This also gave a hint to my parents that I may not follow the template and hence they might be better prepared for whats coming up to them soon. I hope this will ease my work during my Diwali vacation.

On the blog day, do post some thing :). Visit: http://www.blogday.org/

Are these in your fruit basket yet?

2008-08-27T00:18:00.000-07:00

We all know that fruits are good for health. Fruits provide vitamins, minerals and energy. Fruits have to be a part of your daily diet. But do you know what fruits are absolute must-haves in your fruit basket? Experts have listed the following five as the 'best' in terms of health benefits.

By Sugatha Menon

Guava: (Amrud in Hindi. Peru in Marathi): This is the uncrowned king of the fruit basket. We are lucky that being a tropical fruit, guavas are available almost throughout the year in our country. A guava tree is one of the most common fruit tress growing in many a backyard. Even in a concrete jungle like Mumbai, one frequently comes across guava trees. Why is guava the star? Recent reports suggest that guavas are packed with anti-oxidant properties and are abundant in Vitamin C. In fact it is said that it beats other fruits hollow when it comes to Vitamin C. Guavas are also the richest in fibre and have age and inflammation fighting properties. Not surprising then that this fruit is the top chartbuster here!

Lychee: Lychees are beautiful to look at, and taste great too. But did you know that just three lychees can meet a third of your Vitamin C requirement of the day? 100 gms of fresh lychees gives you 72 mg of Vitamin C. Other good points of lychees include copper, potassium and riboflavin. Avoid lychee juices and stick to the whole fruit.

Papaya: Another one from the wonder fruits stable. Papayas are wonderful for your skin as they help you fight wrinkles. Vitamin C, folate and potassium are present in papayas. Papayas contain papain, a natural digestive aid, which helps to cleanses the digestive track. Other nutrients include Vitamin A, E and carotenoids and lycopene. In comparison to an orange papaya has 13 times more Vitamin C and 50 times more potassium and four times more Vitamin E than oranges and apples. All this at a lower calorie count.

Banana: Easy to afford and easily available, bananas are a universal favourite. Quick to digest, bananas come with a host of vitamins, A, B, C and also calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and zinc. Experts say that the fiber in a banana is good for your heart. People suffering from acidity are often asked to consume bananas, as they are said to protect from stomach ulcers. Raw bananas are also used in Indian cooking and are high in iron content.

Pomegranate: Red wine and green tea are said to be high in anti-oxidants. But did you know that the content of anti-oxidants in pomegranates are almost three times higher! So next time say 'cheers' with pomegranate juice. Also indulging in this juice frequently is extremely beneficial for your heart and it cuts down the risk of artery clogging. Additionally they contain Vitamin B, C, calcium and phosphorous. It also contains a powerful agent that helps fight against prostrate cancer. It is also said to be effective against anaemia, intestinal parasite irritation, piles, asthma, diarrhoea, morning sickness and poor appetite.

Google knol

2008-07-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

Google too wanted to celebrate my birth day and hence released Google knol (a unit of knowledge). It struck me immediately as I was looking for similar tool to make my GateGenie book public. Well, GateGenie is a book for Computer Science GATE preparation. As I am growing old, I am finding it difficult to keep the book updated and hence wanted a platform where I can upload the book and then the users can comment/update which I can moderate. WIKIBOOK was one of the options but then I loose the control and no revenue once I make it public.

It is one page knowledge that one can share with others. You are the author of the page. You can invite collaborator/reviewers etc. There are three levels of licenses (open, non-commercial, copyright) and three levels of collaborations (open, restricted, closed). In the restricted mode of collaboration registered uses can suggest changes to be approved by the author which is a very useful way. You can also earn using google adsense. Adsense was one of the feature I was looking for and I got peacefully. In addition it also has Name Verification option which if done will put a seal against the knol/author. This way the reader will be sure of the identity of the author.

As its recently released, only few articles, mostly in medical science are available as beta release. But I guess with Google's aggressive way, the tool is going to rock. In all, a cool too if it satisfies your requirements. In my case, it is perfect.

Village, Thane

2008-07-26T06:23:00.000-07:00

I had been to Village, Eternity Mall, Teen Haath Naka, Thane for my V3.0 treat with close ones. We were welcomed with a stamp (like a pub) and Tilak. I was happy to see a true village like environment along with a good variety of food. I had walked about 2KM due to unavailability of the auto rickshaw, so was ready have blast at all the food items around.

The ambiance was excellent. All people over there were in Rajasthani clothing. The water is served in small glasses which are typical in tea-stalls in villages. Even the welcome drink, Chaas and sugarcane juice was served in similar small glasses. That set up the perfect mood for all of us. We jumped in for starters, Aalu (अळु)chi Wadi, पकोडे. They were good and then for a change, we shifted our gear to desserts and had Keshar Milk, Gulab Jamun, and Moong ka Halwa.Desserts were far below expectations :( .

As I was celebrating my B'day, the cake cutting was with LIVE song. After all cutting/eating, we also danced on few LIVE numbers and that was really refreshing. That enhanced our enthusiasm and we were all waiting for the grand food items. There were Punjabi, Marwadi, Gujrati stalls along with routine Chaat, Fruits, Desserts ,etc. All this with the live songs sung by village artists, Puppet show, Astrologer and the Tarot Reader.

We started with all favorite Dal-Baati but that crossed our all expectations downward and we just could not have it. Next we went for Gujrati food but again nothing up to the mark. Even Kaju-Karela had Kishmish in it which completely made it taste horrible. Some sweetness in between ruined my Karela dish. The other items were also not at all up to the mark. Gujrati Khichadi and Kadhi were so so and we had to be happy with that only. To end our food journey, we had ICE gola and kulfi.

In all, the ambiance is very good but food is not at all up to the mark. Its a good place to spend time in a big group of 10+ people but if you are looking for good food, there are lot many other options

Ratings:
Ambiance: *****
Service: ****
Food : *
Value for Money: **

Start Investing NOW

2008-07-01T02:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Amey, I started investing monthly in Mutual Funds since last August. I wanted to do that since long but was procrastinating it for long, almost 2 years. I invested about 20K in one year which thanks to inflation is worth little less than that.

My advise to all those who have just entered into their PhD life and also to others, start investing NOW. With increased stipend, save at least 20% of the stipend. Ask some one if you are not aware of investment methods. In simple case, if you avoid investing, at the end of 5 years, you will have nothing with you. Now, suppose you start investing say 3K per month, i.e. 36K per annum, you will save 1,80,000/- in 5 years and if you book a profit of 20%, which is quite common, you will earn about 85,000, which adds up to 2,60,000/-. So, if a new PhD student starts investing right from day one, he can save up to 2,60,000/- by the time he passes out.

You may claim that you don't have any money to invest, don't worry, that will be the case even if you invest or don't. Had I not started investing last year, I am sure I would have just smoked that money some where in shopping or eating out.

So, what you waiting for? Start Investing NOW :)

Life is a template

2008-06-16T02:05:00.000-07:00

My discussion with Ayush started with the context that I met my fourth close friend who had his first child within first year of marriage. All the four are financially well off but I could not figure what made them take this step of getting into parenthood so fast. In my personal opinion, the newly wed couple should spend some time together to understand each other and then plan to extend the family. In all these cases, technically speaking, there was hardly any time spent with that awareness of knowing each other.

So, the discussion went in the direction that why should they wait any further if they can financially afford to have a child. A very valid point but then what is the hurry to have a child so soon?

So if we look at life of a typical person right from the birth, it will more or less follow a template: You are born. You start schooling at the age of three, study in primary school, middle school, high school, slog for SSC and then HSC, enter into engineering/medical college, do lukkhagiri for most of the time, study during the exam period, crack the exams, land up with a good job in the placements, join the company, get married. Once financial stability is achieved, get into parenthood, get involved in the up bringing of your child, make sure the child gets good schooling, completes his degree, and gets married, become grandparent... The story continues and finally one fine day you die.

Have you noticed, for most of the people this is a typical case. One thing logically leads to another. There is no deviation from this template of life. The moment one things is complete, the next logical step is taken. There is no thought process while taking the next step. It just happens. So once the education is over, the next logical step is to join the job. After a some time in job, the next logical step is to get married, and further have children. So, there is hardly any thought process that is needed. Just live the life like a template and follow it. The life will be simple to live. Nothing much to take decision about. You are happy, your parents happy, and all others are also happy.

A careful understanding of this concept answered my question in the first para. It just follows :). Now if we look at the life of people who are doing some thing different in their life, we will see that they are forced to take decisions at every step in their life. One step does not lead to the next local step and that makes their life full of decisions as well as uncertainty. Sometimes they might be labeled as poor decision makers as some of their decisions are proved to be wrong but that is because they have taken that step to go out of the template and create their own life pattern. Like doing some thing is better than doing nothing, taking a wrong decision is better than taking no decision. And the highly successful people will mostly fall in this category who defy the template.

So, next time you take a decision in life, be aware if that is a standard template decision or a non-template one.

(This post is the outcome of my discussion with Ayush Choure. The theme is mainly developed by him during our discussion.)

मराठी बाणा (Marathi Bana)

2008-05-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

Got a chance to watch मराठी बाणा (Marathi Baana), a cultural orchestra by Mr. Ashok Hande of Chaurang group. It was one of the best live performances I have ever seen. Every thing seems to be perfect in terms of production, lights, execution. A team of around 125 people perform with sheer perfection and coordination. Its a fast track show and always keeps you interested in the show.

The singing and dancing performances are excelling. No margin of error . Very enthusiastic. The performers are not doing for the sake of doing it. Every one puts his/her 100% and feels like they are part of that moment and this gives an altogether different smile on the face of the audience.

The show covers how Marathi people celebrated festivals/functions like Diwali, New Years (Gudhi Padawa), Dahi Handi, Marriage etc. The drunk man (बेवडा ) in the marriage is excellent. The way he is handled during the marriage is amazing. Those who have seen how the drunk people behave and are handled especially in villages during such functions, can appreciate it ( I have see it ;) ). Also, if there are 50 performers on the stage, each one will have his/her role at every instance and you need to watch all of them. Every detail is taken care of. And thats what makes it an excellent performance.

The show covers most of the cultural aspects of Marathi junta. The history and geography is well covered. But I feel they have missed out on the cultural aspects of entire Maharashtra. Its mostly Mumbai-Pune-Konkan region based. No attempt to touch Marathwada, Vidarbha etc. Powada is also surprisingly missing in the play.

Language is no bar for this orchestra. Any non-marathi person can also enjoy it. Infact we had one Bong person with us and she liked it very much. Its more of an experience to watch the show than describing it here. I got 100 times more satisfaction than what I expected and guarantee that the same will happen with you also.

Lust

2008-05-16T04:58:00.000-07:00

Lust is any intense desire or craving for self gratification and excitement (wikipedia).

Lust is in general thought to be associated only with sex but thats a very limited viewpoint. The definition above is generic enough to include lot many things. So what all can be included in lust? Take a break off and think of all the incidences/things which make you crave for it, especially for your own gratification.

Is craving for Cigarette, Alcohol lust? Can anxiety of Tea/Coffee be considered as lust? Is wanting to talk with some one for long, day in - day out, be looked in as lust? Things will vary from person to person, but its important to be aware of them.

After understanding your short comings, its important to act on them. In this scenario, the simplest act that you need to perform is not to perform that act. This will need very high commitment from your side. In spite of you wanting to avoid the act, you will not be able to avoid it. Don't get dishearted. Try again. Some time down the line you will be able to have that commitment and the awareness to drop the cravings created within you. Experience it for yourself!

Add value in a Friendship

2008-05-11T22:50:00.000-07:00

Friendship is a term used to denote co-operative and supportive behavior between two or more humans (from wikipedia).

There are two keywords, co-operation and support, that form the core of the definition. Friendship is not just about staying together or spending time together. For a long term friendship the co-operation and the support of each other is a must.

If you look in the history of your friend circle, you will notice that your friends with whom you used to spend a lot of time are no longer your friends but those few, with whom you had spent very little time are still your long term friends. For some friends you just say a hello and move on, for others you want to talk, for at least a minute, even if you are in a hurry. What is the difference between these two categories of friends? What makes the second category so special to you?

If you look back, you will notice that you have that special connection with the second category of friends. This connection is due to your past experience when they have added some value to your life, to your discussion, to your happiness, to take you out of your misery, or some thing like that. At some point in your life they had contributed positively and hence knowingly or unknowingly you tend to feel that special connection with them.

And YES, you can be that special one for so many others. People will be looking forward to meeting you and get that warmth from you and feel happy about it. Your happiness will also be elevated as there is no better satisfaction than being instrument for other's happiness. To achieve this you will need that frame of mind where you are coming out of your own world, your own benefits and start thinking about others. How can you contribute to other's life. Every small action that you make should be with an attitude to help others, to make them happy, and to show them the right direction. Practice this for some time and you will understand the depth of the point discussed here.

Life is wonderful if you know how to live

2008-04-30T22:31:00.000-07:00

God : Hello. Did you call me?

Me: Called you? No.. who is this?

God : This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.

Me: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in the midst of something.

God : What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.

Me: Don't know. But I can't find free time. Life has become hectic. It's rush hour all the time.

God : Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.

Me: I understand. But I still can't figure out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.

God : Well I wanted to resolve your! fight for time, by giving you some clarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.

Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?

God : Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.

Me: why are we then constantly unhappy?

God : Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. That's why you are not happy.

Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?

God : Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.

Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty. .

God : Pain is inevitable able, but suffering is optional.

Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?

God : Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don't suffer. With that experience their life become better not bitter.

Me: You mean to say such experience is useful?

God : Yes. In every terms, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.

Me: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why cant we be free from problems?

God : Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons (to) Enhance Mental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you! are free from problems.

Me: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't know where we are heading..

God : If you look outside you will not know where you are heading.Look inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.

Me: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?

God : Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.

Me: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

God : Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

Me: What surprises you about people?

God : when they suffer they ask, "why me?" When they prosper, they never ask "Why me" Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want to be on the side of the truth.

Me: Sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here. I cant get the answer.

God : Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life is not a process of discovery but a process of creation.

Me: How can I get the best out of life?

God : Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

Me: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

God : There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.

Me: Thank you for this wonderful chat.

God : Well. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Don't believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs. Life is a mystery to solve not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live. "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that took our breath away!

(I am not the author of this text. Its a forwarded mail, worth sharing.)

Getting Married? How to deal your parents

2008-04-19T22:31:00.000-07:00

Some time back, Anjali (name changed) told me about her marriage proposal with a high rank govt. officer. The dowry demanded was about 12-15 lakhs. Anjali, a modern Indian girl was against this but her parents were in favor of dowry. The issue was not limited just to dowry but had gone beyond to the communication gap between Anjali and her parents. Anjali is very clear that she does not want to be a commodity object and was in no mode to listen to her parents. Her parents, who have seen many more rainy seasons than Anjali were not able to absorb this sudden shock and refused to re-think about the dowry issue. This lead to a situation where no one wants to listen to the other person and every one thinks and he/she is correct and what the other person is thinking is a real bullshit.

Some of the points I made during the discussion are noted here.

Anjali needs to understand few things

Parents have always been in their social shell. They have lived always in an environment where dowry is accepted. So, no dowry is something which they can't imagine. They have a very high peer pressure also. So, give them some time to come out of it.
Her parents are still working on 1970's technology in 2008. So, its difficult to adjust to new thoughts.
After all they are your parents. Their objective is to see you happy. You also wan to be happy. So the destination is the same only only the paths are different. If you understand this, lot of issues/communication gap etc can be solved. The objective then becomes to convenience the parents to choose the path that you want. Most of the cases, it is thought that the destinations are different.

Although I talked about dowry here, the points raised are the same when ever it comes to arranged marriage of a girl. Especially when the girl is well learned, have her own opinions, wants to build her career, and demands equality. I have seen many such cases and I know its very difficult situation to be in, either as a child or as parents. There is a major communication failure that leads to one party finally giving up (and most of the times, the girl), and getting married to a person who she thinks is not at all a good match for her.

DOs and DON'T

Be polite when ever you are talking with your parents on any issue. This is where many people go wrong. At the same time be clear and confident in what ever you say.
Don't force your parents to accept your views. Put your views for their review. Ask them to think over it for some time and let you know. This may not get you any where but at least they will be of the opinion that you are respecting them.
Make them feel that you are listening to their views also. Get some time to think and negate their views.
Most of the time these conversation are done on phone. Avoid that. If possible, talk one to one. This is where your character will be tested. Go ahead, and take the challenge.
After all this, you most probably will have to take a hard stand. Be skillful. Make them aware that they are still working on 1970's technology.
Catch your close relatives who might be of your opinion and can tell this to your parents. Again don't say bad about your parents to them. Be sure, they are close to your parents than you. So they won't like you making any such comments. Just make them aware of the issue and request them to have a chat with your parents, preferably in your presence.
If nothing works out, have the guts to take your independent decision, against your parents. For this, you will need to take control of your life and will have to be responsible for what ever happens in your life. If you are self reliable, doing this should not be a big problem. By this I mean, search your own partner and get happily married to him :)

Finally, I wish all the best to all the Anjalis who are going through similar cases. Be brave!