Terror Within !

Mumbai under siege !

We all saw it on National television. We all see the anger. We all felt the pain. When does it stop? What does it take for the nation to wake up? How many times does it have to be replayed? It has happened in Mumbai, in Delhi, Ahemdabad, J&K. 3600 lives in the last 4 years lost due to terrorist activities. Forget the nation, what will it take for you and me to take notice? Will a personal loss only jolt us into awakening? Are a few words of anger, a few words of grief, a few words of regret that are expressed by us enough?

A weak and diseased body is not able to handle outside infection. There is a rot within. Our weakness makes us prone to outside infection. Have we woken up to identify what is the rot within? Are they the politicians we support and elect? Do we actively participate in building a strong nation? Are we concerned about our neighbor, let alone the whole country? Is it our mindset and attitude? Is this about me or is it about everybody? Is your voice being heard? When do we stand up? How do we stand up? Is it through education? Is it through the government we choose? Is it through violence, or communication? Maybe before making others understand, we need to re-understand, re-think and re-educate our own self.

The terrorist. The politics and politicians. And where do I stand in all this? Should I too not take the blame?

The movement starts from 'I' to 'Us' to 'Everyone'. What 'others' face today, 'I' will face tomorrow.

WOW & HOW - II

WOW :

The original name of butterfly was 'flutterby' !

HOW :

In a building there are 3 floors
Each floor has a bulb in the room
In the basement there are 3 switches
You can go up the stairs only once
How can you find which switch is of which bulb ?

Brahmnaad

'Kavya shastra vinodakalok gacchate dhimata .........It is a sign of intelligent person that he devotes his time to music, art, scriptures, poetry, wit and meditation.' So spake Sri Sri Ravishankar, a spiritual master and humanitarian from India, at Brahmnaad, a grand symphony of 1200 sitarists held on 21st November, 2008 in Delhi. It was perhaps the first time that so many sitarists played the instrument together and the event is expected to find a place in the Guinness book of records.

Music has been known to be an integral part of all traditions over the world. One reason for this is that our musical roots run deep: even before our ancestors could speak, they probably sang to one another. Now neuroscientists are working on a theory that music has been central to the evolution of the modern mind. If they are right, it will strengthen the hands of those who want music to be more central in fields from education to therapy.

'Both, music and spirituality bring harmony in life. Meditation brings silence within and brings music from the soul. Whereas, good music brings calmness to the mind, and gives rest and strength to the body,' said Sri Sri Ravishankar at whose inspiration the grand symphony was organised by the Art of Living Foundation. His emphasis on 'good' music is worth noting. It has been known that music shapes the brain just as the brain shapes what it recognizes as music. It implies that musical preferences may determine many of the human traits and even our values !

Brahmnaad apparantly was an attempt to revive the tradional sitar a plucked stringed musical instrument, originating from the lute family. The music of the sitar has charmed audiences for hundreds of years. As the leading stringed instrument of pre-Islamic India, the sitar was a common element of religious festivals in India. Sitar’s origin lies with other stringed instruments, one of them being the Veena, a fretted stringed instrument popular in ancient India. The Veena was said to have been played by Saraswati, the Indian Goddess of Music and Learning. The sitar may also be an off-shoot of another stringed instrument, the “tanbur.” This long-necked lute played a crucial role in Medieval Muslim cultures.

Listening to the 1200 sitars playing together was no less than a spiritual treat. It was an experience that will remain with me for a long time to come.

'When so many sitars play at the same time, it is not just sound ( naad ), it is divine melody - Brahmnaad,' said Sri Sri Ravishankar.

WOW & HOW - I

WOW :

A blue whale's tongue weighs more than an elephant !

HOW :

There are 3 apples in a bowl. How can we distribute these apples between 3 girls so that every girl receives one apple and one apple remains in the bowl?

The Love of the Mystic

Why is the mystic in love? The mystic is in love because he cannot be but in love. He is on the journey to reunite with his Beloved whom he has been separated from.

Kabir has penned down some of the most heart rending poems in cry for uniting with the Divine.

O my Love! come to my house
My body is in intense pain
While all say I am your spouse
I have the very doubts
So long your heart isn't immersed in mine
What kind of love is that
I don't relish food neither do I sleep
I feel discontent in my own home
Passionate is my Love
Like the thirsty longs for water
Will someone do me a favor
And narrate my predicament to my beloved
Kabir is now in total distress
Without seeing the beloved, he is going to die.

---- Kabir

The Sufis in Islam have been known to be intoxicated lovers of God. Their bewildered state of heart is revealed in their songs and poems. The verses of Rumi, a Sufi poet reveal some of these mysteries of the heart.

Should Love's heart rejoice unless I burn?
For my heart is Love's dwelling.
If You will burn Your house, burn it, Love!
Who will say, 'It's not allowed'?
Burn this house thoroughly!
The lover's house improves with fire.
From now on I will make burning my aim,
From now on I will make burning my aim,
for I am like the candle: burning only makes me brighter.
Abandon sleep tonight;
traverse from one night to the region of the sleepless.
Look upon these lovers who have become distraught
and like moths have died in union with the One Beloved.
Look upon this ship of God's creaturesand see how it is sunk in Love.

---- Rumi

In whom the longing for the Beloved has been ignited, has received the greatest gift of grace a human can receive. Because it is this longing that sets him on the path back home. His is a journey back to the source! The love of the mystic is incomprehensible to intellect and thus the rest of the world. The worldly pleasures no longer offer either attraction or solace. It is a love where nothing will satisfy him except union with the source. However, this union with the source goes beyond the senses and the intellect. The greatest of mystic poets have expressed the longing for this union but fell silent when it came to expressing the inexpressible union itself.

"Means To Me"

... What I understand of it, and its relevance to me
... Path to me
... Path within me, to me
...
... A few words a few thoughts, on the meaningful, on the meaningless !!

Share what you can, express what you feel!

The Big Question ?

There ‘seems’ a path in front of me. Am I moving ahead with ‘my’ efforts or is the scenery passing by none the less? Am I the ‘chooser’ of the path, or was it chosen for me? Why me? How me? Is it in me? Am I guided, or am I the ‘choice’? Is it even a choice?

When I am good, I am really good. When I am bad, I am really bad !

The first thing that I noticed when I practiced on becoming more ‘aware’, is the extremities of the mind, understanding of which became much clearer through some very close guidance by my Teacher/Guide. Awareness through daily life, it became apparent to me that this mind would in a very unassuming manner, cloak my actions, and would hold me in a coma like stupor for long periods. It is quite the thing. The energy of this mind it seems is from the momentum of the extremities it leads us too. And that momentum never lets us rest. It ranges from actions that lead to false joy and excitement, to depression, anger etc.. With guidance and awareness, the mind starts losing momentum, and then, in those moments of balance, one feels the limitless subtle joy, which is quite unlike the sporadic joy I once thought it to be. In this subtlety, love comes naturally, duty is effortless, and energy needs no false triggers. No mind- What a relief !

Parallel Universes

Scientists have started to believe that there could be infinite number of parallel universes existing. These universes could contain the 3 dimensions of space, 1 of time and many other dimensions as well which could be difficult to fathom at this point in time. They have even gone ahead and suggested that these universes could very well contain you, though in different forms!

While reading about such postulations I went through the various theories that indicate such existence. Among them were the String Theory, Super String Theory and the M-Theory. What I could gather as one with limited knowledge of physics was as under:

The fundamental building blocks of this universe are not particles (points) but strings (strands of energy). These strings are one-dimensional and in oscillation which is induced by inherent tension and kinetic energy carried by them. The frequency at which each string vibrates determines the nature/characteristics of the particle i.e electron, photon, etc. and thereby the characteristics of the objects.

Thereafter emerged the M-Theory. String theory assumed the string to be the fundamental constituent of the universe. M theory added another fundamental constituent - membrane or brane which is multidimensional object and is also known as p-brane. The variable p refers to the number of dimensions of the brane e.g 0-dimension is a point, 1-dimension is a string, 2-dimension onwards. M theory postulates the existence of an 11th dimension beyond the 10 dimensions postulated by the string theory. The theory also states that strings coexist with membranes of various dimensions. The 11th dimension is said to be from where the strings originate!

These membranes could grow into larger membranes or branes upto even the size of the universe. They could be existing parallel to each other as also could be intersecting each other. Some of these universes which are parallel could be far from our universe or could be pretty close or intersecting also but we may not be aware of them. We may not be there on many universes but it may be possible that we may be there on other universes as well simultaneously though in different forms and in other dimensions!

A couple of years back, I had picked up a copy of the Yogavashisht from the International centre of the Art of Living, founded by Sri Sri Ravishankar. Yogavashisht is a spiritual dialogue between Sage Vashisht and Lord Rama whereby the sage gives the subtle knowledge of manifest creation. Though a very ancient scripture, it talks of the experiences of multiple universes. It suggests that through yogic practices one can attain to a subtle state and in that subtle state other universes can be experienced/visualised! Ofcourse the scripture gives more subtle knowledge on the creation, experience and annhilation of universe than scientific theories are yet to indicate.

It makes me wonder whether science with all the tools and technology at its disposal will ever be able to decipher the subtlety of existence, which the sages thousands of years ago were able to experience through yogic/spiritual practices.