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Do not disagree

Nothing is more fatal for disagreement and dissent than the idea that all of it can be reduced to hidden sub-texts or external agendas. You may be a supporter of Bt brinjal or nuclear energy. But you ought to worry if we became a culture in which no one was spooked after Fukushima, or suspicious of data on agricultural technologies. The idea that anyone who disagrees with my views must be the carrier of someone else’s subversive agenda is, in some ways, deeply anti-democratic. It does away with the possibility of genuinely good faith disagreement. It denies equal respect to citizens because it absolves you from taking their ideas seriously. Once we have impugned the source, we don’t have to pay attention to the content of the claims.

IPS officer crushed to death by mining mafia in Madhya Pradesh

Prabhakaran’s son was killed in cold blood by Lankan forces?

ரௌத்திரம் பழகு!
Practice righteous anger!

Heart Index Questionnaire

Take a few minutes to take this questionnaire! Pretty useful :)
Heart Index Questionnaire

Purpose of Sattva

The purpose of sattva, is to transform all of rajas and tamas into sattva and then to perform self-destruct - much like the shutdown process, which first kills all other processes and then kills itself!

When any of these qualities are needed later, they can be created on the fly!

பதிலளிப்பீரோ சங்கரரே?

நிற்பதுவே, நடப்பதுவே,பறப்பதுவே நீங்களெல்லாம்
சொற்பனந்தானோ? பல தோற்றமயக்கங்களோ?
கற்பதுவே, கேட்பதுவே, கருதுவதே நீங்களெல்லாம
அற்பமாயைகளோ? உம்முள் ஆழ்ந்தபொருளில்லையோ?

பதிலளிப்பீரோ சங்கரரே?

First thing in awakening

Neo was sleep walking in the matrix. One of the first things that was done to awaken him was to take charge of the physical body!
Regular, appropriate asana / pranayama practice anyone?

Future worry

Q: How to stop worrying about the future and start living in the present?
A: There are many answers. One is to gradually learn to train the breath to be deep, rhythmic and subtle. Another is to gradually restructure ones life to be in alignment with ones life purpose, which will give us the energy to always stay ahead of the curve.

Another important way is penetrating insight - the insight that this question recursively applies to itself! The more we stay with this insight, the more the many dimensions of this will open up and the better clarity one will possess.

Wind in the pines!

The wind blows hard among the pines
Toward the beginning
of an endless past.
Listen: you've heard everything.
- Shinkichi Takahashi

ஆசனம்

காலை எழுந்தவுடன் ஆசனம்!
தமஸ் விலக ஆசனம்,
சத்வ கிரஹனம் நீங்க ஆசனம்!
அஸ்மிதம் மறைய ஆசனம்,
ஞான தீபம் ஒளிர ஆசனம்!
பிறவிப் பெரும்பயன் அடையும்
வழி பிறக்க ஆசனம்!

Shaping desires

It is not so much about culling desires as much as it is about shaping desires! But, many of our desires are in opposition with each other - leading to internal conflict suffering. But, if we build within us the capacity to find out our deepest desires, we will have the energy to cull distracting ones and manifest the real ones.

For example, we also want to be safe on the roads. But, we also want to get the kick of driving fast, or want to jump the signals out of impatience (at least in Indian roads). Clearly, they are conflicting. When one is calm and effortlessly focussed, it is natural to let only the desire to be safe manifest.

Likewise, there are many conflicting desires within us at many levels of our being. The varying tools of yoga are there to help us build in sufficient energy, focus, peace in us to be able to cull unwanted desires and let us manifest our deepest desires. The beauty of this is that, the deeper desires are naturally in sync with wholesome well being of the society. Do we have it in us to see this and to work towards identifying and manifesting our deepest desires?

Finding Bengaluru!

There were two people who wanted the route to Bengaluru - one from Mangalore and the other from Chennai. Someone who had been to Bengaluru told the former to travel east while another, who had also been to Bengaluru, told the latter to travel west. But, sadly, neither person who asked for directions reached Bengaluru but due to providence, crossed each others path in Trivandrum. As their ideas clashed, the two bravely fought arguing whether going east or west is the right way to reach Bengaluru! Apparently, as the centuries rolled by, it became an important chapter in the text books that talk about finding Bengaluru!

Satsang

Giving advice, is in a sense, throwing light. Of the five elements, the one that produces light is fire. Hence to give advice, one needs to invoke the fire element in ones mind. But, fire also has the nasty habit of giving away heat and that can hurt and/or turn off people. One solution to that is to keep the fire far removed from the recipient of light. This naturally implies that the amount of light that reaches the receiver is also less. Another option, is to be in touch with masters like Ramana. But, rare are such yuga purushas. To me, there appears to be only one other viable alternative - to bring the fire in close enough proximity so that necessary light is thrown but have a wonderful and genuine, deep trust / love based relationship between the giver and receiver of light which will then act as a cushioning medium for the heat. Thus, the necessary light is transmitted but the damage caused by the heat is next to nil or minimal. Do you have such a group of people around you - each of whom are absolutely committed towards discovering perfection / truth / god in their lives? Do you have such a satsang - who will show you a compassionate mirror to every single piece of untruth in you? This will rapidly accelerate the process of culling all falsehoods in one. Such a satsang can only be built up gradually over time. Are you putting in that effort now? It cannot come suddenly. But, it will definitely come if you are committed discovering perfection / truth / god in your life!

Amma

What gnana yoga calls maya (that which deludes),
what karma yoga calls duhkam (suffering or a world in crisis),
what raja yoga calls drsyam (matter or that which is seen),
bhakthi yoga calls amma (mom)!

I can wait

I offered you a flower,
But, sadly,
you saw that as a snake!
It was crushed under your heels!

But that is ok,
Ill keep offering
again, and again
and again
again!

There is nothing to worry
I can wait!
There is no hurry,
for
I am eternity!

River of tendencies

शुभाशुभाभ्यां मार्गाभ्यां वहन्ती वासना सरित् ।
पौरुषेणप्रयत्नेन योजनीया शुभे पथि
-- योग-वासिष्ठ

The river of tendencies flow along auspicious and unhealthy ways!
The wise work towards directing them on the auspicious ones!
-- Yoga Vasishta

My own note: The same applies at the social level as well as the individual. Our lives push the society on auspicious and unhealthy paths. The wise see this clearly and clean up their act to the extent feasible!

Suspend Judgement

The ability to suspend judgement is a mark of maturity. What would it take to suspend judgement forever but still respond compassionately and skilfully to the challenges life throws at one? What would be the nature of such a being?

Ishta Devata

Ishta devata (Heart felt divine being) is the essential nature of ones heart! Trying to discover that continuously, with or without external support, helps to align oneself in the direction of letting that manifest in the world!

svadhyayad ishta devata sanprayogah (Yoga sutras - chapter 2, sutra 44)
Self-study and reflection on yourself (svadhyaya) brings you into contact with the desired ideal.

Excellence vs Purity

Most institutions around the world want to be centres of excellence! Excellence is an intellectual / mind based idea. Its not wrong. It is indeed wonderful but it lacks depth! When we think of Lord Ram, it is not excellence that comes to mind (though there was a lot of excellence), but it is purity. Purity will almost certainly lead to excellence but excellence does not guarantee purity. When excellence is mindlessly pursued without being founded on purity, institutions become groundless and all the energy is quickly dissipated. Thus, the road to hell, one may say, is paved with excellence that is devoid of underlying purity! Where are the institutions of purity around the world? Why are'nt we creating them?

ஏசுதாசையா

உள்ளம் உருகுதையா ஏசுதாசையா!
உந்தன் தெய்வீக குரலில்,
தேவகானம் கேட்கையில்!

Ahara suddhau

Ahara suddhau sattva suddhih
Sattva suddhau dhruva smrtih
Smrtilambhe sarvagranthinam vipramoksah

When the food to mind / senses is clean, mind is in sattva state!
When the mind is in sattva, ones divine nature is recognized!
When that is done, all knots we face in life are resolved!

-- Chandogya Upanishad

Meditation vs Prayer

That which the mind / intellect calls meditation, the heart calls as prayer! Either way, it is effective only when the being is transformed like the way polluted air filled with dust, smoke and particulate matter is cleansed after a heavy rain!