small satori at work

 May the questions never force a singular answer May a critic never shut a door forever May a comment point to a better possibility May the love never stifle growth -- Plurality Optimist, a Manifesto for Change

Large scale prevalence of tools to recognise and evaluate "expertise" in specific areas have reduced or capacity to appreciate diversity. 

For almost 20+ years now I have always said that  Deepavali need not be about bursting crackers, the mindless spending of money on wasteful expenditure to burst loud crackers to create toxic fumes that hang on the city for couple of days choking every breathing lung, is not a way to celebrate any festival. But, this year i am afraid talking about air or noise pollution on Deepavali day will make me look like an anti-national. -- rhetoric is the lazy first step ('ask the christians to stop bursting crackers during christmas', 'why do you remember pollution only during hindu festival'...), these will be seen  in the coming days in online posts and responses by the lazy gang -- then comes the obscurantist smarty-pants view that can cite from unknown and unheard of scriptures, preferably in sanskrit,  to justify polluting (as far as i know lighting of lamps are the only ones prescribed and none of the chemical ways of lamps or crackers were in vogue when the last time ...

When Democratically elected governments abuse the powers to scuttle people's voice, how do people support such a move? What motivates them to support such excesses by the government? Recent dialogues among several circles has given me some insights. One common feature i see in people who support, is that all of them at some level are abusers of power, whether it be in their families, communities, professions or public offices. Once you are used to abusing power at a small level, you are awestruck when it is done at a bigger level, the act of abuse, both validates and strengthens your weakness.

With age memories distort Changes to facts of past to suit our views of present Self preservation causes distortion No one preserves a self from past, So, all our memories are always distorted We age with these distortions All memory is distorted so that we create a new reality. Truth is only Now.

In its carefully selected reasoning, In its need to build its identity, it creates a world to live in. In its failure, it remains mortal, In trying to achieve peace within its failing, it immortalizes the human limitation of thanklessness.

great is the gratitude  towards those who sustaining unwanted engagement, towards those who avoid speech and meaningless banter, to be rejected by people instead of having to reject.

"This is an analogy of what often happens in life." We have experiences when the light of day vanishes, leaving us in some dark and desolate midnight - moments when our highest hopes are turned into shambles of despair or when we are the victims of some tragic injustice and some terrible exploitation. During such moments our spirits are almost overcome by gloom and despair, and we feel that there is no light anywhere. But ever and again, we look toward the east and discover that there is another light which shines even in the darkness, and "the spear of frustration" is transformed "into a shaft of light."  This would be an unbearable world were God to have only a single light, but we may be consoled that God has two lights: a light to guide us in the brightness of the day when hopes are fulfilled and circumstances are favorable, and a light that guides us in the darkness of the midnight when we are thwarted and the slumbering giants of gloom and h...

let's fly, because you are capable of it yes, but can we? of course you can, let's fly we don't have wings you do, i will hold, let's fly we are scared let's fly, you can hold on and if you fall, i will hold our people don't want us to i can't give up because you do every moment i see the star speck in your soil you insist on seeing just your face in the mirror crawling in your mental cage, hurting your wings, even as you continue decay as a worm, i refuse to give up appealing to your real self!

a centralized power loves centralized response aggregation of cases against centralization feeds pride of centralization

Several recent posts on Social media about people sending strangers their favourite book and then receiving 30+ books in return! got me thinking...why would i want to send some stranger my favourite book? i have always taken trouble to know what people like and only gift them books that they like. and, do i really want 30+ books in return just because i decide to gift someone a book? i don't think so. i have had no expectations when i gift someone a book or for that matter anything, except the joy of gifting them something they like. but, strange are the ways of global commerce. stranger the ways of gullible victims.

In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you  - Buddha

Increasingly I am convinced one of the greatest disasters of our times has been the 'inward' looking feature of modern spiritual teaching. that we have failed in the commons and togetherness is our biggest failing in modern times. any 'solving' of 'problems' need to address the commons and not the individual alone. i am not saying that the individual focus is irrelevant. I am aware the the aspiration of many who learn for instance yoga based courses is to become a yoga teacher, 'i have become an expert, now let me go and teach others' and the same clan perpetuates itself. people when they pay for a course, think that at the end of this, i will become a teacher of a similar course! economy is part of the equation, however, aspiration plays a big role as well. And teachers of spirituality have not directed the aspirations towards commons more often. It requires more closer engagement with whats happening at the common place, it requires the spirituali...

Pragmatism is the first refuge for status quoists and optional for justifying mediocrity. It is the easy refuge for the lazy and insecure. Governments all over the world are managed by mediocre bureaucracy, hence, pragmatism is oft heard in halls of power.

Living in far away lands from the one born in, Migration of choice for money, fame, work, love... Choices of desire, hatred, ambition or penury. But, to migrate in ones own land, Out of compulsion, in helplessness, dispossessed, depressed and depravation... War in people and life within them. All in the same planet we call home. Both these migrations happen and at the same time. Peace is a difficult word to pronounce and possess, leave alone to practice.

Violence as an act to ward off threat and survive is fundamental to all organisms. From the smallest to the larger ones, humans are no exemption. Threats are conflicting interests that protect organisational boundaries... The sperm for instance has to cross several difficult boundaries, sometimes violently, to reach the egg and fuse. Both are protecting, a million sperms result in a 1 eventually fusing, but it is the way nature built organisational boundaries to ensure longevity for all, and, there is no success or failure. All are doing their duty to eventually arrive at a new beginning, but each has to perform its bit. But humans changed the purpose of violence, we used it as tools for creating and safe guarding economy, power, wealth and identity . As long as these economies, power, wealth and identity remained within the bounds of a region or were not further strengthened with technology, their capacity to destroy through violence remained limited. Once they got strengt...

Yogasthah kuru karmani - 'do action situated yourself in the position of yoga'... And yoga is cittavrittinirodah , 'control over the tendencies that arise in our citta'. Citta, is one of the terms used to refer to the mind. To do work with a control over the tendencies that arise in mind is the way to perform karma.

Teachers day greetings to all those people who dare to teach that it's ok to be on eself

every centralization of a knowledge system is against a widespread knowledge society

excessive self-absorbtion that belittles all emotions and sensitivity to vulnerabilities around is a sure sign of decaying spirit. healing powers and pathways can't cure such spirit, voluntary work and service can.