It was a memorable weekend in my life.
Saturday I had a compulsory party at office. My manager had hosted lunch at Hotel Bervery. Had a nice time there. I was able to meet one of my ex-colleague during the lunch. He had happy news to share with me. He is getting engaged on 8th of June and I felt happy for him. After the lunch party, my manager was generous in sponsoring tickets for the movie "Kanakanden". Not an excellent movie.
It was already 6.00pm when the movie got over. I had to rush back home as I was leaving for Banglore that night :D
I planned to take a train but couldn’t get a ticket, so decided to board a bus.
Reached home by 7.00pm and finished my dinner. Left home at 8.00pm and reached one of my friend’s house. He then dropped me at the bus terminus. Was chatting with him till the bus started.
I had to bribe the bus conductor for having given me a corner seat because I had not reserve my ticket. Got my ticket and within 5 minutes started sleeping. When I woke up it was 5.50am and I was very close to Banglore and was eagerly waiting to meet my friends. The bus reached Banglore Majestic terminus at 6.35am. Got down and called one of my friend Vasudha aunty ;) :P she was so sweet because she told that she would come and pick me up. Also called one of my friend Pradeep, an excellent flute artist, but unfortunately couldn’t reach him. His number was busy early morning. GOK with whom he was chatting early morning. ;) :P
I was very happy as I was going to meet Vasudha for the first time. We had only virtual meeting before that in Yahoo conference chats. After a lot of description about me and my dress color at last I identified Vasu. It was great to see her personally. We took an auto and reached her home. I had my own imagination about Vasu but she was 100% different.
We reached her home and I relaxed a bit. Was chatting with her. Then she prepared breakfast. Pongal, Katrika gotsu and Bonda. It was excellent. It was a great time when her husband also joined and they were sharing their early days of married life's experiences.
After breakfast I called my other friends Chetna and Sunayana. Chetna then came to Vasu’s house and we went roaming streets of blore. We had a plan to meet for lunch at Utsav. We had about half an hour to do little shopping. I wanted to pick a card for my friend Karthik. It was his birthday. We were asking our way to the restaurant to two strangers. They were strangers to me but to my surprise one of them addressed me with my name. I was taken aback. Then she asked me if I remembered her. She was Priya, my school senior when I was 2nd standard I guess. I was a bit notorious gal when at school. :P ;) so all people in my campus was familiar with my face and knew me by name. :D. I felt ashamed that I was not able to recollect who she was ever after she told me who she was.
It was 12.00pm and we reached Utsav. Few of my friends had already arrived there. We were able to spot a prominent figure Sunayana. Then others were Karthik Manohar, Raja, Pradyumna, Raghuram (was a real shock for me when I came to know that he was the guy with Madhavans photo on his orkut profile.) and Madhavi. We had a small intro session because it was the first time I was meeting all of them.
Myself and Chetna wanted to surprise Karthik with a small gift so asking Prady to lead us to Sweet chariot a cake shop. We walked down to buy him a cake. When we came back found that more people had assembled. The new ones were Vasu, Parinatha aka Daya (Prady sis), Krishna, a guy working in Motorola (poor memory) I couldn’t get his name properly. So there were totally 12 people including me. Poor chap Karthik was made to give us his birthday treat. I ate Sweet corn soup and Pudina ka kulcha. We also had Babycorn Manchurian as starters :P ;).
After a heavy lunch we had a photo session. Few had to go back home so rest of us – Me, Kris, Chetna, Daya, Sunu , Raghuram and Karthik went to MG road for little shopping. Kousthub (at last got his name) the Motorola guy dropped Chet, Daya and Sunu at MG Road Barista and Kris was so sweet that he gave me a lift on his super fast ;) :P Yamaha. It was a pleasant drive as it was slightly drizzling. We reached Barista at around 3.45pm and others were waiting there for us. By the time we reached there they had finished one round of Tea and coffee.Then Karthik’s two friends Manisha and Vinay also arrived. Karthik had to buy us coffee too. :) ;) :P.It was so nice of him.
After a small chat we then went for shopping. I wanted to purchase a keychain and a saree for my mom. Krishna gifted me that key chain and then we went to Deepam and purchased a saree.
It was around 6.00pm. Then we took few snaps and others except me, Kris and Sunu left. Kris was feeling hungry so we went to Madras coffee house. It started raining and we had a lengthy chat there. My brother wanted me to visit the MTR tiffin house so we decided to go there for dinner. Me and Sunu reached MTR in an auto and Kris came there in his bike. To our disappointment the tiffin time was over and we were asked to wait for half n hour for meals. One of Sunu’s dearest friends ;) :P was leaving abroad so she had to leave for airport.
After a very good dinner at MTR Kris drove me to bus Stand and was such a wonderful and caring guy that he waited till I got a bus. It was around 10.30pm when I got a bus and poor chap he reached home by 11.00pm. Once again bribed the conductor to get me a seat, as I had not reserved my ticket. It was 11.10pm when the bus started and as usual I fell asleep as soon as the bus started. When I woke up it was 5.30am and I had reached Poonemalli. Reached home at 7.30am and had to rush to office at 9.30am.
It was such an excellent trip and a memorable one.
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Understand your Girl..
It is a forward, but found it very touching! May be useful for you guys in future :P ;)
Ours was an arranged marriage. It was done the traditional way.Our
parents took care of everything. My only condition was that she should be ready to work. Our horoscopes and photos were exchanged. Everything matched. I spoke to her over the phone. We talked about things two strangers would talk. She was a lecturer in Bangalore who felt Chemistry was more important than Hindi movies. There was no engagement. The date for marriage was fixed in 2 weeks as I could not get a vacation after that. Even the vacation time I got was just 10 days.
Everything was fixed. It was supposed to be very hectic for me. We got married and 2 days later we had to leave the country. She cried like there was no tomorrow when we left. She would not talk to me on the plane. I thought that was usual for an Indian girl. I thought she would get over it.
Once home she would not talk to me. She sat in a corner staring at the TV. For the first couple of days I had to catch up on some work and did not take her mood seriously.
A week later I sat beside her and asked her, "What is wrong?"
"Why did you bring me here?"
"What do you mean? What happened?"
"I want to go home"
"This is your home"
"No. I want to go home. Please buy me a ticket"
"Look, everybody feels homesick. I did when I came here the first time. It is normal. You will get over it. Sorry I have been busy with work. We can go out this weekend. You will meet my friends and other people who will be very friendly. Come on be a good girl"
"I hate this place. I miss my family, my friends, my college. All the
people I know are not here. I want to go home"
"Think for a minute. Try to reason it out yourself. What is your plan by the way? So you want to go back and never come back?"
"Yes"
"Are you crazy?"
"If you think this is crazy then I am."
"It is ok if you do not answer this question. Is there someone else?"
"No. I want to go home. I will call 911 if you do not send me"
"First cool down. Think about it. Think about our parents. It is less
than a month that we got married and now you want to return home. You very well knew that you had to come here. What were you thinking? Even if you are returning home what happens to our marriage?"
"I am not blaming you. I take the blame. It is my mistake. I can't stay so far away from my family. If you are so interested come to India"
"I am family too! What you are asking is ridiculous."
The next day she would not change her mind. I called my folks. They said that it was my decision and they would stand by me. I booked her ticket and put it in her hand the next evening. She was to leave in 2 days. Nothing would convince her to change her mind. She was crying like a kid. Then she left.
She had done nothing for me to miss but something inside me was telling me that I was at fault. I tried to shake it off but as time grew I started feeling more guilty. I called her. She made it clear that she did not find me despicable but she would not leave her city. Her parents apologized profusely but they were helpless too.
I have had crushes. None of them were serious. There was this girl in my high school tuition whose phone no I managed to find out. Then the prettiest girl in college whom everybody loved, who talked to me once. Then the girl from my city who was at my university in USA who made me feel at home when I visited her place. I had ignored them once I crossed their paths. But Anjali was my wife. I could not ignore her.
I decided to quit my job. I went home. No one back home knew I was
returning. I wanted to surprise her. I dropped off my bags at my place and went to the college she was teaching. The gate keeper would not let me in. So I had to wait outside for the classes to get over.
She walked out alone, struggling to carry her bag, tired, with slow
steps. She was walking towards the bus stop. I silently followed her and went behind her and whispered, "Do you mind if I carry your bag?" She was startled and turned to face me. Her eyes lit up. I was not sure if I could hug her. I was smiling and she had a 100 questions written all over her face. "I want to spend a week with you in this city. Show me the things that you could not miss"
That one week went in a jiffy. She was treated a kid at home with all
the comforts. That explained her behavior. Coffee was brought to her in the morning. Even her dress was laid out for her. She would have breakfast and leave. The bus journey was an hour. She would sit near the window with a book. Then once in the college she would teach her classes and come out tired in the evening. She would stand in the crowded bus carrying her bag which would look heavy. Then she would alight, go home, have a snack and would head out to a friend's place. Some times she'd stay home watching TV or listening to music. When her dad returned she would join him and they'd have dinner. Then her mom would tuck her in bed. Weekends were not much different. She would sleep late, wake up for breakfast and lie down
talking on the phone. Then she would visit the temple in the evening and would have her singing lessons. Then she would eat out and would head home late.
That was her life. It was something every human being wanted - simple, content and happy. Of course to her I was a villain. I told her that I understood her. I wanted to know if it was ok if she stayed in the same city but away from her parents. Her only condition was that I should not stay at my parent's place to which I agreed. So we moved into a small apartment. She knew nothing. She had to be taught everything. She learnt.
It was hard to make her understand that she had duties and she had a
husband. Coffee had to be brought to her in the morning. She made the
rules and broke them. She did not care for me. Sometimes she would not return home but go to her parents' place without informing me. I would have had to go bring her back.
Slowly she started realizing about married life. She would wake up
before me, try to cook, agree for a movie, visit my friend's place, invite me to her college, let me dress her up, dance in front of me, teach me Chemistry, talk about her crushes, play cricket with me, make me cry for a change. She was growing mature day by day. One day she apologized for the whole thing. I brushed it aside. Finally I had her the way I wanted.
Today I am happy and content with my life. She is still there crying to get her things done. I keep reminding her how she had threatened to call the police. She laughs it away. Some times I wonder how life would have been if I had not returned. Then again some things are left as they are.
Ours was an arranged marriage. It was done the traditional way.Our
parents took care of everything. My only condition was that she should be ready to work. Our horoscopes and photos were exchanged. Everything matched. I spoke to her over the phone. We talked about things two strangers would talk. She was a lecturer in Bangalore who felt Chemistry was more important than Hindi movies. There was no engagement. The date for marriage was fixed in 2 weeks as I could not get a vacation after that. Even the vacation time I got was just 10 days.
Everything was fixed. It was supposed to be very hectic for me. We got married and 2 days later we had to leave the country. She cried like there was no tomorrow when we left. She would not talk to me on the plane. I thought that was usual for an Indian girl. I thought she would get over it.
Once home she would not talk to me. She sat in a corner staring at the TV. For the first couple of days I had to catch up on some work and did not take her mood seriously.
A week later I sat beside her and asked her, "What is wrong?"
"Why did you bring me here?"
"What do you mean? What happened?"
"I want to go home"
"This is your home"
"No. I want to go home. Please buy me a ticket"
"Look, everybody feels homesick. I did when I came here the first time. It is normal. You will get over it. Sorry I have been busy with work. We can go out this weekend. You will meet my friends and other people who will be very friendly. Come on be a good girl"
"I hate this place. I miss my family, my friends, my college. All the
people I know are not here. I want to go home"
"Think for a minute. Try to reason it out yourself. What is your plan by the way? So you want to go back and never come back?"
"Yes"
"Are you crazy?"
"If you think this is crazy then I am."
"It is ok if you do not answer this question. Is there someone else?"
"No. I want to go home. I will call 911 if you do not send me"
"First cool down. Think about it. Think about our parents. It is less
than a month that we got married and now you want to return home. You very well knew that you had to come here. What were you thinking? Even if you are returning home what happens to our marriage?"
"I am not blaming you. I take the blame. It is my mistake. I can't stay so far away from my family. If you are so interested come to India"
"I am family too! What you are asking is ridiculous."
The next day she would not change her mind. I called my folks. They said that it was my decision and they would stand by me. I booked her ticket and put it in her hand the next evening. She was to leave in 2 days. Nothing would convince her to change her mind. She was crying like a kid. Then she left.
She had done nothing for me to miss but something inside me was telling me that I was at fault. I tried to shake it off but as time grew I started feeling more guilty. I called her. She made it clear that she did not find me despicable but she would not leave her city. Her parents apologized profusely but they were helpless too.
I have had crushes. None of them were serious. There was this girl in my high school tuition whose phone no I managed to find out. Then the prettiest girl in college whom everybody loved, who talked to me once. Then the girl from my city who was at my university in USA who made me feel at home when I visited her place. I had ignored them once I crossed their paths. But Anjali was my wife. I could not ignore her.
I decided to quit my job. I went home. No one back home knew I was
returning. I wanted to surprise her. I dropped off my bags at my place and went to the college she was teaching. The gate keeper would not let me in. So I had to wait outside for the classes to get over.
She walked out alone, struggling to carry her bag, tired, with slow
steps. She was walking towards the bus stop. I silently followed her and went behind her and whispered, "Do you mind if I carry your bag?" She was startled and turned to face me. Her eyes lit up. I was not sure if I could hug her. I was smiling and she had a 100 questions written all over her face. "I want to spend a week with you in this city. Show me the things that you could not miss"
That one week went in a jiffy. She was treated a kid at home with all
the comforts. That explained her behavior. Coffee was brought to her in the morning. Even her dress was laid out for her. She would have breakfast and leave. The bus journey was an hour. She would sit near the window with a book. Then once in the college she would teach her classes and come out tired in the evening. She would stand in the crowded bus carrying her bag which would look heavy. Then she would alight, go home, have a snack and would head out to a friend's place. Some times she'd stay home watching TV or listening to music. When her dad returned she would join him and they'd have dinner. Then her mom would tuck her in bed. Weekends were not much different. She would sleep late, wake up for breakfast and lie down
talking on the phone. Then she would visit the temple in the evening and would have her singing lessons. Then she would eat out and would head home late.
That was her life. It was something every human being wanted - simple, content and happy. Of course to her I was a villain. I told her that I understood her. I wanted to know if it was ok if she stayed in the same city but away from her parents. Her only condition was that I should not stay at my parent's place to which I agreed. So we moved into a small apartment. She knew nothing. She had to be taught everything. She learnt.
It was hard to make her understand that she had duties and she had a
husband. Coffee had to be brought to her in the morning. She made the
rules and broke them. She did not care for me. Sometimes she would not return home but go to her parents' place without informing me. I would have had to go bring her back.
Slowly she started realizing about married life. She would wake up
before me, try to cook, agree for a movie, visit my friend's place, invite me to her college, let me dress her up, dance in front of me, teach me Chemistry, talk about her crushes, play cricket with me, make me cry for a change. She was growing mature day by day. One day she apologized for the whole thing. I brushed it aside. Finally I had her the way I wanted.
Today I am happy and content with my life. She is still there crying to get her things done. I keep reminding her how she had threatened to call the police. She laughs it away. Some times I wonder how life would have been if I had not returned. Then again some things are left as they are.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Great weekend!
After a month long of boring studies had a great weekend.
On Saturday, had a meet with few of my very good friends from orkut.
On Sunday, went to Mayajaal with two of my school friends. We had planned to be there at Mayajaal at 10:00 am but then due to some problem it got delayed and we reached there at 11:00. We had originally planned for the 11 o clock show but then couldn’t make it up on time. So we got the tickets for 2:10 show for the over hyped Chandramukhi.
We then decided to roam around MJ because we had ample time for the movie to start.
One of my friend suggested playing pools but then when we enquired it was pretty costly. So dropped the plan of playing pools and then went on to go round the shops. But again the shops were closed and they said we had to wait for and hour for the shops to open. We were not aware that the shops are opened only at 12:00 on Sunday.
Finding nothing worth at MJ we then planned to go to Muttukad, a near by river for boating. It was an excellent experience for me, as it was the first time I was visiting Muttukad.
We hired a rowboat with 3 seater, which cost us Rs.70/-, plus rowing charge of Rs.10/-
We had to wait for about 15 minutes, as there was no rowboat that was immediately available. Though the temperature was around 40 degrees we did not feel the heat as there was cool breeze blowing from the sea.
We got the boat at 12:00 and we could enjoy our ride for half an hour. Requesting the boatman to take us beneath the bridge we started enquiring him about his experience during the Tsunami. It was an interesting story and was more so due to the way he narrated it for us. From the river we were able to see the famous Satyabama Engg College where few of my very close friends study.
The most interesting part of the boating was that we were allowed to get down and stand on a small island kinda thing at the middle of the river. It was a thrilling experience because the depth of the river as claimed by the boatman was 20 ft.
We finished boating and then started back to MJ as we were getting late for the show. On the way back we decided to finish our lunch at Arusuvai Sea view restaurant. We had a north Indian Thali as we were all damn hungry.
It was already 2:00pm and we had only 10 minutes left. So we rushed to the Hall on the way buying few coke cans and corn pufs, for us to munch during the film.
CM was screened at Screen 6 at MJ. We reached there only at 2:14 so had to miss few of those documentary advertisements and the title slides. But then we were not that very late.
I somehow feel that only Jothika has done an excellent job in the film. Rajini could have done a better job and his dialog delivery was awful with his pronunciation of words not that very clear. It was justified saying that he had a surgery done on his lips.
Overall it was a quite okay film and I was very happy to see my Hero Saurav appearing in the screen now and then. Guess Prabu will get back the amount he has put in for the film.
It was 5:30pm when the film got over and we were headed back home. On the way dropped on of my friend at a nearest bus stop for her home, we went for shopping.
Reached home at 7:00 pm I felt damn tired and went to sleep skipping my dinner!
On Saturday, had a meet with few of my very good friends from orkut.
On Sunday, went to Mayajaal with two of my school friends. We had planned to be there at Mayajaal at 10:00 am but then due to some problem it got delayed and we reached there at 11:00. We had originally planned for the 11 o clock show but then couldn’t make it up on time. So we got the tickets for 2:10 show for the over hyped Chandramukhi.
We then decided to roam around MJ because we had ample time for the movie to start.
One of my friend suggested playing pools but then when we enquired it was pretty costly. So dropped the plan of playing pools and then went on to go round the shops. But again the shops were closed and they said we had to wait for and hour for the shops to open. We were not aware that the shops are opened only at 12:00 on Sunday.
Finding nothing worth at MJ we then planned to go to Muttukad, a near by river for boating. It was an excellent experience for me, as it was the first time I was visiting Muttukad.
We hired a rowboat with 3 seater, which cost us Rs.70/-, plus rowing charge of Rs.10/-
We had to wait for about 15 minutes, as there was no rowboat that was immediately available. Though the temperature was around 40 degrees we did not feel the heat as there was cool breeze blowing from the sea.
We got the boat at 12:00 and we could enjoy our ride for half an hour. Requesting the boatman to take us beneath the bridge we started enquiring him about his experience during the Tsunami. It was an interesting story and was more so due to the way he narrated it for us. From the river we were able to see the famous Satyabama Engg College where few of my very close friends study.
The most interesting part of the boating was that we were allowed to get down and stand on a small island kinda thing at the middle of the river. It was a thrilling experience because the depth of the river as claimed by the boatman was 20 ft.
We finished boating and then started back to MJ as we were getting late for the show. On the way back we decided to finish our lunch at Arusuvai Sea view restaurant. We had a north Indian Thali as we were all damn hungry.
It was already 2:00pm and we had only 10 minutes left. So we rushed to the Hall on the way buying few coke cans and corn pufs, for us to munch during the film.
CM was screened at Screen 6 at MJ. We reached there only at 2:14 so had to miss few of those documentary advertisements and the title slides. But then we were not that very late.
I somehow feel that only Jothika has done an excellent job in the film. Rajini could have done a better job and his dialog delivery was awful with his pronunciation of words not that very clear. It was justified saying that he had a surgery done on his lips.
Overall it was a quite okay film and I was very happy to see my Hero Saurav appearing in the screen now and then. Guess Prabu will get back the amount he has put in for the film.
It was 5:30pm when the film got over and we were headed back home. On the way dropped on of my friend at a nearest bus stop for her home, we went for shopping.
Reached home at 7:00 pm I felt damn tired and went to sleep skipping my dinner!
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Vision
In continuation of the first philosophical post “Not too tight and not too loose, but just right”, guess this would open our eyes and show us a path to wisdom.
Vision:
"Yathaa Dristhti, Tathaa Srishti": As our vision, so the World appears to us. For example, when we like a person, we only see the good in them but when we don’t like a person nothing they do pleases us.
"Satvic": It is a ‘holistic Vision’ which enables us to see the role of various parts and aspects as within the realm of the totality. This helps us give each aspect of life its due importance. For instance, if we want to be happy, we must be aware that a healthy mind is as important as a healthy body. This vision enables us to see unity in diversity, such as “All Indians are my brothers and sisters” or “The whole world is my family”. This vision enables man to appreciate the common cause behind various effects.
Take the example of a doctor who diagnoses the cause of a disease while examining the symptoms, or a scientist who discovers the cause behind a chemical reaction. When man is able to see the essential commonness even while perceiving and responding to the differences in the creation, he learns to identify with other and loves and serves all selflessly.
This idea becomes clear with a few examples. Seeing the common factor ‘I’ in all parts of the body, I love each part equally and serve my entire body spontaneously. Lokmanya Tilak, the great freedom fighter, on receiving news of his wife’s death, while at prison, was able to say, ‘ Presently, I have no time for personal sorrow. My country’s sorrow is my sorrow’, because he identified with the entire nation. Saints realize the truth that “the ‘self’ (divinity) in me is the ‘self’ (divinity) in all”, and therefore love all as themselves. For example, Shri. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa viewed even a prostitute as the Divine mother and prostrated at her feet.
"Rajasic": It is a ‘partial vision’ wherein certain parts or effects are given undue importance. In addition, the whole or totality is mistaken for the part.
For example:
- Becoming a doctor or pursuing a particular profession is the goal of one’s life.
- Comforts are more important than relationships
- It is enough to be religious once in a while
- It is more important to look good than to be good.
Rajasic vision gives importance and reality only to the differences, thereby creating divisions within the family, society and county. For instance, the British vision was ‘divide and rule’ which caused the partition of India, Satvic vision makes us share and care whereas rajasic vision as in previous example, separates - breaks up and categorizes people and things based on ‘me’ and ‘mine’ versus ‘you’ and ‘yours’ -- marriages and join families have broken due to rajasic vision. With such a vision, one becomes petty and quarrelsome and his or her mind remains engrossed only in certain aspects of life causing a lopsided development and growth, both within and without
"Tamasic": Such a vision makes man mistake the ‘part’ to be the whole or totality, the effect to be the cause and the means to be the goals. This is more because of insensitivity and ignorance than out of self-centeredness as is the case with rajasic vision, such a person’s mind is unable to conceive the whole, and thus he or she becomes narrow–minded, illogical, unreasonable and fanatic about beliefs. For example, a tamasic vision gives rise to statements like “My God alone saves”, “There is no God”, “Money is God” or “Money is everything in life “. Or, one in love says, “You are my life, without you, I’m nothing “ Such people cannot unfold or progress in life as their minds are closed to new ideas and creative or progressive thought.
Vision:
"Yathaa Dristhti, Tathaa Srishti": As our vision, so the World appears to us. For example, when we like a person, we only see the good in them but when we don’t like a person nothing they do pleases us.
"Satvic": It is a ‘holistic Vision’ which enables us to see the role of various parts and aspects as within the realm of the totality. This helps us give each aspect of life its due importance. For instance, if we want to be happy, we must be aware that a healthy mind is as important as a healthy body. This vision enables us to see unity in diversity, such as “All Indians are my brothers and sisters” or “The whole world is my family”. This vision enables man to appreciate the common cause behind various effects.
Take the example of a doctor who diagnoses the cause of a disease while examining the symptoms, or a scientist who discovers the cause behind a chemical reaction. When man is able to see the essential commonness even while perceiving and responding to the differences in the creation, he learns to identify with other and loves and serves all selflessly.
This idea becomes clear with a few examples. Seeing the common factor ‘I’ in all parts of the body, I love each part equally and serve my entire body spontaneously. Lokmanya Tilak, the great freedom fighter, on receiving news of his wife’s death, while at prison, was able to say, ‘ Presently, I have no time for personal sorrow. My country’s sorrow is my sorrow’, because he identified with the entire nation. Saints realize the truth that “the ‘self’ (divinity) in me is the ‘self’ (divinity) in all”, and therefore love all as themselves. For example, Shri. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa viewed even a prostitute as the Divine mother and prostrated at her feet.
"Rajasic": It is a ‘partial vision’ wherein certain parts or effects are given undue importance. In addition, the whole or totality is mistaken for the part.
For example:
- Becoming a doctor or pursuing a particular profession is the goal of one’s life.
- Comforts are more important than relationships
- It is enough to be religious once in a while
- It is more important to look good than to be good.
Rajasic vision gives importance and reality only to the differences, thereby creating divisions within the family, society and county. For instance, the British vision was ‘divide and rule’ which caused the partition of India, Satvic vision makes us share and care whereas rajasic vision as in previous example, separates - breaks up and categorizes people and things based on ‘me’ and ‘mine’ versus ‘you’ and ‘yours’ -- marriages and join families have broken due to rajasic vision. With such a vision, one becomes petty and quarrelsome and his or her mind remains engrossed only in certain aspects of life causing a lopsided development and growth, both within and without
"Tamasic": Such a vision makes man mistake the ‘part’ to be the whole or totality, the effect to be the cause and the means to be the goals. This is more because of insensitivity and ignorance than out of self-centeredness as is the case with rajasic vision, such a person’s mind is unable to conceive the whole, and thus he or she becomes narrow–minded, illogical, unreasonable and fanatic about beliefs. For example, a tamasic vision gives rise to statements like “My God alone saves”, “There is no God”, “Money is God” or “Money is everything in life “. Or, one in love says, “You are my life, without you, I’m nothing “ Such people cannot unfold or progress in life as their minds are closed to new ideas and creative or progressive thought.
Monday, May 09, 2005
A day of sweet surprises :)
Today has been a day of sweet surprises for me. I was happy throughout the day.
Started the day getting up a bit early and so could finish my prayers early. Then left for ofiz and had a happy day. Finished my job satisfactorily and did a little more value added service to my job which earned me an appreciation mail from my front office, which is of course bit difficult to get :)
Then my manager called me for an one to one discussion. Guessed it could be regarding that mail, but then never expected that I would be confirmed in my employment so soon. I have another month of probationary period and training to undergo. But my manager said “ Your work was promising and more than satisfactory that we are confirming u one month ahead of your original date of confirmation!!” – Now I am praying God that I should be able to maintain the same level of performance and do my level best to satisfy the expectation of my organization and get recognized by my employers.
Another surprise was a message from my closest friend with whom I was not able to keep in touch off late. I was very very happy to receive that message.
One more surprise!! My mom is back home. I was glad to see her after about 3 days.
So the best part of the day is I will be having my dinner prepared by my mom. \:D/
Then I signed into net to see a surprise testimonial written for me :"> , hmm though half of the stuff in it was only partly true :P ;) its always nice to know what people are thinking about you. :)
Then one of my friend called me out of a blue moon, it was long since I heard from her. Was great to hear her sweet childish voice. Then a close friend of mine came online, long since I had a good chat with this person.
Felt very very happy at the end of the day. A memorable day in my life :)
Guess God has started showing pity on me too! :)
Started the day getting up a bit early and so could finish my prayers early. Then left for ofiz and had a happy day. Finished my job satisfactorily and did a little more value added service to my job which earned me an appreciation mail from my front office, which is of course bit difficult to get :)
Then my manager called me for an one to one discussion. Guessed it could be regarding that mail, but then never expected that I would be confirmed in my employment so soon. I have another month of probationary period and training to undergo. But my manager said “ Your work was promising and more than satisfactory that we are confirming u one month ahead of your original date of confirmation!!” – Now I am praying God that I should be able to maintain the same level of performance and do my level best to satisfy the expectation of my organization and get recognized by my employers.
Another surprise was a message from my closest friend with whom I was not able to keep in touch off late. I was very very happy to receive that message.
One more surprise!! My mom is back home. I was glad to see her after about 3 days.
So the best part of the day is I will be having my dinner prepared by my mom. \:D/
Then I signed into net to see a surprise testimonial written for me :"> , hmm though half of the stuff in it was only partly true :P ;) its always nice to know what people are thinking about you. :)
Then one of my friend called me out of a blue moon, it was long since I heard from her. Was great to hear her sweet childish voice. Then a close friend of mine came online, long since I had a good chat with this person.
Felt very very happy at the end of the day. A memorable day in my life :)
Guess God has started showing pity on me too! :)
Friday, May 06, 2005
Sweet memories
After a hectic day at office, came back home damn tired #:-s, worst thing was that my mom was not at home, so I had to open the door and take charge of my home for couple of days now
#-o.
When I was cleaning the room and saying my evening prayers, my mobile started ringing. I knew it was a call from a number that I did not know because the ring tone was that of a siren :P, rushing for my mobile, I forgot where I had kept it… then searching thru the way from where the ring sound came, sighted my mobile lying in my handbag! Taking the call hurriedly I said…. Hellooooooo a voice from the other side responded calling me with my pet name in school!! It was a shock but a sweet surprise for me, a very familiar voice, but couldn’t recognize at the first go.. My friend kept on making fun of me, when at last I found the rascal at the other end!! He was a very very good friend of mine at school with whom there was no single day that I never fought with him!!
We were talking and talking and talking that I forgot that I had to cook my dinner myself and it was around 8 PM ;) :P (guess something else would strike u guys mind now! Chennai Gals don’t drink :P ) We were laughing at our silliness’ of fighting for a pencil, cleaning the board, reading at the class, standing in line, drinking water from another friends water bottle after a tiring PT class… haha.. its silly for us today, but then, we were like enemies :x… I remember swearing at his face that if I was ever granted a wish to kill someone, for sure I will take away the life of this rascal.
We now laugh at the moments we cried, but the moments we laughed together earlier now makes us cry!! (aananda kaneer :P)
#-o.
When I was cleaning the room and saying my evening prayers, my mobile started ringing. I knew it was a call from a number that I did not know because the ring tone was that of a siren :P, rushing for my mobile, I forgot where I had kept it… then searching thru the way from where the ring sound came, sighted my mobile lying in my handbag! Taking the call hurriedly I said…. Hellooooooo a voice from the other side responded calling me with my pet name in school!! It was a shock but a sweet surprise for me, a very familiar voice, but couldn’t recognize at the first go.. My friend kept on making fun of me, when at last I found the rascal at the other end!! He was a very very good friend of mine at school with whom there was no single day that I never fought with him!!
We were talking and talking and talking that I forgot that I had to cook my dinner myself and it was around 8 PM ;) :P (guess something else would strike u guys mind now! Chennai Gals don’t drink :P ) We were laughing at our silliness’ of fighting for a pencil, cleaning the board, reading at the class, standing in line, drinking water from another friends water bottle after a tiring PT class… haha.. its silly for us today, but then, we were like enemies :x… I remember swearing at his face that if I was ever granted a wish to kill someone, for sure I will take away the life of this rascal.
We now laugh at the moments we cried, but the moments we laughed together earlier now makes us cry!! (aananda kaneer :P)
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Is it that bad to be too good n nice?
It always happens to me that if im too good to someone or if i feel i should not hurt others, the reward i get for being good is that i end up getting hurt by their harsh words! Or atleast they wont like me!
If I really do some groundwork and workhard and complete a job, the credit goes to my colleague or atleast she steals the credit from me!
Should I shout at her for being so mean? Then whats the difference between me and her?
Ah! wondering why this cribbing session? Read an article by Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com Editor regarding this. Here the one which made me crib!!
Do nice guys finish last at work, too? A recent study published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology says yes. Dr. Nikos Bozionelos of the University of Sheffield in England researched personality and career success and found that white-collar workers who were the most agreeable, conscientious and sensitive to the needs of others were less likely to be promoted
Bozionelos believes it's because they don't put their own needs first: "Agreeable people tend to self-sacrifice and compromise their own interests to make others happy." And because "nice" people do things just to please others, they often are given low-profile tasks no one else wants and wind up doing activities that don't enhance their careers.
Because American culture celebrates forcefulness -- even aggression, researcher and author Gary Namie says the altruistic have it just as rough here in the United States, where, "Nice gets you in trouble. Nice gets you exploited."
Author and executive coach Dr. Lois Frankel says there are a number of ways nice people undermine themselves. Here are five of the most common, along with tips for (pleasantly) breaking the cycle:
1.You Let Others' Mistakes Inconvenience You
Before rearranging your life to correct someone else's mistake, assess the risk versus the reward of meeting unreasonable expectations. At times you'll have no choice but to jump in to put out the fire. But there will also be times when you have the latitude to push back and say, "This isn't what we originally discussed and agreed to. Since I'll have to rethink the plan and put more time into it than anticipated, I won't be able to have it completed by the initially proposed deadline." Let the person know you want to provide the best service possible -- and ask for the time and resources needed.
2.You Let Others Take Credit For Your Ideas
Ever suggest an idea that seemed to fall flat, only to find out later it was implemented and someone else got the credit? To avoid having others steal your ideas, make sure you state them loudly and confidently or put them in writing. If you're at a meeting and someone proposes the same thing you've previously suggested, call attention to it by saying, "Sounds like you're building on my original suggestion, and I would certainly support that."
3.You Apologize Unnecessarily
Save your apologies for big-time bloopers. When you do make a mistake worth apologizing for, apologize only once, then move into problem-solving mode. Objectively assess what went wrong and ways to fix it. Always begin from a place of equality, for example: "Based on the information initially provided to me, I had no idea that was your expectation. Tell me more about what you had in mind and I'll make the necessary revisions."
4.You Work Without Breaks
Use your vacation days; take your lunch. Working non-stop can make you appear flustered, inefficient and incompetent. It also makes you less productive. To maintain maximum levels of concentration and accuracy, experts suggest you take a break every 90 minutes.
5.You Do Others' Work For Them
Recognize when people delegate inappropriately to you and avoid the inclination to solve everyone's problems for them. Practice saying unapologetically, "I'd love to help you out with this, but I'm swamped." Then stop talking.
Of course being nice is not all bad. Dr. Bozionelos points out that it can be of great advantage as long as you are aware of and able to adjust your natural tendencies to undervalue yourself and compromise your personal interests.
As Dr. Frankel puts it, "When all is said and done, do you really want written on your tombstone: "She Always Put the Needs of the Company Ahead of Her Own?"
If I really do some groundwork and workhard and complete a job, the credit goes to my colleague or atleast she steals the credit from me!
Should I shout at her for being so mean? Then whats the difference between me and her?
Ah! wondering why this cribbing session? Read an article by Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com Editor regarding this. Here the one which made me crib!!
Do nice guys finish last at work, too? A recent study published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology says yes. Dr. Nikos Bozionelos of the University of Sheffield in England researched personality and career success and found that white-collar workers who were the most agreeable, conscientious and sensitive to the needs of others were less likely to be promoted
Bozionelos believes it's because they don't put their own needs first: "Agreeable people tend to self-sacrifice and compromise their own interests to make others happy." And because "nice" people do things just to please others, they often are given low-profile tasks no one else wants and wind up doing activities that don't enhance their careers.
Because American culture celebrates forcefulness -- even aggression, researcher and author Gary Namie says the altruistic have it just as rough here in the United States, where, "Nice gets you in trouble. Nice gets you exploited."
Author and executive coach Dr. Lois Frankel says there are a number of ways nice people undermine themselves. Here are five of the most common, along with tips for (pleasantly) breaking the cycle:
1.You Let Others' Mistakes Inconvenience You
Before rearranging your life to correct someone else's mistake, assess the risk versus the reward of meeting unreasonable expectations. At times you'll have no choice but to jump in to put out the fire. But there will also be times when you have the latitude to push back and say, "This isn't what we originally discussed and agreed to. Since I'll have to rethink the plan and put more time into it than anticipated, I won't be able to have it completed by the initially proposed deadline." Let the person know you want to provide the best service possible -- and ask for the time and resources needed.
2.You Let Others Take Credit For Your Ideas
Ever suggest an idea that seemed to fall flat, only to find out later it was implemented and someone else got the credit? To avoid having others steal your ideas, make sure you state them loudly and confidently or put them in writing. If you're at a meeting and someone proposes the same thing you've previously suggested, call attention to it by saying, "Sounds like you're building on my original suggestion, and I would certainly support that."
3.You Apologize Unnecessarily
Save your apologies for big-time bloopers. When you do make a mistake worth apologizing for, apologize only once, then move into problem-solving mode. Objectively assess what went wrong and ways to fix it. Always begin from a place of equality, for example: "Based on the information initially provided to me, I had no idea that was your expectation. Tell me more about what you had in mind and I'll make the necessary revisions."
4.You Work Without Breaks
Use your vacation days; take your lunch. Working non-stop can make you appear flustered, inefficient and incompetent. It also makes you less productive. To maintain maximum levels of concentration and accuracy, experts suggest you take a break every 90 minutes.
5.You Do Others' Work For Them
Recognize when people delegate inappropriately to you and avoid the inclination to solve everyone's problems for them. Practice saying unapologetically, "I'd love to help you out with this, but I'm swamped." Then stop talking.
Of course being nice is not all bad. Dr. Bozionelos points out that it can be of great advantage as long as you are aware of and able to adjust your natural tendencies to undervalue yourself and compromise your personal interests.
As Dr. Frankel puts it, "When all is said and done, do you really want written on your tombstone: "She Always Put the Needs of the Company Ahead of Her Own?"
Monday, May 02, 2005
Not too loose, Not too tight, " JUST RIGHT"!!!
After a big cribbing session, I had an opportunity to go thru a book, which threw some light over my ignorance!
Here's a small chapter from the book Tuning the Mind by Swamini Viamalananda...
Every effect must have a cause. Its naturally follows that the world we experience must also have a cause. There are various causes for the various objects, phenomena, circumstances and experiences of the world. For example, a seed gives rise to a tree, condensation causes rain, unfulfilled desires causes frustration and anger and so on. There may be one or more causes for a phenomenon, For example, India won a cricket match because of good fielding, good bowling and indifferent batting by its opponents, But what is the Ultimate cause - the Cause of all causes – the cause of the entire world and not jus a small part of event of it? Both science and religion seek this Ultimate Cause.
Logically thinking, an object energy or phenomenon of the world cannot be the Ultimate cause of the world since:
1.A part cannot create the whole. The finite cannot create the infinite.
2.Any object being a part of the world cannot be itself be the cause of the world
3.The cause has to precede the effect. The object would have to exist before the world came into being and yet all objects are logically a part of creation.
These and many other logical fallacies would occur if we assume that an object, form of energy or phenomenon is that Ultimate cause of the world. Therefore the ultimate cause cannot be an object or aspect of the world. Then, what is it?
Let us first see what the world is. Then we can arrive at its cause by negating all the world represents. The creation, universe and world are names for forms and their attributes, which exist within the realms of time and spaces. Therefore, the Ultimate cause of the recreation must be a nameless, formless, quality-less, timeless and space less entity. It is called GOD in religion and TRUTH in philosophy.
This Truth ( Purusha or Brahman) has the unmanifest infinite potential (prakriti) to create the vast universe. This potential first manifest as the five subtle elements (Tanmaatras) : Space, Air, Fire, Water and the Earth. The elements are called sublet because they cannot be perceived by our sense organs. These subtle element s form the entire subtle world of our thoughts, emotions, talents and abilities. They then grossify to form the five gross elements. These form the gross world that we perceive with our five sense organs (eyes, ears, nose, skin and tongue) as form. Sounds, smells, touch and taste.
If everything has emerged from the same Truth, the same unmanifest potential, the same subtle and gross elements, then why do we perceive differences? Why is one brilliant and another dull?
Prakriti, the unmanifest potential, inherently has three qualities. These manifest in various ways causing a wide range of differences. For example, tea contains milk, sugar and tea powder. The various permutations and combinations o f these three ingredients create a variety of tastes. Similarly, everyone and everything in the creation is made up of three qualities (Gunas) : Satva, Rajas and Tamas. The permutations and combinations of these three crate the vast variety in the world.
The main characteristic of Satva guna is knowledge. Other characteristics are compassion, faith, love, self-control, understanding, purity, equanimity and memory. The main characteristic of Rajo Guna is activity. Other characteristics are ambition, dynamism, restlessness, haste, anger, jealousy, greed and passion. The main characteristic of tamo guna is Inertia. Other characteristics are disorganized thinking or behavior, carelessness, laziness, forgetfulness, violence and criminal thoughts.
The cause pervades the effect. Hence, these three qualities of prakriti pervade everything in the creation. However, when one quality is predominant, the other two lie dormant. The inert world of objects is predominantly tamasic. Plants manifest more rajo guna than stones do the animals even more than plants. Man can manifest satva guna to a greater extent animals, and presiding deities even more than man, even amongst plants, flowers, trees, animals and birds, some are satvic, others rajasic and yet others tamasic. The Tulsi, lotus, peepal(banyan), cow and swan are seen to be more satvic and are therefore, worshipped in India. The pitcher plant, sunflower, mango tree, monkey and crow are more rajasic whereas weeds or cacti, babul, the buffalo and the vulture are more tamasic, look around at the world and try to see these gunas in the beings around you.
Human beings too have these three guans. Different qualities gain dominance at different times, but one of them generally dominates each personality. Hence, we may categories people as satvic, rajasic, and tamasic. Remember everything we4 do – the way we sit, eat, walk, talk, work or behave – reflects the quality or mood of the mind. For example, in a satvic mood we eat unhurriedly and neatly; in a rajasic mood hurriedly and barely chewing; while in a tamasic mood in a sloppy and lethargic manner.
What do we want to be? What is the ideal combination of the gunas we should strive to have?
When the strings of a sitar (or any other stringed instrument) are too loose, they produce a base and unmusical sound. If they are too tight, they make a squeaky or shrill sound. But when they are tuned right, they produce melodious music. Similarly, if the stirrings of our mind are too loose (tamo guna) we are dull, lazy and often negative in our thoughts. If they are too tight (rajo guna) then despite being ambitious and hard working, we are often tense, worried and unhappy. But when the strings of our minds are tuned right (Satva guna) then we are poised, successful and happy – there is beautiful music in our lives. Therefore, the formula for success and happiness is – ” Not too loose, not too tight, JUST RIGHT.”
Here's a small chapter from the book Tuning the Mind by Swamini Viamalananda...
Every effect must have a cause. Its naturally follows that the world we experience must also have a cause. There are various causes for the various objects, phenomena, circumstances and experiences of the world. For example, a seed gives rise to a tree, condensation causes rain, unfulfilled desires causes frustration and anger and so on. There may be one or more causes for a phenomenon, For example, India won a cricket match because of good fielding, good bowling and indifferent batting by its opponents, But what is the Ultimate cause - the Cause of all causes – the cause of the entire world and not jus a small part of event of it? Both science and religion seek this Ultimate Cause.
Logically thinking, an object energy or phenomenon of the world cannot be the Ultimate cause of the world since:
1.A part cannot create the whole. The finite cannot create the infinite.
2.Any object being a part of the world cannot be itself be the cause of the world
3.The cause has to precede the effect. The object would have to exist before the world came into being and yet all objects are logically a part of creation.
These and many other logical fallacies would occur if we assume that an object, form of energy or phenomenon is that Ultimate cause of the world. Therefore the ultimate cause cannot be an object or aspect of the world. Then, what is it?
Let us first see what the world is. Then we can arrive at its cause by negating all the world represents. The creation, universe and world are names for forms and their attributes, which exist within the realms of time and spaces. Therefore, the Ultimate cause of the recreation must be a nameless, formless, quality-less, timeless and space less entity. It is called GOD in religion and TRUTH in philosophy.
This Truth ( Purusha or Brahman) has the unmanifest infinite potential (prakriti) to create the vast universe. This potential first manifest as the five subtle elements (Tanmaatras) : Space, Air, Fire, Water and the Earth. The elements are called sublet because they cannot be perceived by our sense organs. These subtle element s form the entire subtle world of our thoughts, emotions, talents and abilities. They then grossify to form the five gross elements. These form the gross world that we perceive with our five sense organs (eyes, ears, nose, skin and tongue) as form. Sounds, smells, touch and taste.
If everything has emerged from the same Truth, the same unmanifest potential, the same subtle and gross elements, then why do we perceive differences? Why is one brilliant and another dull?
Prakriti, the unmanifest potential, inherently has three qualities. These manifest in various ways causing a wide range of differences. For example, tea contains milk, sugar and tea powder. The various permutations and combinations o f these three ingredients create a variety of tastes. Similarly, everyone and everything in the creation is made up of three qualities (Gunas) : Satva, Rajas and Tamas. The permutations and combinations of these three crate the vast variety in the world.
The main characteristic of Satva guna is knowledge. Other characteristics are compassion, faith, love, self-control, understanding, purity, equanimity and memory. The main characteristic of Rajo Guna is activity. Other characteristics are ambition, dynamism, restlessness, haste, anger, jealousy, greed and passion. The main characteristic of tamo guna is Inertia. Other characteristics are disorganized thinking or behavior, carelessness, laziness, forgetfulness, violence and criminal thoughts.
The cause pervades the effect. Hence, these three qualities of prakriti pervade everything in the creation. However, when one quality is predominant, the other two lie dormant. The inert world of objects is predominantly tamasic. Plants manifest more rajo guna than stones do the animals even more than plants. Man can manifest satva guna to a greater extent animals, and presiding deities even more than man, even amongst plants, flowers, trees, animals and birds, some are satvic, others rajasic and yet others tamasic. The Tulsi, lotus, peepal(banyan), cow and swan are seen to be more satvic and are therefore, worshipped in India. The pitcher plant, sunflower, mango tree, monkey and crow are more rajasic whereas weeds or cacti, babul, the buffalo and the vulture are more tamasic, look around at the world and try to see these gunas in the beings around you.
Human beings too have these three guans. Different qualities gain dominance at different times, but one of them generally dominates each personality. Hence, we may categories people as satvic, rajasic, and tamasic. Remember everything we4 do – the way we sit, eat, walk, talk, work or behave – reflects the quality or mood of the mind. For example, in a satvic mood we eat unhurriedly and neatly; in a rajasic mood hurriedly and barely chewing; while in a tamasic mood in a sloppy and lethargic manner.
What do we want to be? What is the ideal combination of the gunas we should strive to have?
When the strings of a sitar (or any other stringed instrument) are too loose, they produce a base and unmusical sound. If they are too tight, they make a squeaky or shrill sound. But when they are tuned right, they produce melodious music. Similarly, if the stirrings of our mind are too loose (tamo guna) we are dull, lazy and often negative in our thoughts. If they are too tight (rajo guna) then despite being ambitious and hard working, we are often tense, worried and unhappy. But when the strings of our minds are tuned right (Satva guna) then we are poised, successful and happy – there is beautiful music in our lives. Therefore, the formula for success and happiness is – ” Not too loose, not too tight, JUST RIGHT.”
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