Tough Times - Way to look at it!

Challenging Situations, Muddled minds and confused murmurs are the ones I see these days among people. Yes, we are circled by tough times these days both inside and outside. But, it is all in our perception and how we look at this scene. I felt like giving you a different dimension or a consolation to feel comfortable in this crisis!

We have been facing challenges in life. Some we faced unknowingly, some as part of our commitments/predicaments and some after hibernation into our comfort zones.

• Unknowingly as a little toddler, we learnt to walk. As a child we slowly prattled to get our speaking ability. These are the main and major things one should have in life. I mean the ability to walk and speak. Right? Luckily, as a child we never had the fear or thinking as to what will happen if I can’t walk? [or] what will happen if I cant speak? Without that fear/tension we were able to tackle it easily!
• As part of commitments: We struggled to get settled in life. No other go we got to do it. Else, life becomes a trouble. We had to clear our exams and there was no other option. So we did it!
• After getting settled in life we entered into a routine and got comforts. We were into a hibernation mode, out of troubles. And suddenly now, when a crisis or a challenge comes we panic or get confused!

Do you see the difference in all the above phases of life? Challenges were there always, they were unique but its our attitude towards it that made the difference.

Lets face it. Only tough times unravel the strengths of a man. Success is not about winning always. It’s also about how quickly we can raise out of debacles! Even the smallest of the grass has to put its new root into the ground firmly, even if it sees a new stone on its way. Only when you keep rocking yourself strong against the obstacles, you get deeply firmly rooted. Mind it!

Think of your surroundings, ambience and dependents. You cannot stumble so easily and also collapse your dependents. The struggle of a seed inside the ground is two-fold. In one direction, it has to stretch and push out of the soil to help the world with its fruits, flowers, shade et al. On the other direction, it has to root itself deeply/firmly so that it can stand strong to support the world and sustain its fruitfulness. Can you evaluate which direction is important? We can't be partial to one of this, obviously. Both are crucial dimensions to concentrate on! How many trees we see daily? But, do we realize this fact? Let’s be strong and keep others and our ambience lively and strong as well! Growing on both sides is very important and these tough times help us do that!

Its time, I leave your mind free to ponder on this. To end with a cliché, "Tough times never last; but, tough men do!!!"

Yours inspiringly,
Mani

Life - Being Accountable, Yet Keeping it Lite!

Hi,

It has been a long time ... How are you? Yesterday when I was heading back home, I thought a few things which I felt sharing with you.

Life is a gift or a pain? Have we ever counted how many moments in a day we were happy or sad? Is that happiness or sorrow because of our mistake or the other? There are definite answers to everything in the world. But, it depends on whether you want to accept it or not. If you ask me, for all the 'effects', the 'cause' is you. You started something which gave that 'effect'. But does that always mean you are the one who did that mistake? Not actually!

Certain things have to start. When I say 'Certain Things', it can be any work, a conversation, an acquaintance, a project, your own vision, a desire or anything. Who starts it is not of concern. But once started, how you attribute yourself to the series of events that happens around it, makes you accountable for the happiness/sorrow that you got.

To be simple, A desire to buy a car is bound to happen for anyone. If you buy as per your plan you are happy else, you are sad. But the desire by itself is not the cause for your sadness. How did you approach towards accomplishing your desire, makes you accountable for the happiness/sorrow the desire caused. If you had put all your efforts towards buying the car and your mind is convinced of your efforts, you need not worry about it at all. Start finding the external factors which caused your desire to fail and try approaching/complaining that factor rather than blaming you. More than complaining, we will have to actually think of circumventing that factor the next time, when you aim to approach that desire again.

Keep life simple. Do your best and leave the rest on God. I bet it is simple. 'Life is a gift or a pain' should not be our debate. Keep it aside. What you want to do today to be happy is what that pays in a long run. Think like your whole life is just today, is a usual cliché to be happy in life. But that doesn't mean no planning is required for future :-)... Be cool and do your best.

Spend time with your family and friends, everyday. It’s very hard to get people who love your presence. A small mail or a minute of chat will not digress you out of your vision. A smile exchanged daily is worth millions of talk. See life as a piano [or any musical instrument] and think of how to bring beautiful melodies out of it. Remember, it’s the person who plays the piano brings in it a cacophony or euphony. Learn that art! As they say 'A lazy man always blames his tools', there is no point in blaming the piano [life], for what you played on it.

Blame yourself and make you accountable for the RIGHT mistakes only. Keep life as light as possible. Stop debating on 'life - a gift or pain'. If you still keep doing the debate, you will forget to live it.

Yours lively,
_Mani

Taxation as explained by an economics professor

I got this as a forward from one of my friends. Worth and Interesting, a read!

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Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that's what they decided to do.

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until on day, the owner threw them a curve. "Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20."Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?'They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer.So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so:
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

"I only got a dollar out of the $20,"declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man," but he got $10!" "Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got TEN times more than I!" "That's true!!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!" "Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!" The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

David R. Kamerschen,
Ph.D. Professor of Economics
University of Georgia

Into My Mystery Land

It had been a month, since I blogged. Not sure why. But lots of thoughts I was into. ALso was busy at work :-) ... Wanted to put my recent poem atleast to be in touch here ... Read it, if you feel like!

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Into My Mystery Land

In this big world full of cause and effect
Living this life with so many defects
My mind started to sail like a boat,
In a big ocean of fictitious thought!

Wanting to find a piece of land,
Where I can see peace, ease at hand,
Live only with people and things I like
And, nothing else bothering my psyche!

I wanted to walk into the lonely dark
With no light but the lighting's spark
Intent to find a beautiful calm place
That is still to my mind, mystic and Haze!

I wanted to sleep gazing the azure sight,
The clouds shielding me from rain and sunlight,
Sing my rhymes to anything and everything,
Enjoying a life, taken away from human being!

To each and every subtle signs of nature,
I should enjoy living there on my posture,
Even for a small sound of the birds chirk,
My heart should dance giving its jerks!

The sky should allow me to decorate her,
To move the stars and clouds here and there,
Turn the moon and sun, as her focus lights,
That will give people of earth, a beautiful sight!

To drink the rain drops before it lands,
To alter the shape of mountains with my hands,
The nature should allow me to water wash and paint,
I shall be privileged to make it clean, remove its taint!

I wanted to play my own life like a good game,
Not do anything in my land, for money or fame,
The moment something strikes me, it is done,
None to answer, nothing to bother and Only Fun!

The fact that none can go against nature,
Understand fully, I succumb a poor creature,
Let Nature powerfully take over myself,
Considering me an ever bonded slave for itself!

A ray of light should strike powerful on me
And show this beautiful place only for me,
It should be a place where only peace exist,
To run there my body and soul shouldn't resist!

Not knowing why this find, its purpose,
Me and My thoughts, let loose in disperse,
Will I hold my sole part of water and sand,
Which is still to me, a mystery land!



By,
_Mani

The Sanctum Santorum - Garbha Griha

Information from Wikipedia gives the definition as follows
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Garbhagriha or garbha griha is a Sanskrit word meaning the interior of the sanctum sanctorum, the innermost sanctum of a Hindu temple where resides the murti (idol or icon) of primary deity of the temple. Literally the word means "womb chamber" from Sanskrit word garbha for womb and griha for house. Only priests are allowed to enter. Often associated with Hindu temples, it is also found in Jain and Buddhist temples.

The Architectural Science behind this place states that the main idol of the temple is kept exactly under the "Spire" of the temple. The spire can be a conical shape [or] pyramid-like shape [as in Brahadeeshwara Temple, Tanjore]. The spire in line with the garbhagriha chamber is said to form the main "Vertical Axis" of the temple. Garbhagriha is also said to be also on the main horizontal axis. If there is a cross-axis, then it is at the intersection of these axes.
===

What I feel, thought and gathered about Sanctum Santorum is here...

The main powers of the temple area get focused at the intersection of these axis and thus all powers streamline to focus this chamber, where the main idol of the temple is kept. To streamline the power the temple structure is kept in a conical or pyramid-like shape, which has the tendency to attract positive vibes and disperse into the garbha-griha. This place is thus more pious and pure in the whole of temple, where only the priest enters to perform their religious offerings to God.

The Sanctum Santorum is usually dark. With today's technology, we see lot of lights inside the Sanctum Santorum, which I feel should not be done. People say that there was no electricity in olden days which is why the maim chamber was dark and now that we have electricity, it is good to have it bright. This could be a fallible vision.

Lot of temples in Kerala, had provisions for oil-wick lamps to lit the exterior walls of their temples with good light. When they had this option, why didn't they light the garbha-griha to make it look bright? This has an insight definitely!

The word 'garbha' in Sanskrit means 'Mother's Womb'. The place where life begins is Godliness and this place [the Womb] is dark indeed. So Garbha-Griha by its appearance is a powerful place that is dark as well. For example, when we see lightning and close our eyes, do you still perceive the image of it, inside your mind for sometime atleast? When something appears to us in a black background, the subconscious mind gets a clear image of it. I can compare the ‘mind’ and ‘image’ to the 'Photo' and 'Negative', where a black negative when developed across a 'white photo paper', gives the image's reflection. Subconscious mind exhibits the same effect.

Thus the garbha griha with the idol is purposefully kept dark. When the priest lights the camphor and shows light on the idol, our subconscious mind can easily register the image against the dark background. It is thus even said not to close our eyes and pray when the priest shows camphor in front of God. We should actually admire God in that camphor-light and register his image on our minds.

I hope you see a difference when you stand in front of The Sanctum Santorum, the next time!

Yours Spiritually,
_Mani

Fire - The Element

I was sitting in front of God, to offer my prayer this weekend. It is my usual practice to switch off the lights and sit to meditate in silence, with just the oil-wick lamp lit in front of God. The view of God looks so pleasant and powerful in that light.

I was observing the light when offering my prayers and my thoughts started to digress [but towards the good]. I saw the wick in the lamp was a bit bend but the light [or fire] was still upright. It’s a well known unique property of fire that fire is always upright. We can’t see fire flaming downwards. It’s always high in esteem. I started thinking more about fire then...

Fire, one among the FIVE ELEMENTS of nature, is more pious and is used in all religious ceremonies. Without a fire and offerings to fire, a prayer is not complete in Hindu Mythology. I have heard that Shiridi Baba also was doing offerings for Fire in his prayers and that too inside the mosque. Even after His demise, people keep the same fire going till date. It is also ’Nithya Karma' for a bachelor [Brhamacharya] in Brahmin community to offer his prayers to Fire and take its blessings. I have also done it few days [though it is a daily duty] to see how powerful it is. A lot greater about fire, we can add upon. But what makes it special?

I felt it to be pure. The air, water, land, space can all be polluted by humans or by evolution. But Fire is pure and there is nothing like 'Impure Fire' that exists. It either goes off [or] flames up. Till the time it flames up, it converts all that is put into it, into Fire again. We can't pollute fire. So is that given more importance? My mind was thinking...

Might be yes! Though the oil wick faces downwards, the light [or fire] faces only upwards always. Is a woman expected to keep the reputation of the family always high, no matter how irregular/erratic/downwards the family is? Is that the reason why a bride who enters her husband's house made to lit a lamp in front of the God, first?

Marriages are done in front of Fire, keeping it as the witness for the marriage. Does that symbolize “No matter what impurities/obstacles/issues happen in life, the married life [like the fire], should keep going”? I am not sure again!

But these questions came to my mind ... Possibly I thought right about 'Fire'. To the next generation kids, we can give this as a convincing explanation? I am not sure! They might have more questions :-)

Yours Inquisitively,
_Mani

Motherliness and Spirituality

There is a strong eternal binding that I see between Motherliness and Spirtuality. I believe a 'Mother' is respected like a God because of the sanctity observed in motherliness. Anywhere Sanctity is observed, its Godliness. Am I Right?

It is true that there is only one purest state of human that exist! That is a privileged stature observed only in a woman. It is her stature as a 'Mother'. A woman can go wrong in her traits but not a 'Mother'. A girl, a wife, a grandmother or any other stage a woman goes by, has some or the other flaw. Before marriage a woman selects a person whom she likes as her husband. There could be many criterias like looks, salary, profession et al. When she was a small girl she does only what she likes. Even as a grandmother a lot of expectations gets piled up in her. But as a mother no flaw happens.

Motherliness is an untainted form of a woman. No matter how bad, how mischievious, how mean, how rude the child is, mother's love on the child never changes. As a woman one can be faulty but as a mother the woman is impeccable. How many times we would have scolded our mother for silly/reasonable stuffs. Do you see any ego in her after you scold. She is the same. They even say that a man's love multiple for his wife, when his wife becomes a mother. But a woman's love starts to divide soon after she becomes a mother.

Now to the Godliness. I have heard and read that the very popular symbol of worship "The Shiva Linga" is a structure that demonstrates the hormonal balance of life. The "Linga" in sanskrit is the male genital and is placed on a pedestal kind of structure which is called Yoni [The female genital in sanskrit]. This doesn't mean anything obscene but shows the cause behind "Start of Life". I can also say that the place/state where life originates is what we worship as God. Dont you think a Woman bears this unique feature in her when she brings a life into this world?

Its sure Motherliness is Spirituality!

Mani