Monday, November 26, 2007

Intellectual Intellect

Gyan was a Professor of Philosophy in Vidya Arts College in a small town. Prof.Gyan was known for his policy of simple living and high thinking. The barely occupied classroom was always jam packed for his class. He had an unusual and an eerie talent which attracted people. He always encouraged inquisitiveness and even tried to instill that among his students. Amongst his hundreds of students, Narayana was his favorite. His humility, simplicity, inquisitiveness, eagerness to learn, unconventional thinking had attracted Gyan as much narayana was attracted to Gyan. Naani was the nick name given to Narayana by his professor.
As it always was, even this lecture was very interesting, rather more than others as the topic was also as attractive as gyan’s lecture.
The topic to be discussed was Evolution of Man in the realm of intelligence. As was his ritualistic practice, Prof. started of with an analogy. He said man’s mind as it is today is not his own. It was a product of the improvement process happening from millions of years. Man’s thinking improved with the various kind of obstacles he overcame. The brain started evolving from then, taking only the best of what he learnt from his experience. For example, we need not learn how to light a fire or reinvent wheel as it is already done long back and is carried forward till us and will go on further.
Gyan just paused in between and out came his obvious phrase, “Any doubts friends?”
Naani alias Narayana religiously raised his hand waiting for prof’s permission. He started after professor prompted him by his hand gesture telling him to go on.

Naani in his ethnic simplicity asked: What is mind?

Prof.Gyan: Mind is an abstract center of consciousness.

Naani: Sir, Why do men think?

Prof.Gyan: Men tend to think that they think because they think that ability to think will make them superior and they like to think that their thinking has made them superior.

Naani: Sir, please do not confuse me. Anyway I’ll put it in other way, why does intellectuals attract more awe and reverence than others?

Prof.Gyan: Intellect has been the most mysterious subject from time immemorial. Mind is considered a storehouse of thoughts and ideas whose implications have the power to change the way the world functions. Intellect is a non-separable part of the process of this type of high thinking. Since intellect was attributed to all the major breakthroughs in the understanding of the nature by man and since it cannot be measured in any means nor experience it with any of our senses, it attracted one and all.

Naani: Sir, what happens to mind over time?

Prof.Gyan: Fantastic question my son! You are an intellectual in the making. You are an illustration of the intellectual in everyone whose mind is uninfluenced by the brutal reality of the society dominated by lesser mortals. Time is a concept which is an outcome of the mind’s process of thoughts. So how do you think time can affect its creator?

Naani: But sir, universe is a reality and it cannot be a subject of debate. So, man talks of even the age of universe. As I understand, age is a measure of time with reference to a certain point of physical occurrence at some moment. I also know that nobody has ever defined the boundaries of universe. The closest I can relate to the boundaries of universe is to the boundaries of our thoughts. So when we are allowed to dare proclaim the age of universe without even knowing the extent of its envelope, why shouldn’t we try to determine the age of mind? Why doesn’t mind age with time?

Prof.Gyan: I appreciate your logical thinking which I had always anticipated from you. But let us consider it this way. Universe is again a concept of our mind because we believe that space beyond our sight and knowledge exist. I also agree we have sufficient scientific reason to believe. But still our belief is based on some deductions which we have done considering some of the scientific revelations so far. But it is again based on the assumption that future is an extension of the past. In other words, we are assuming that whatever process we have found out by digging into the causations of certain events in nature is constant and will replicate wherever it occurs under similar conditions. How do you say that this assumption is valid? It is just sitting on the loose soil of belief which gives us a feeling of success for we try to pat our own backs under the delusion of accomplishment.

Naani: Why do we want to achieve anything if it is for the sake of recognition? I mean, isn’t it wrong to do something which we do it just to get a reason to boast around and get a pat on our back by the ignoramus surrounding us?

Prof.Gyan: Man has evolved over time from still primitive living beings. He didn’t evolve as a unit of isolated creature. He has somehow deduced that maximum comfort lies in community living and maximum pleasure lies in dominating the same community.
To give you an analogy, man doesn’t like to see his relative reach great heights. It triggers malice in him. But the fun lies in the fact that he doesn’t mind if a third person who doesn’t belong to his close circle of relatives or friends does it. It’s a mundane way of thinking which has taken root in man’s mind for a long time. Here the point is what is the difference between your relative being your boss or someone you don’t know. It just illustrates the evolution of social thinking which has grown roots in man’s brains. I still do not know the origin of such a dismal idea or thought. Recognition in his community has been the core of anyone’s and everyone’s ambition list.

Naani: Sir, you didn’t tell me about the age of mind….

Prof.Gyan: Sorry! I got deviated from the subject. See, the mind I consider is a processor of thoughts and ideas which gets stored in our brain once it gets a form. So mind and brain are the same things in different dimensions. Brain is an organ which is responsible for memory and storage of data in the physical dimension. Mind is an organ which is responsible for creating thoughts utilizing the raw data present in brain in an intellectual dimension. Every physical entity has a trajectory starting from birth (origin) to death.
But since mind does not belong to physical dimension, it is not affected by time.
Take an analogy; remember your first day at college. There might have occured some events which you would cherish at every revocation of that thought. Would that change as you grow physically old? Or will the age of a poet impede in creating his childhood in form of beautiful verses? I strongly contend that mind can never become old nor can ever be measured for its capacity.

Naani nodded and sat down, saying thanks with gratitude and humility. But Gyan could sense that naani’s mind was still occupied with something else. The class had come to an end. Gyan could not complete the curricula he had mentioned as agenda for that hour. But everyone felt enlightened and left the class with enhanced respect for Prof. Gyan. Naani bowed to his professor in the latter’s staffroom and said “Sir, you cleared my dilemma. My only dream for which I promise to toil from this moment is to become your colleague. I am ready to give the rest of my life if you are by my side!”
Prof. Gyan was taken aback by such an unprecedented reaction by this young lad. He was at loss of words for the first time in his life. He just hugged the lad and Naani understood more than what his professor wanted to convey.

A point in Life

A moment in space-time: ‘Tens of children are born, hundreds die, many saplings shoot out of earth in hope, millions are crying, millions are celebrating, people are overeating, millions are dying of hunger. This is a generic view of events happening on earth at any moment of time.’
In a chemical reaction, if there is more than 1 output for the same input, we tend to relate the outputs and study their nature in order to understand the process in whole.
Similarly, under the same catalyst called time, input called life churns out so many by products that it is almost impossible to even recognize the main product arising from the input.
If a life sprouts at the same moment as the death, isn’t that akin to a process where the sproutal of life is somehow related to the demise of life as both happens at the same moment. If happiness envelopes a few at the same moment when shroud covers others, isn’t it strange of us if we do not try to relate them. If at all we try to connect the grief of some with the gaiety of others, then doesn’t the process of gaiety and sorrow, life and death become a cycle and the path of life from birth to death becomes more a part of vicious circle made of many such paths of life and death.

A circle is nothing but a set of continuous points who all manage to stay away from a distant point with the same distance. A point is nothing but a circle made of points whose distance from a distant point is null. Spherical surface is nothing but circles made of similar points in 3 physical dimensions, wherein points of the circle in other 2 dimensions also manage to maintain the distance like those points in the circles of the remaining dimensions.

So if we consider universe is spherical, birth and death is a part of a cycle. Also, if we consider that we living beings are a part of the same cycle called life. Then it is interesting to observe some strange and interesting revelation.
We can assume that each of us as a singular point in the circle of life. We all stay away from some distant point with the same distance. It is because we all are circling around ourselves with the point of focus being ego and the distance being null. That is the reason why we remain as points (circle with zero radii). Now we being points of a large circle, all of us stay away from that distant point called absolute truth. All of us are equally scared of it. If we could make the distance null between that distant point and us, then the circle called life will merge into a point absolute which is other wise known as salvation.

But, we all have come to a state wherein we believe a circle is the only complete figure. It is a symbol of integrity. We believe in traversing the same path as others. We believe in certainty in life. Uncertainty is something our mindset cannot accept for a long time. Life cannot be uncertain to a large extent. We cannot lead life like that. That is the reason man cannot live like an animal. Man cannot live life according to his free will. He is bound by his own chains called society wherein certainty is the most aspired and its achievement the most celebrated. Most of the time in man’s life is wasted in thinking of his tomorrows and the rest in sulking about yesterdays. It is not the mistake of any individual, but of the society who reminds him of every wrongdoing of yesterdays at the slightest available chance.

Circle is not complete. It is not the perfect figure or geometrical shape, as predominantly considered. It is because circle is still definable in terms of its distance from the singular point. It means circle is finite and measurable. Absolute is neither measurable nor finite and we consider that absolute as the ultimate truth and an end to the cyclical process of birth and death. Each living being is a part of such a circle. If he is to reach the end, then the distance to the ultimate truth should decrease gradually till it unites with the point and becomes one. Such a singularity is last event in the cycle of birth and death as far as an individual is concerned. A point is the only finite representation as a physical manifestation of the divine absolute what we call as singularity. It is a deep abyss of mystery and meaning. Point has no dimension; it cannot be defined in space physically. Neither can a point be bound by time. It is completely independent of everything known to man but for the cognizance of its existence.

Surrender of the self on the terms of the self will destroy ego and the bloom of humility will sow a seed of truth whose radiance manifests in the form of effulgence visible in the face of the noble.

Monday, March 19, 2007

My Pursuit for happiness

My house was so very lavish
Still I was ever so anguish.
My big fat salary package
Failed to reduce my worry borne baggage
Hardly did I realize,
It was the time to spiritualize.

I started losing my health
In the search for material wealth.
I hardly had time for leisure
As my work caused its seizure.
Rarely did I realize,
It was the time to spiritualize

I amassed a big booty
Meanwhile lost a life of beauty.
I was under an illusion
That greatness lies in possession
Gradually did I realize,
It was the time to spiritualize

I never got a peace of mind
In the room of golden bind
I wandered in search of happiness
Wondered at its scarceness
Finally did I realize,
It was the time to spiritualize

Everything appeared so trivial
All those which were once crucial
I was now gaining health
Without the help of wealth
Everything looked beautiful
I too felt ever so blissful

I was now facing the truth
But was reaching far down south
I reached late at the destination
Thanks to my procrastination.
The truth made me content
Gratifying my main intent.


RAO
The Need for Creativity

“Feeling and longing are the motive forces behind all human endeavors
and human creations”
-- Einstein


From time immemorial, man has been creative and it is his creativity which lead to radical changes in his way of living. Creativity has manifested into myriad forms of physical existence of present day world. It has always given all gaiety, satisfaction and contentment to every individual involved in the process of practically realizing the intangible thoughts of man. Dreams are one of the biggest sources of radical changes in the physical world. Man who knows the fact that there is no boundary to imagination dares to dream big. There are couple of them who dare accomplish this. But those who believe that dreams are mere fantasy and is not worth the chase remain what they always were – cowards. Dreams in this context also engulf the audacious imagination of man which seems to be weird with reference to the existing social thinking at that time. Chasing dreams is better said than done. It has to be equipped with the conviction, self confidence, agile mind; ability to sustain the contempt of the negligent ignoramus whose mind is ever influenced by the external opinions more than its own. The latter is the toughest part to endure for it has lead to dire consequences in the history of mankind.

Challenges posed
Copernicus was criticized for proposing the heliocentricity of solar system, only because it was in conflict with the biblical scriptures. Cardinal Bellarmine had Giordano Bruno, another proponent of a sun-centered world view, burned at the stake for heresy. Galileo Galeli had to suffer house arrest for defending Copernicus’ theories. There are innumerable examples likewise. Deducing the common factors from such daring and brilliant souls, we found that albeit the difficulty posed by the mass, it was their conviction in themselves that helped to sustain such insane actions of the public. Regardless of the acceptance of some of their ideas during their lifespan, their legacy still prevails and is embossed in the golden letters in our History Books.


How and why?
When man has enough to satisfy his biological needs and social needs, he seeks to quench his intellectual thirst. This is when great advances in the mankind take shape. Depending on his interest or inherent constitution of his brain, he tends to foray into various streams of thought like pure science, applied science, fine arts, etc., The result of each is to attain intellectual satisfaction regardless of the varied implications of his thought depending on the domain. The predominant impact of the advancement of mankind is evidently towards the increasing luxury of his life. All the ill effects of his erstwhile luxury have not deterred his strong will to further his endeavours to achieve more and more luxury and reduce his interference to the minimal. Thanks to the power of determination, we have accomplished everything he wanted.

Holistic approach
Circle is referred to almost everything whose either origin or end is unknown. Since the end of mankind’s evolution is unknown, it is considered to come a full circle to its origin. This makes the end of one cycle at the point of its origin. Now the scenario becomes fathomable to the rational mind at large. So by virtue of the hypothesis which says everything has to come a full circle, we can predict the end of the mankind. Not a pie for guessing the right answer as it is so very obvious. The end of the mankind will be at the point of its origin.
Let us see an analogy; in the ancient times when the man was not yet civilized he used to be nude all the time. Slowly he started to think and then society emerged, this lead him to cover himself with clothes. Robes were meant to cover his body to the society. Gradually he started to design the robes and wear it to display his social status to everyone. Then, robes ceased to be indicative of his/her status in many places. Eventually we have reached a state wherein wearing clothes is not a necessity and shredding the same is not wrong. Man now thinks that body is given by HIM and exposing the same is his fundamental right and it can in no way be detrimental to the health of the society. The only difference between nude men now and nude men in the Stone Age is that the present man has developed a justification for his existence in that form which was self implied in the former case. So, the end of one cycle of this evolution is reaching its finish and soon the second cycle starts and treads the same path as first in a different frame of space time.

Extending the same argument to other spheres of our life, I contend that every advancement of mankind is just to gain that immense pleasure in the process of innovation and nothing is more useful to the mankind(like always than what was there at the time of his origin. Man took his present form only when the necessary and sufficient condition for his existence and sustenance was achieved. Thanks to HIM.

“There is nothing new except what has been forgotten” -- Marie Antoinette

RAO

Thursday, March 8, 2007

SUCCESS?


Don’t float on cloud nine
Thinking that “the world is mine”.
Pleasure is short lived
And later makes you grieved.
Behold the pleasure of success
As to avoid anything in excess.
At failure! never shan’t you vine
Both are at par divine.

Success driven by gory
Never will bring you glory!
With your single step, be wary
Avoid the shady awry.
Failure does not exist
Nor does it persist.
It is just an experience
To warn you of future variance

Detest the pleasure of success
Attest the pleasure of its cause.
Success is not your destination
But a part of divine ordination.
Accept the divine ordain
Without a trace of disdain.
You will feel the grace,
In many unknown ways.

Success is an elusive lady
It’ll consume everybody.
If you let it come near
You’ll lose your near and dear.
Be a man of virtues and wisdom
Be a king in your kingdom called ‘life’.
Success is a mountain, failure is a valley
Amidst lies our life, like an alley.



RAO

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

My Pursuit for happiness

My house was so very lavish
Still I was ever so anguish.
My big fat salary package
Failed to reduce my worry borne baggage
Hardly did I realize,
It was the time to spiritualize.

I started losing my health
In the search for material wealth.
I hardly had time for leisure
As my work caused its seizure.
Rarely did I realize,
It was the time to spiritualize

I amassed a big booty
Meanwhile lost a life of beauty.
I was under an illusion
That greatness lies in possession
Gradually did I realize,
It was the time to spiritualize

I never got a peace of mind
In the room of golden bind
I wandered in search of happiness
Wondered at its scarceness
Finally did I realize,
It was the time to spiritualize

Everything appeared so trivial
All those which were once crucial
I was now gaining health
Without the help of wealth
Everything looked beautiful
I too felt ever so blissful

I was now facing the truth
But was reaching far down south
I reached late at the destination
Thanks to my procrastination.
The truth made me content
Gratifying my main intent.


RAO

Monday, March 5, 2007

Thought – God’s gift to the mankind!!!

Einstein always believed in “Imagination is more important than knowledge”. What is imagination? It is a result of a profound thought process sparked by some sort of experience or events in our lives and is always relevant in its own context regardless of the physical prevalence of imagined thoughts. Man is considered as the supreme living being only because of his ability to imagine. World appears in myriad forms for various beings and he perceives it based on the culture of his mind. Rose is a beautiful flower symbolizing the beauty of love for a poet and it is an object which gives out pleasing fragrance for a scientist. This just highlights the importance of the perception of our mind. The perception depends largely on the way the mind is cultured. The behaviour of our mind remains the same regardless of the circumstance, but it depends on how the mind is trained to understand the situation. It is like teaching how to learn.

It is important to note that it is very difficult or almost impossible to change his/her perspective once the mind is cultured and matured. There are innumerable examples when man has failed in his life due to his inability to cope with the change in the way of thinking. This reinforces the importance of culturing our mind at the right time. Human mind has always been considered rational for practical purposes. It is interesting to note that nobody ever verified or validated the credibility of such assumptions. The sweet irony of such assumptions is the possibility of the downfall of some scientific theories which is standing on some assumptions made by an individual whose mind’s culture may be radically different from others. One of the leading philosophers of India J. Krishnamurthi has bravely attacked the conventional thinkers by saying that human mind is irrational. It appears very sensible because what is good for one could be bad for the other like a famous aphorism which says that “One’s food could be other’s poison”.
The important question is ‘Why is the irrational mind of man accepting the explicitly forced rationality on him?’ I strongly feel that the main reason behind this is the weak culturing of human’s mind which makes him vulnerable to every external thought which is vociferously instilled in him. To avoid this, we should lay a strong foundation of culture in our mind so that we have the conviction in ourselves and our principles and ideologies.

Thought has been given utmost honour and respect by man from time immemorial. Rene Descartes’, a famous philosopher had upheld the importance of thoughts by saying “I think, therefore I am”. Albeit this thought was rather critically attacked and controversial brain-in-a-vat theory was suggested, such a radical thought could be arrived only by a man like Descartes’ who had a well cultured mind which was not vulnerable and influenced by external agencies. We should also develop such kind of a mindset wherein we are able to comprehend everything, filter out the irrelevant and consume the concentrated knowledge. In order to do this we must have a mindset to be receptive to new views and thoughts and ideas and view it with no prejudice. This is in other words called ATTITUDE. Intelligence is defined as the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience. So, with a harmonious blend of right attitude, proper culture of our mind and intelligence we can achieve everything which is otherwise thought impossible.
I would like to reinforce the importance and significance of thoughts and thinking habits in MK Gandhi’s own words which says “A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes."

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” -- anonymous


RAO
The Wood Cutter


In the sun kissed golden evening
I saw him incessantly slaying.
He lay there with a resolution
To undo the entire evolution.
Awestruck by his poise and rhythm
I stood there trying to fathom.

He seemed to have a strong spirit
Which didn’t demand any merit.
He often sharpened his chisel
To minimise the possible hassle.
Awestruck by his poise and rhythm
I stood there trying to fathom.

I explored his face for a trace of mercy
But heard his breath ever so pursy
His voice had such a bass,
which could attract any highland lass.
Awestruck by his poise and rhythm
I stood there trying to fathom.

He chiseled the trees with all his might
Like hunting a prey by a worthy knight.
The anguish of the trees
Never reached his ears.
Awestruck by his poise and rhythm
I stood there trying to fathom.

He cut the wood raising his hood
Just to earn his daily food.
The music still I heard
Long after he disappeared.
Awestruck by his poise and rhythm
I stood there trying to fathom.


RAO


Truth

It is pure as milk
But sometimes makes you sulk.
It is not a hulk
But it’s the real bulk.

It is always eternal
And many a times internal.
It is not a mortal
But it’s precious as a coral.

It is difficult to embrace
Those who have done disgrace
It looks full of maze
But it’s always under gaze

It is always under scrutiny
Sometimes leads to mutiny.
It is not a tyranny
But decides many a destiny.

Rarely is it loved
Barely is it understood
Hardly is it valued
But it’s the real truth.




RAO

Friday, March 2, 2007

Irony of life

There were days when I played with clay
Which made me gay all the way
Here I lay having nothing to say
Working like a donkey in my bay.
How I wish I can go back and stay
And live my day in my own way.

There were moments when I would shout
Out of joy in my days of scout.
Here I shout to avoid the tout
But I hate to tell my fate.
How I wish I can go back and stay
And live my day in my own way.

There were days when I played in rain
Forgetting all my pain.
Here I play all in vain as I know
It is all disdain.
How I wish I can go back and stay
And live my day in my own way.

There were moments when I would cry
Just for a plate of potato fry.
Here I cry for injustice
Just to be a victim of avarice
How I wish I can go back and stay
And live my day in my own way.

There were days when I would dream
All through the day just for fun.
Here I dream only in the night
Which makes me up with a scream.
How I wish I can go back and stay
And live my day in my own way.

Those were the times when I recited
my rhymes filled with chimes.
Here I lay waiting for a day
When I would have sufficient hay?
How I wish I can go back and stay
And live my day in my own way.

RAO

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Life Beckons


In the marshy mists, the royal sun arose
Above the horizon, like a king.
From behind the mountains he rose
to fist the mist away.
Chirping trumpets, splashing plummets, nature
Announced the day has begun. And the life beckons

The splendour caught the sparkling eyes
Of a lovely beauty who just awoke.
The curvy surface of her face
filled the space with her grace. She
Announced the day has begun. And the life beckons

The dew on the leaf vapoured away
As if the sun savoured right away.
The first rays fell on my face
Just to show my grimace. Cuckoo
Announced the day has begun. And the life beckons

I stood at the window dry as a bone
Waiting for a baritone.
The wait came to end, so did my mind. The phone
Announced the day has begun. And the life beckons

Morning blues flew away, like the birds looking for hay.
I took my way, to my working bay
All my joy was shattered,
Thanks to my boss who ever battered. He
Announced the day has begun. And the life beckons

I counted the ticks of every clock, in my block;
Sitting like a rock waiting for the
Company to lock. I rushed back home
To enjoy the dusk with a plate full of rusk.
I went to bed hoping for a day when She would
Announce the day has begun. And the life beckons

RAO

Wednesday, February 28, 2007


RAO GOES BACK IN TIME!!!

December 10th. 6:00 am. Almost the entire city was still dozing hoping for a late sunrise as it was a sunday. A misty morning with visibility less than 15 mts. We were all assembled near our school grounds waiting for the bus. We were in a delirious mood. The most awaited day had finally come. The departure was scheduled for 6.15 am, but it was past that time. Our excitement took the form of frown on our faces and curse on our tongue. We were cursing the driver incessantly until we could hear the loud honk of the foghorn. There was a deafening HURRAY!!!! by all of us which marked the start of the most exciteful day.
As soon as the bus stopped, we all sprinted towards the bus without even bothering to bid goodbye to our parents who had come to see us off. But the limited window seats were our primary concern. In a jiffy, the entire class was in the bus busy fighting for the window seats when the vociferous voice silenced us and averted the possible petty fights. It was the last trip of our school life. We started for shivanasamudra at 7:00 am.

It is around 100 kms from our school which roughly took 2.5 hrs to reach. In due time we were busy playing antakshari and more so between boys and girls. Owing to my little interest in songs, I slowly descended in my seat and remained incognito for the entire duration. I was always reserved in large groups and expansive in smaller ones. The engine died with a shrill cry. We were in shivanasamudra. It was around 9:45 am. We all got down the bus and were wonderstruck with the bountiful beauty of the resplendent nature. I felt the scenery was straight from greeting card photo. I was awestruck when I saw the perennial downfall of the milky cauvery from the peril with such virile and vigour. We had our breakfast amidst such beauty. It was a thrilling experience. My eyes were feasting more than my stomach. Finally it was time to leave the place as we had to cover 2 more places and return on the same day. Our next destination was talakadu which was in close proximity. It took us less than an hour to reach talakadu.

It was almost 12 noon. Sun was straight above us. The warmth was a very welcoming one and we slowly shred all our extra woolen which we wore in the morning. Talakadu was a totally different experience. It had fine sand all over the place and a slow and a peaceful cauvery flowing by the side. This place has a historic significance which is unfolded by a legendary story which says that the sandy ground was due to the curse laid out to the reigning king of that place. Stories apart, I thoroughly enjoyed walking on the sand as the whole of the sole feels the ground unlike when we walk on hard surface. We visited some temples which were uncovered by Archeological Survey of India. There were numerous stories on each of the temples to which we gave our deaf ears. Then it was time for lunch. The cook who had accompanied us from Bangalore had prepared a recipe for a disaster. Disaster is the finished product of bad ingredients and processes. In a mood of gay, we didn’t really give a damn to it and filled our tummies with some available junkies. After enjoying for a while near the river bank, it was time to proceed further. We were already running behind schedule. It was 3 pm. A loud and a familiar voice commanded to board the bus. Our next destination was the famous somanathpura which was hardly an hour's drive from talakadu.

4 pm. Somanathpura. It was famous for the star-shaped Hoysala temple built in the 13th century. The temple was of great architectural beauty, surrounded by the stone carved idols and pillars, and as all other historical monuments, it reflected the culture, tradition, political and social life of that time. We spent an hour and a half at this place listening to some boring details of the stone carvings which I could hardly comprehend and appreciate. The dusk was setting in, the day was slowly drawing the curtains down. We started our return journey at around 6 pm. We were all jaded out, still the enthusiasm kept our spirits high. It was more of an exhilarating than exhausting.
On the way back, we slept like logs. Not a single soul was awake. Within no time the engine let out a shrill cry which sounded familiar to us now. We knew that the day was over and we were back to the starting point. It was 9 pm. Our parents were eagerly waiting our arrivals. They let a sigh of relief when we got down safe and sound. Before we dispersed, we all planned for a celebrated dispersal. All of us formed a man circle like the men-of-blues and let out a deafening HURRAY!!!! for 3 consecutive times with regular intervals. We gave a bear hug to all guys and a warm handshake to the reminder of the class. The odyssey had come to an end. The curtains were drawn. But it was permanently embedded in all our cerebral muscles.
Memories are always sweet and so are mine.

RAO

Nostalgia

NOSTALGIA revisits RAO!!!

I can hardly fathom the origin of thoughts that controls my physicalas well as mental health. But the irony is I don't like it when people try to explain them with some theories and assumptions. I personallyfeel when some things around us when left unexplained, their splendorappeals to man. It was one of the usual days in my office when I wassitting in library and reading a book when I suddenly noticed my minddeviating from the book to my recent past. I just thought of sharingmy thoughts with my friends. Hence this textual equivalent of myboisterous thoughts.

It was spring time and our final semester exams were just over. Wewere sailing on cloud nine. We no longer belonged to the campus. I wasoverwhelmed with mixed feelings. I had successfully reached theshore(completed my engg.) after a long and challenging ordeal which Ihad started in 2002.At the same time I was at the end of the mostcolorful phase of my life-the college life.

That was the day I really saw the splendor of our college campus. Ifelt like hugging the campus and embracing it till I feel contented. Icould feel the paternal sympathy when we saw those magnanimous treeswith their huge trunks bordering the open field where v played allsorts of outdoor games .I remembered many evenings I spent in collegestrolling around enjoying the cool breeze discussing the classpolitics and petty affairs of my classmates. It used to be ourfavourite recreation. The pranks played by my friends were reminiscentin my mind and was being replayed for me as I was laughing at myfollies and pranks I played. It's astonishing when I remember the kindof zeal we had every morning. There used to be days when our lecturerstook attendance by the window side looking at us near the canteen. Thekind of grand plans we used to chalk for every semester vacationreally intrigued me at that moment. Those were the days where thewhole experience was more exhilarating than exhausting. The glory andthe legacy of our college had masked all our lapses and put us on apedestal on par with the respectable society. The entire college, Ifelt was mourning my exit from college. I guess it was my reflectionof melancholy. Even to this day I owe a large part of my success tothis holy center of learning which had legitimate geniuses who workedwith priestlike sincerity.

All of a sudden I felt a cold shoulder when a friend of mine suddenlymocked my shoulder in the library. Only then did I realize it was alljust memories. The cruel social maturity took over its control over mymind. I thanked god gracefully for bestowing us with memory and moreso for keeping it still as an enigma.

RAO
EDUCATION OR KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER ?

I was stooping on the parapet in the balcony. It had been a rather bright day for the last day of June. The afternoon spell of rain had spread the fragrance of the wet earth. The rainbow in the clear blue sky was symbolizing hope. It was a feast for my eyes which was accustomed to the sight of concrete forest. The dusk was fast approaching and the boisterous kids had conquered the park which was adjoining my villa from the septuagenarians who were its otherwise predominant occupants. The kids were happily playing and enjoying the sunset which we rarely acknowledged as a miracle or a beautiful event worth watching. My mind traversed back in time and started savouring the reminiscent memories of my golden childhood. The days when we used to pray for a long day so that our play time could be extended beyond the stipulated duration. I remembered the way we used to sprint out from the class at the sound of the first gong of our school bell. I always used to be the first to be out of the class, thanks to my prestigious last bench status. We fought to come out first as if we will lose an Olympic otherwise. The days when I never slept without a bedtime story narration either by my mom or granny. I remembered the joy when we plucked a raw mango from my neighbour’s tree despite their repeated threats. Those were the golden days of my life. When I compared my childhood days with the present generation, I was in for a shock. There is no time for the kids to understand and enjoy the nature. They are devoid of bedtime stories. Team games are replaced by computer simulations. I was completely aware that the children were not to be blamed, but it was we who were responsible for such a blunder. I admire the innocence of the young minds devoid of greed, malice, vanity, egotism and lust for power which slowly and gradually percolates into theirs as well. Thanks to the otherwise responsible society. It is so heartening to see the once-innocent child indulge in malpractices and other misdeeds due to the external compulsion and bad influence. We were fortunate enough to get the moral science lessons right both at school and at home.
I am wonderstruck at the rate of reduction of age of mental maturity albeit the word needs to be redefined as the ability to understand the need to manipulate the truth according to the convenience of the self and the related. Gone are the times when we were punished severely for the utterance of the smallest of lies regardless of its consequence. I really vouch for that time tested system of ours. It really instills the importance and significance of such values and virtues in one’s life. No more is it considered wise to punish a kid for a wrongdoing. The motive behind the punishment has gone with the winds and so are the values. Education has lost its true purpose. It is reduced to a mere piling of inert facts in the brains of the fragile young minds and ensuring the same in the form of a terror called EXAMS. Teaching has become mere bread earning profession rather than a service to the mankind. There are no disciples of great gurus whose ideologies and principles were inspiring the young to tread the path of the noblemen. I pity the plight of kids who have grown up without listening to moral stories and words of the greats like Vivekananda who declared with virile and vigour that Courage and wisdom are the greatest virtues of man. I pity the plight of children when the word great people make them think about few billionaires who were in news recently. The importance of mother’s and grandmother’s wisdom transfer has been grossly neglected. Gone are the days when we were taught that the offenders of truth will be annihilated by God himself. It’s amazing to know the impact of such fable filled wisdom on the young and innocent. I strongly contend that the kind of holistic approach adopted by grandmothers to instill a sense of morality is not possible by any of the self acclaimed centers of excellence or international schools. An ideal Education must provide the opportunities for self fulfillment; it can at best provide a rich and challenging environment for the individual to explore, in his own way.
I am afraid that the present society and the system as a whole will envisage a wrong picture about the life and the world in the minds of the young. It is disturbing when I think of the world constituting only such people who are unaware of the glorious existence of some great souls who dedicated their lives for the elevation of the mankind. It is our duty to pass on the wisdom which was bestowed to us by our forefathers so that harmony can still hope to prevail in this cruel reality. If the tradition and culture of our land should be revived and kept alive, it should be carefully handed over from generation to generation so that the rich heritage is never lost. Considering the present state of matter, the day is not far when the whole process of education will be merely dubbed as Knowledge Transfer and a software is created to take care of one’s whole education. Thanks to the profound success of man in his endeavour to reduce his own interference.
“The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence” - Tagore

RAO

Silence

THE POWER OF SILENCE


When did you last spend some time in silence? If I may guess so, it could be somewhere between a week and a month and that too if u were in retrospection due to some possibly faced humiliation. Silence has always been a great reliever of stress, tension, fatigue and many other cerebral disturbances. This is an unimpugnable universal truth accepted by all. "Strength is born in the deep silence of long-suffering hearts; not amid joy." These words express the power and significance of silence.
From time immemorial, man has been advised by the wise to savour and celebrate the divine silence. The whistling of the wind, rustling of the waves, the virility of the mountains and moors, the splash of the waves, tenderness of the shining moon, the twinkle of the stars... how gracefully the bountiful earth cuddles us amidst such a glorifying lullaby. How else can u savour this resplendent beauty but during those moments of silence. Silence was wholeheartedly embraced by a microscopic minority of the likes of Buddha, Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda and few others who all rose to unreachable heights and stood as an exemplary evidence of the inherent power of silence. It is heartening to acknowledge that silence is invariably mistaken for being quiet. Silence is not just the absence of noise. Silence is the presence of divine ambience in the backdrop of man's explicit quietness. Note that we normally use the phrase as to 'observe silence' than 'keeping silence'. I have always admired people who are able to observe silence for a long time because taming the mind and keeping it under control is one of the most arduous and assiduous task man has rarely succeeded. Maintaining silence is not just refraining to speak but also to refrain from thoughts. A blank mind is a blessed mind. It is worth noting that silence is appreciated, advised, preached invariably in most of the religions across the globe. It is one of the easiest and the most effective means of achieving enlightenment. All this is theoretically known to a significant number, but the number of those choosing to be ignoramus regarding this is really heartening.
Silence is one of the hardest things to refute.
--Josh Billings
Despite knowing the power of silence, the reluctance shown by man towards it beckons some contemplation. What lures the ignorant man away from such a pleasurable state which is readily available at the occurrence of his thought? The desire of man to be recognized by others for all his possessions inclusive of intellectual, movable and immovable property is the main cause of his refusal of silence. He tends to gain illusory pleasure when praised and recognized by the equally ignorant mass. I strongly feel that this desire is the prima facie cause for all the misery on this planet. I contend that silence and peaceful coexistence is the only path for the alleviation of misery and the elevation of mankind. I would like to end with a thought that regardless of our present state and our past, we should consciously and continuously strive towards the betterment of mankind. Amelioration should be the motto of our life, not procrastination.
To summarize my words, I unquote Ralph J Bunche

Man has but little heeded the advice of the wise men. He has been - fatefully, if not willingly - less virtuous, less constant, less rational, less peaceful than he knows how to be, than he is fully capable of being. He has been led astray from the ways of peace and brotherhood by his addiction to concepts and attitudes of narrow nationalism, racial and religious bigotry, greed and lust for power

A Rendezvous with GOD!!!

A RENDEZVOUS WITH GOD!!!

It was twilight time and the sun was gracefully going down the horizon. I was alone walking down the shoreline in kanyakumari relishing the twilight hour in the serene
and a tranquil atmosphere.The crowd was phenomenally low that day. I felt the solitude and the ever wanted silence there. It was very peaceful.

Suddenly an elderly man with divine face tapped my shoulder and asked me " What are you doing here my boy? ". My body gave a spasmodic jerk when he touched me. I could see the effulgence radiating from behind his head. Albeit my inherent reluctance to speak to any stranger I happily replied back "I am just appreciating the nature". Without any
reply, he also continued to walk with me along the shore and we gradually indulged into discussion.We walked for miles together without a trace of fatigue. The journey was rather exhilarating than exhausting in his proximity. In the midst of it, unknowingly I just asked him "If GOD could create such beauty in this world for the man to enjoy, why
does he let the man to breed jealousy and greed in his mind and Why doesn't He eradicate the bad from the world?". " My Boy, if you were living by the sea shore for a long time, then would you appreciate the sunset in the same way as you are doing now? Definitely not. Its because you tend to get used to the same scenic sight and it becomes a part of your mundane life. Likewise if there were good people everywhere, good food for veryone and everything good happening everywhere , then the very value of good would lose its significance. Man would not know to strive towards his goal. Sacrifice would have no place on this earth. Noone would try to realise Him as they will never find his need. Gradually everything would become a part of man's life.Luxuries would become necessities, man will become slave to the comfort and he'll forget the very purpose of his life." he replied. Pat I bounced back asking " What is the purpose of my life?" He
gracefully said " Realising........" and vapoured away from me towards the dusky sea when I heard a ' trrrrrrrrrrrrrnnnnnnnnnnn...' , my alarm went off.


It was only then I realised it was all my dream.It was 8 am and I was still on bed. Anyway regardless of the authenticity of the event, I pondered over his last word for days together. Finally I got the solution.I guessed it meant that " Realising the purpose of my life was itself the purpose." I felt divine and blessed when I realised god himself spoke to me at length and lead me from the frightening dark to the reassuring light. A lightning bolt ran down the spine.

RAO