Purpose of life

Many times in life, I wondered why I am here. Associated with this big question is another, Who am I after all? Am I here just to wake up, work, eat, sleep or is there something else ? Am I just this body and mind complex, the one that is always changing, sometimes ill, sometimes well, sometimes happy, sometimes sad ?

These questions I am sure do not have simple answers, they need determination and focus. I do not know how strong the seeker in me is, but I do hope the answers dawn on me sometime. A Guru is supposed to be the one who strenghtens the seeker and makes him/her eligible to get these answers. To be with the Guru, one needs to conquer the skeptic within. Certainly not easy. 

At the moment, I fall back on my intellect and intuition and try to get my answers one by one. I am not in a hurry. Each one needs a different 'path' and it is up to the individual to select the method best suited to him/her.

More as I gather...

What to write....

Writing has becoming habitual thanks to this blog. However, I have temporarily run out of topics. Hence this topic :)

Writing about anything requires a set of ideas, opinions or thoughts about the subject matter. Then putting them together in a proper order so they make sense to the reader. And then finally review it and hit 'Publish'. But when you don't have any ideas, thoughts, opinions, then you are saved of the entire process. It does not mean expression stops.

We are constantly expressing ourselves. Those around us know it. But there isn't yet a tool on the net that facilitates this kind of expression. Emoticons do justice to some extent.So, until one such tool comes up where you let the world know that you are there still, the blog journey has to continue.

More when I have something to say, hopefully soon :)

Height of it

Tall structures can be an observer's delight. Once you are in them, you can be a potential acrophobic. Is a fear of heights inherent in every person as a form of fear of death ? Or are only some vulnerable to it ? Still wondering...

Weather and mood

Strange and interesting how weather can impact one's moods. Why does one feel bored when its gloomy outside ? Guess our connection with this world is deeper than we think or know. Anything and everything has the power to impact us in varying degrees. And weather is an important and instant impact. If you're down, take a walk in a green area where its breezy, and see how your mood lifts up. No wonder people in this part of the world savor summer.

When it comes to weather, it seems that hot is better than cold, though some might argue otherwise. Warm weather propels activity, you can't sleep for long if the morning sun is shining right into your bedroom. And activity causes exhaustion, so you sleep better and deeper. The reverse happens in cold weather and it may not be a coincidence that people in countries where there is extreme cold, are more depression prone than those in warmer countries.

Another interesting fact about the weather-mood connection is that constant exposure to same weather dilutes the impact of that weather. Thats what we experience in 'seasons'. So nature keeps you entertained by changing seasons every few months. In countries close to the Equator, one does not get to experience a variety of seasons though, as it tends to remain warm throughout.

So, the next time you feel happy for no reason, the real reason could be the season!

Street food

Thousands of people in busy metros depend on street food, its affordable, fast and easily available. In big metros, there's wide variety too. Not just the food, the ambience also makes street food an attractive option. No etiquette need be practiced nor any table manners are required. You are welcome to be yourself. The bigger your group, the better.

I remember seeing some street food joints as a child. One particular joint always had a group of people around it. I wondered how the one vendor managed to service all of them together. When I looked closer, I realized he applied the 'round robin' technique and managed to service everyone without too much delay, very CPU-like :)

How about the hygiene factor in the food ? A recent incident brought to light the pathetic level of cleanliness of the storage vessels in which the food is prepared. Well, this was not the first time such an incident has been reported, there have been several in the past. And they have not deterred people from resorting to their favorite street food. Looks like the street food is here to stay.

Sisters in Concert

Finally saw one of my all-time fav Carnatic singers, the Priya Sisters. We attended their concert yesterday at the Balaji temple. What can I say ? If you closed your eyes and heard them, you'd think its just one voice. They are so well co-ordinated. Attired traditionally, they humbly walked on to the stage and bowed to the audience before taking their seat on the stage. And at the end of the concert, it was the audience that bowed to their amazing singing ability, their co-ordination and their talent.

I will not go into the intricate details of the raagas here, some popular Annamacharya Kritis they sang were 'Chaalada Hari nama', 'Jagadapu', 'Jo Achyutananda' and 'Brahma Kadigina'. To the audience's surprise, they rendered a couple of poems from vemana satakam musically. It was the first time many of us heard such a rendition.

The concert ended with a 'Mangalam'. But, one did not have the 'Oh its over' feeling, 'cos the mood created by the Kritis stays on. And you can hear them anytime on youtube too :)

Thanks to cultural groups such as the Balaji temple group that are working to keep these masterpieces alive, else its so easy to fall prey to some of the mediocre tunes available today.

A Buddhist Tale

Buddha was/is an epitome of silence. His silence was said to be more powerful than his words. Here's another of my fav stories from Buddhist folklore. The incident happened at that time when Buddha became very popular among people for his powerful presence and his ability to make people meditate. In the time of the Buddha, there was a rich businessman whose wife and children were ardent Buddhists. The businessman hated the Buddha for drawing his family away from materialism.

One day, as usual, when Buddhists had assembled to meditate in the presence of the Buddha, the businessman arrived to teach the Buddha a lesson. He walked up to the Buddha in full public view and abused him. Buddha remained calm and composed, this angered the businessman even more. He increased his volley of words and to the shock of everyone present, spat at the Buddha in his face. Buddha still did not react, but remained smiling. The businessman, unable to bear Buddha's calm and composure, left the scene.

That night, the businessman was filled with remorse. He realized that there was indeed something great about the Buddha's presence, his acceptance and his composure. The next morning, he decided to ask the Buddha for forgiveness. When he went to the
Buddha this time, he was received with great love and respect. The businessman was shocked. There was no sign of anger. He asked the Buddha to forgive him, Buddha smiled and told the businessman that the person that abused him the previous day is different from the person that he is today. So, in reality, there is no one to be forgiven.
This struck a chord in the businessman who became an ardent Buddhist later.

For me, the message here is that we are all changing everyday. If someone has not been good at some point of time, its foolish to brand them that way. Likewise, those who have been good at sometime might turn out differently another time. Its best to accept this fact when we are dealing with people, so our relationships remain healthy.