Does the time stand still for some?

Posted on December 18, 2014 by sarikananda

A common advice that you often hear is to move on.  Move on, man!  Move on, girl!  Just move on.  Is it as simple?  Are we actually able to move on?  Does moving on really ease the pain?  When is moving on difficult?  Why is it comforting not to leave that space ever?

A girl found her soulmate, and lived a dream for almost six years.  That dream left behind so many sweet memories, loads of respect, love, and tangibles like, children, a whole set of friends, awards, and much more.  Almost nineteen years hence, she seemed to have stood frozen in time, though life had merrily moved on.  Everything thence seemed only an extension of that point in time.  All her memories were made of only the dream she lived, and had no room for the new events.  Moving on did not seem feasible and did not work.  It was, as if she was attached to an elastic chord pulling her.  She tried to pull away but was snapped back into the same mould with even greater force.

Time does stand still, at times.  Life may seem to be moving on.  Yet, a part of you cannot move past.  There are always new memories, new events, and proudest moments; however, there is a feeling of living an extension of the life left behind.  Imagine a part of your soul, or a part of your personality splitting-off.  Now, think of that split part rooted at one point, watching the other part go on in life.  Imagine that you are having an out-of-body experience and the split part is the soul hovering above, watching your other half go on.  When you are with the set of friends from your past, you can actually feel both parts of your soul merging.  However, do you often wonder if you still belong?  Those friends have grown too, had a life, and have acquired additional memories in that life which is no longer yours.  Do you not get a mixed feeling of being one of them, yet not belong?  Was it a wrong choice to spend the next nineteen years living those six years?  What would be the answer if you do not regret even a single moment or a single choice you made?  Should you have regrets?  Is a new life possible for those who find no reason or the will to let go?  If there are no regrets, and life is as good as it gets, then should there be any need to let go.  Is life good as it is?  Is there a hint of void, veiled by smiles?  Does a tinge of envy never creep in?

There are questions aplenty.  The most endowed wonder too.  Understandably, life is about mulling and expecting more.  The girl of that story may have momentary periods of disquiet, but I am sure that she has so much more to be grateful for.  Accepting the cards that fate deals you and playing them to your advantage defines you.  Sometimes, when one loses sight of the life’s purpose, it makes sense to go back to the mental drawing board and creating a roadmap.  A physical roadmap with the dreams and the aspirations is even better.  A pact with the inner you and a belief system helps you stay the course.  Even those who have no allegiance to any higher power should swear allegiance to self.  A faith in your ambitions should be enough to drive you.

The truth is that, in spite of no regrets, there will always be a heartache.  Some may find it easy to move on.  For those who have lived the perfect dream, accepting anything less, even second best, may not be an option.  Some part of you will definitely be left behind, though life may not exactly stand still, and the clock may not stop.  A feeling of desolation will not be easy to shake-off.  Heartache and longing will stay too.  Nonetheless, rest assured that when you start counting your blessings, the balance sheet would look bountiful and would show maximum profit.

||Sarvam Sri Krishna Arpanamastu||

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Is Gay World the Answer?

Posted on December 12, 2014 by sarikananda

The pun is intended here.  However, let me begin by talking about my attraction for certain gay celebrities.  Rock Hudson is the first name that pops into my mind.  I was ‘oh so mesmerised by that tall stature and those Adonis looks.  Come September and Pillow Talk Rocked my world at a very impressionable age (I am in a punny mood today).  A revelation of his orientation and his ailment did nothing to diminish that twinkle in my eye at the mere mention of his name.  Then came the appreciation for Matt Boomer (Neal Caffery – White Collar), Jim Parsons (Sheldon – The Big Bang Theory), and the most adorable and multi-talented Neil Patrick Harris.  Neil Patrick Harris is an all-time favourite in the family.

The question is why do I think that the world should turn gay?  Again, am being punny.  We need a happier world than we already have.  Peace is a missing element.  In addition, the most disturbing trend in India of the regressive, demented, dangerous mind-sets pertaining to women in the name of religion, society, power play, lust, and/or lack of proper mental grooming, has provoked me enough.

I can write pages denigrating the jaundiced views and lack of sensitivity of the nation.  Scores of people have expressed their outrage at the recent rape cases, in media and on social networking forums.  I can do the same.  However, I am thinking of the solutions, alternatives, and in my opinion, a perfect solution has presented itself.  The title is self-explanatory.

So how would it work?  A toad and snake fight is not fair unless, toad has equal amount of poison and sharp teeth.  People from Mars and Venus cannot compete because that would not be a fair duel.  Personally, I see all the pros in this solution.  If the entire world were gay, the power plays will not include sexual exploitation between genders.  Most crimes against women will not be committed.  Any crime, if committed, will not be coloured by gender.  Men will not have to commit to women and hence that emotional/planetary gap will have no basis.  Women will not be subjugated to complying with the male sensibilities.  There will be no ‘saas-bahu’ (mother-in-law/daughter-in-law) drama, no bride burning, no dowry, no rapes…  Families will comprise either moms or dads with the children, or just couples cohabiting.  The familial pressures will be gone too.  I can already dream of a more peaceful co-existence.  There might be dirty games of ‘Desperate Housewives’.  Nevertheless, targets will be different.  Men and women will be better friends with no sexual tensions.  Any high-handed attitude of spouses will be between the same gender, making the fight even, or not.  At least, it will not be as disparate.  I can envision healthier families and healthier society.  Men and women can come together to procreate, in vitro, and share the responsibilities.

This thought process, expectation, is gleefully naïve and I am ready to be ridiculed for holding such an opinion.  The thought seems so perfect that it is thrilling.  It does seem to solve major perspective issues pertaining to women and the LGBT community, and in turn, creating a better and peaceful world.  This is just a thought.  Orientation is not something that can be changed at will, or can it?

The contention here is that this world was never supposed to be perfect, or none of us would ever want to leave it.  There are already so many distractions in this bling-bling world.  The imperfections, hardships, anomalies, and crime keep the people on their toes.  Keep the people connected to the almighty in some ways.  I can already hear a few readers cringing.  Let me set the record straight.  I am neither accepting nor justifying any of it.  We were not supposed to be doing any of this.  We were to come to the world with only one goal – to be good, meditate, and strive to achieve entry into His kingdom.  But human nature and human failings converted the peaceful world, that we inherited, into a chaos.  We started considering it our ultimate destination and lost sight of the higher goals.  (My spiritual side always kicks-in.  J)

Coming back to the topic, I see only pros in this thought.  I leave it to the readers to agree or find the cons, and comment.  Happy pondering!

||Sarvam Sri Krishna Arpanamastu||

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Victor Hugo – Hunchback vs. Misérables

Posted on December 8, 2014 by sarikananda

Victor Hugo has been one of my favourite authors ever since I read his Les Misérables a couple of decades ago.  I remember the twists and the turns in his tale, and my gasps and biting of the nails with each new plot.  It was this one big tale, with so many plots, each converging at some point.  It seemed like a saga, and I fell in love with this novel and his writing style.

And, after two decades, I decided to give a go to his Hunchback of Notre Dame.  The inimitable style of writing was intact.  The work is scholarly, with such details of the architecture and the insight into the shifting of architectural styles – Gothic, Romanesque, and all the other styles around the world at the time.  His concerns that the printing medium will kill the architecture and his detailing of Paris and its three divisions make you marvel at his erudition and research of the subject.  The tale is steeped in tragedy and ends in tragedy, tugging all the heartstrings.  However, my limited vision, and love for a good story told made me repetitively compare his two works.

My love for his greatest work ever (Les Misérables) made me thank my good fortune for having read it first.  I have been a Thomas Hardy and Charles Dickens fan, and reading Victor Hugo was accidental.  Les Misérables made me realise that there is world outside Hardy and Dickens.  My experiment with different authors has not stopped in three decades.  Consuming different styles make you realise that all authors, through their various creations, are searching for that one inspiration, that one masterpiece.  Les Misérables was Victor Hugo’s masterpiece, and Hunchback of Notre Dame could not capture my imagination to the same degree.

||Sarvam Sri Krishna Arpanamastu||

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Exodus and the Famous Epic

Posted on December 8, 2014 by sarikananda

Watching Christian Bale is always a pleasure.  Who would want to miss a cocktail of hot with the epic?  Most epics look great on big screen.  They are always spectacular and leave you breathless.  However, there is always a thin line between acceptance and rejection.  The factors that govern these are, one: the shadows of the earlier depictions; two: the director’s vision; three: the audience’s expectation to expect the expected.  Any or all of these factors can be detrimental in the success of a project.

Having watched ‘The Ten Commandments’ decades ago, I had certain expectations too.  There was an expectation of a different treatment of the famous episodes, expectation of some twists and explanations in this version, and expectation of deeper philosophy explaining the God’s wrath.

Let me present my synopsis and observations of some of the scenes, giving an essence of the film.  The use of a child, representing the ‘God’ that Moses could have met atop the mountain, was brilliant.  The declaration by the child – ‘I Am’ – resonated in my psyche long after.  However, I saw an unresolved inner conflict in Moses.  His struggle to accept the diktat of the child, to accept him as God or His messenger seemed real for a while.  Yet, he stay on this shaky ground until almost the end of the movie, betraying the faith that people would put in him – the eternal devotee and deliverer.  I kept waiting for the staff fight between Moses and Ramses, the famous snake versus snake duel.  Moses, as a character, did not come across as the person who is in direct communion with God.  He was depicted as a very ordinary Hebrew, with not much power, and not even unflinching faith.  The inner conflict did not get resolved except in the end.  I would have hoped for a stronger character, like the one projected by Charlton Heston in the 1956 movie.  Even a growth of character from hesitant to resolute would have worked the magic.  The Moses of Exodus: Gods and Kings had nothing much to contribute to the events except get his men killed.  To top it all, I missed the raising of his staff and parting the sea.  This Moses sleeps ignorantly and suddenly wakes up to almost dry sea to lead the people across.  I love to watch magnum opus, but I prefer the authenticity of a story and development of characters through the medium.  This movie lacked it.  A recent review called it a visual spectacle minus a heart.  I will call it a visual spectacle lacking conviction.

||Sarvam Sri Krishna Arpanamastu||

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A movie, a Cultural Marker – True?!

Posted on December 4, 2014 by sarikananda

‘Dilwale dulhania le jayenge’ completed 1000 weeks at a Mumbai theatre.  There was an article by a journalist giving his reasons for why he did not like the movie.  His contention – the movie was a cultural marker, shifting the societal psyche from rebellious and lovelorn young generation to patriarch and sacrificial young generation, whose idea of romance is accepting the parental diktats and choosing family over love.  In a different interview, the said gentleman gave some examples from his friend circle to support this.

I understand where he is coming from.  However, I did not see a complete shift in this trend.  People were still rebelling.  In addition, love marriages did not stop.  In fact, parents over the decades have become more accepting of children’s choices.  It was around the same time that I got married to the person of my choice.  My best friend rejected a few family proposals and then suggested her selection, which was accepted.  My brother married his sweetheart.  I could see people all around me marrying for love.  In the last five years, a handful of girls in my family and extended family have got married to boys from all castes and ethnicities, all for love.  All of these marriages were arranged, and celebrated by the parents, families, and friends.  Yes, the drama may be missing from this generation.  The parents are no longer stentorian and authoritative, they do not go about declaring to their children, “Yeh shaadi nahin ho sakti” (this marriage cannot take place).  The children are compliant, family oriented, and willing to go an extra mile to keep the family together.  However, is this a wrong trend?  Is it not more peaceful, especially, when there are so many other complications robbing personal peace?  Can someone compare the statistics of times when children rebelled and eloped to the times after the cult-movie, when they did not as much (as per the journalist’s contention in his article), and confirm the figures of love marriages?  Have people stopped loving?  Did the romance die after the so-called, patriarchal trend set by the movie?  May be, there is another trend emerging where most people are fair-weather lovers.  Once the valentine day ends, so does the romance.

Is the new generation more practical and require more than love and fresh air for contentment?  Although, I am not going to believe even for a minute that there is no romance left in the recent generations, however, I do believe that the face of romance might have changed.  Each generation evolves, and new sensibilities replace old.  People no longer write letters leave alone, letters in blood.  Heck, people do not even write complete emails, unless for business.  Coming back to the point, the cultural marker set by this movie is completely and totally acceptable to me.  We are a generation of practical people, passionate about so many things.  With the world fighting over everything under the sun, at least we have held peace on one aspect of our personal lives.  I like it that Raj and Simran sought the family’s blessings and acceptance.  Being a mother, I expect no less from my children.

||Sarvam Sri Krishna Arpanamastu||

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Parenting – Some Deliberations

Posted on December 1, 2014 by sarikananda

Writers are expected to keep a notepad and a pen handy at all times.  A thought, an inspiration, or an opportunity may strike like a bolt of lightning at any time, and if not contained, can be lost as easily.  I have heard of writers who would start writing on the bedside walls or on the mirrors, with wife’s lipsticks, in the middle of the night.  These are the times when I wish that I had the Dumbledore’s magic wand to extract my thoughts and memories, and store them.  I could review them later in a ‘pensieve’, as in the Harry Potter series.

I have been toying with various ideas for my next article, and parenting has clawed its way to the top of my list.  A friend, a new mother, has recently started writing her experiences as a mother, on her social networking page.  The posts are honest and interesting.  However, my reason for thinking about parenting is completely unrelated.  I have been a mother for more than 22 years now, and there are various achievements, and unrelated doubts that need deliberations.

I remember that even as a young teenager, I loved children.  My first experience with a newborn was at age 12, when I got a cousin, who was so fair and lovely.  There began my experience of mothering.  Ever since, this role became the fabric of my being.  When my first one was born, I was thrilled to bits.  My daughter became my preoccupation.  Full time motherhood has challenges that are difficult to comprehend when playing with another’s child.  We were a young couple and I was all of 24, taking care of my ménage.  Life was very interesting and fulfilling.  There were household chores, entertaining family and friends, and millions of other things that needed attention.  Being a bit of a perfectionist, I tried being a champion of things, knowing well that it is not always possible.  It so turned out, I was not as patient as I imagined.  Young moms have definite, inexperienced ideas about motherhood.  We are idealistic and want everything to be picture perfect.  I had set the bar so high for my daughter and myself.  The result is not so bad.  My baby turned out to be a well-behaved child, and yet, with a stubborn streak.  Her brilliant mind and angelic (at times, devilish too) presence made motherhood so perfect.  Did my reactions and outbursts define my children’s nature and reactions?

What makes a parent perfect?  What are dos and don’ts of parenthood?  Do all parents wonder about parenting?  Do they ever worry about erring?  Do they worry themselves sick over the detrimental effects of their actions?  Do they realise that the children are parents’ reflections and imbibe all their qualities, reactions, and pre-conceived notions?  I am not sure if similar concerns ever crossed our parents’ minds.  Those were the times of joint-family setups.  Children grew healthy by default.  There was always some adult around to mind the children.  Parents were not possessive and did not obsess.  Which generation of parents started obsessing about their children?  Did it begin in the 90s with my generation?  Were we reluctant to cut off the umbilical cord?  Is there a right time to do so?  Do we ever succeed in cutting the cord?  Does a parent ever stop being a parent?  I think, it is easier to stop being a child, but once a parent, always a parent, even to all and sundry.

My second child was Godsend for my daughter and me.  He was a saviour and a sunshine in our lives after our great loss.  My daughter and I always remark that we would not have minded twins – double trouble.  Sometimes I wonder if God’s timing is deliberate, so that every incident appears a gift.

Indian set up is changing, may be not at the same pace for everyone.  We have become friendlier as parents, and children do not cringe as much at their parent’s behaviour in public.  Are we less of an embarrassment and more acceptable to our children?  Has media and communications played a role in keeping us informed and current?  Is the parent-child equation changing?  Are the love-hate challenges constant, or is the relationship changing?  I think, being friendly is good, but have we blurred the line between acceptable and unacceptable ‘friendly reactions’ of children towards parents?  When did it become acceptable for grown children to disrespect parents or shout them down?  It is a parental failing if children lose their perspective between a right and a wrong behaviour.  Is the balance missing between friendly and authority?  Do parents get over-friendly, without setting the boundaries?  Is there a way to correct the damage already done?  Berne’s theory of transactional analysis (TA) for social communication gives comprehensive account of various ego states and behaviours associated with them.  Practising the TA approaches in our everyday dealings may improve our interactions with our children.  However, any communication requires a contract between the two involved parties.  An attempt at positive transaction by one party may be limiting and not produce the desired results.

This brings me to another set of questions.  When is a child old enough to be treated as a complete adult?  When does a girl become an adult?  Are the anger-bouts indications of an adult trying to assert her identity?  Our parents and grandparents used to attribute anger and depressive behaviour to identity crisis.  They would contend that the youth is ready for a personal family life and should be married-off.  Can we measure our children’s behaviour with a similar yardstick?  In this age of independence, does this interpretation not sound archaic?  However, this young adult needs her own niche.  How can parents provide the same in contemporary, yet conventional family system?  These questions could haunt parents of twenty something.  I wish that there were simpler answers.

||Sarvam Sri Krishna Arpanamastu||

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Random Thoughts

Posted on November 28, 2014 by sarikananda

1.

When a mother’s heart pines to hug her child even after a dreadful fight

When even in anguish only well wishes are uttered

When indecorous behaviour of the child cannot dilute the mother’s love

When morning after is filled with brooding and tears

When a mother’s heart is inconsolable for her children

Then, imagine the God’s immense love for all His children, despite all the impropriety conducted by us.

Is a parent’s love purer and unconditional?  Is a child’s affection coloured with demands and distractions?

2.

An interesting discussion ensued in the office today.  The contention was that do we act, or react in life?  There could be two arguments to this question.  If all our actions are actually reactions from the time we are born then, is there anything called free will?  If there is free will then, are we the doer and the controller of all our actions and results thereof?  Are all reactions in our control or can we ‘pass the buck onto circumstances?  And, if circumstance govern the reaction, then why different people react differently in a similar situation?  I believe that all our actions or communications are actually reactions.  The act of birth was committed, which was beyond our control and thereon, we react as per the situations.  Taking a quote from Gita, Chapter 5, verse 8-9, “A person in the divine consciousness, although engaged in seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, moving about, sleeping and breathing, always knows within himself that he actually does nothing at all.  Because while speaking, evacuating, receiving, opening or closing his eyes, he always knows that only the material senses are engaged with their objects and that he is aloof from them.”

There is some free will, but the roads for each choice are predefined, though there are many branches and crossroads.  What is the end-result?  Do the common people ever take the time out to introspect?  Would this introspection, eventually, lead to yoga and asceticism?  Many have gone down this path and many are venturing anew.  How many eventually find the truth?  These are some good points to ponder.

||Sarvam Sri Krishna Arpanamastu||

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My Spiritual Side

Posted on November 22, 2014 by sarikananda

As we rush through life, our ‘me time’ gets relegated to the background. There is always a constant knocking at the door of our mind, coaxing us to open it. We are the champions of resistance and keep this mind closed with all our might. We may argue about our unconventional thinking and modernity of thoughts, but those are limited to the material life and hence, immaterial.

I am no scholar. Nor am I very ‘religious’. Even my neighbours’ cat might be more religious than I am. Without disregarding the importance of religious practices, I would treat spirituality as a separate entity. I am not saying that the two cannot be interlinked. However, both are independent, and each can sustain itself without the other. Let me take this discussion a little further.

There have been, and still are, many minds getting enlightened, as deemed fit, by the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent Super-soul. The extent of knowledge and enlightenment that these spiritual beings are able to accomplish is unknown. We, usually, assume that each attains complete knowledge once His grace falls upon such devotees. However, if I were to take a cue from Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7, verse 3 ‘Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth’, then we may safely infer that all His graces may not be equal. Just like learners of each passing batch may not all get equal grades, it would be fair to say that all wise men may have attained His grace and spark in varying degrees. This does not imply that those spiritual people are not comparable to each other. Remember, continued devotion and desire to know Him will get us closer to Him.

These enlightened people take up the task of guiding the lost beings, like us, towards Him. They show the people a discipline and way to remember Him as per the Vedas, scriptures, and/or personal experiences. These experiences and teachings, over a period, become a practice, and then a religion. The practices, the reason and intent behind those practices, and the actual teachings may be distorted, or even lost, with time. The followers of the guru, the faith, or the religion do not, as a rule, test the teachings and their meanings rigorously and consistently. Hence, we end up being a part of stagnating norms, practices, and society. The fault does not lie with the teachings of the guru. Neither does it lie with the religion. The fault lies with the proponents of the religion, as they are entrusted with the task of carrying forward the practices with honesty and integrity. Either they bungle-up for material or personal gains, or they forget the main foundation for religious system – enlightenment and salvation. I would like to add another verse from Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 4, “This deathless Yoga, this deep union, I taught Vivaswana, the Lord of Light; Vivaswana to Manu gave it; he To Ikshwaku; so passed it down the line of all My royal Rishis. Then, with years, the truth grew dim and perished, noble Prince!”

Let me take an analogy. When we started working on computers, we started with Disk Operating System (DOS). With each advancements and increase in knowledge, we moved to better user interfaces. Windows, as an operating system, has been around for decades. Nonetheless, we never stopped experimenting. The laws of Physics have not changed, but we are focusing more on their application. This can be the ground for invention, growth, and advancement. We have better versions of Windows, and many more competing operating systems like Android and iOS etc., catering to differing needs of our various electronic devices. When we are frequently dissatisfied with perfectly working technologies and constantly endeavour to enhance it, then what is stopping us from refining and re-defining our religious practices?

Spirituality is the foundation of religion. It is the inherent need of a person to transcend to another plane, to attain Him, which drives them to the path of spirituality. You may ask that how then, spirituality and religion remain separate entities. The established religions of the world, and the new ones cropping up each day, though founded on spirituality, no longer require it for sustenance. The established, documented practices and the diktats of the religious leaders are enough to keep it operative. At best, religious faith would help the followers feel good about themselves, and may get some material results. The main objective – finding Him, understanding Him, and attaining Him – loses its importance in these religions or practices. Spirituality does not require religion. A discipline, a right path for treading, and practices as per the scriptures are essential, but can be followed without the constraints of a religion.  Here, I am not equating religion with ‘dharma’ as spoken by Lord Sri Krishna in Gita.

Am I anti religion? Am I propagating atheism? Definitely not! I am a believer and a follower. All I am establishing is that we should know our goal; understand where we are headed, and then define our course. Entire humanity is not devoted to Him and everyone neither believes, nor works towards achieving the Ultimate. People have their specific goals. Chart your path accordingly. Both, religion and spirituality have their pre-defined outcomes. Sometimes the paths might cross. More often, it is best to decide our expectations and then choose wisely. ‘Gyan’ or knowledge is the most important ingredient in appreciating either. Once we establish our needs, we should follow the chosen path relentlessly and unabashedly.

In my conversations with various people from different spectrum of life, I have come across some frequently asked questions. More often than not, the doubting souls or the uninitiated believe that God is partial or unjust. These are the times when I prefer atheists or agnostic. At least, they only blame people or self for the events and shortcomings in their lives. Addressing the questioning believers, let me ask if you equate God with your boss? Even parents can be unjust or unloving at times and that is a human failing. However, comparing God with humans would be an error. Believing that God could have such failings too would be being dense. Thinking that God plays favourites would be the biggest folly that believers can commit. God is above the material or human nature and cannot be measured with any yardstick. Let me quote Gita Chapter 7 verse 12, “All states of being–be they of goodness, passion, or ignorance–are manifested by My energy. I am, in one sense, everything–but I am independent. I am not under the modes of this material nature.”

There are three types of people when it comes to God and beliefs. One can be a believer, an agnostic, or an atheist. However, there is no mid-way and you cannot be conditional believers. Either believe unflinchingly, or refute His existence with all the information and force that you can gather. However, you cannot believe half-heartedly and then blame Him for your misfortunes. You reap what you sow and it is not a cliché. In addition, all of you, who do not believe in His existence, hey! Stop criticizing Him, because you cannot criticize something that does not exists.

Let me pick up a couple of more verses from Bhagavad Gita. In Chapter 12 verse 20, God says, “He who follows this imperishable path of devotional service and who completely engages himself with faith, making Me the supreme goal, is very, very dear to Me.” God repeats lesson on a devotees allegiance to Him in Chapter 10 verse 9 – “The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are surrendered to Me, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss enlightening one another and conversing about Me.”

I remember a friend’s comment on Arjun. This friend felt that he had nothing to his credit to be a favourite. What did Arjun do to become deserving? I wish I had a suitable answer to this. Can we see behind us without turning? Do we know what is happening just a couple of steps away? Do we completely know our children and their capabilities? How can we claim to be an authority on someone’s capabilities and deservedness? If God chose Arjun, then it was for his complete devotion to God and his steadfast faith in Him. Arjun was the deserving disciple and I say so because Krsna thought so. I will never question Him. Let me relate the same through the verse from Gita, Chapter 9 verse 29. “I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.” Remember, only Arjun could completely understand the profound meaning of the conversation between Krsna and him. This is because of Krsna’s graces for Arjun. The entire world has been trying to unravel the complete import of this conversation for centuries and eras, and yet, without His grace the text just remains a translation from Sanskrit to the local language. Nevertheless, understand that God’s devotee never perishes. Quoting Chapter 9 verse 31, “O son of Kunti, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.”

For me the most disturbing trend is, believing that the god-men or people posing as God’s men are God incarnate. People are worshipping certain gurus and forgetting God. Then, without His grace, it is difficult to know Him. Rest of the world is just an abyss and there is only one light. Recognizing that shining light and reaching for it with everything that you have is the only way to attain Him. It may not be the main purpose of each life. We all are governed by our desires and lust for material things. These are the impediments to the spiritual awareness and there is not much that can be done without a concerted effort to break free from this abyss. Personal endeavor, a thirst for Him, and His grace alone can help.

There might be more discussions and posts in the days to come, discussing various aspects of life and being. That is all for now.

||Sarvam Sri Krishna Arpanamastu||

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My First Page

Posted on October 30, 2014 by sarikananda

I have been mulling over the idea of writing my blog for a while now. Nothing special, just some random thoughts, as and when, they pop up in my mind. There have been instances when I have tried starting a serious chain of discussions on popular social networking sites, but to no avail. Reason being that the decorum of those websites demands ‘likes’ for each post with not much thought involved. The funny and the graphic gets more attention from general public and the intelligentsia in a circle of friends remains busy elsewhere making their respective marks in the cerebral world. Everything on social networking gets a ‘like’, appreciable or not, read or not.

Moving on… I started writing my biography eons ago but the hard drive was fried and the content with it. That was not an era of blogs (a couple of decades ago), and if there were any, they were not as popular. The world, in general, was discovering the world of World Wide Web and wondering at its amazing potential. I keep thinking that my life’s episodes until about 2005 will make for a good screenplay for a movie or a good script of a book. A little element from the annals of Munshi Premchand’s would make it into a great tragedy and a Shakespearean or Victor Hugo touch will convert it into a good drama.

Life did not stop happening for me post 2005. It remained in its element. However, the expectation is the additions of a little imagination to this cauldron of brewing broth by the author, in their inimitable style. Will I be that author? Will I like that screenplay or book to be completely autobiographical? Will I prefer the director to be completely honest to the original? These questions will be best answered when the time comes.

For now, there is not book, no screenplay, no story, only some random thoughts. This first post is more of an experiment with a lot of jibber-jabber by me and around me, with a couple of colleagues scoffing at the funny pictures of new associates on the Intranet and still others busy chattering away on calls. So what is my blog going to be about? Should I write about learning technologies and instructional design? Would this be an appropriate forum for voicing my views about the social and political hot topics? Would I rather talk about my spirituality and the world at large? One thing is clear. These are going to be my own testaments, for me, whether worth a thought or not by any other. I will get into more focussed writing with ‘paradigm’ descriptions and ‘motivational’ lore and technical stuff with each passing day (=post). For now, all posts are going into publishing…. Until we meet again…

||Sarvam Sri Krishna Arpanamastu||

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