tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87242636960055036872024-03-07T14:31:15.865-08:00Impressions and expressionsPhanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-60638723083952785022017-07-04T19:20:00.000-07:002017-07-04T19:23:13.297-07:00How I retain my sanity on Facebook and beat stress!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Reduce time on news and social Media</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: I have a love-hate relationship with Facebook and Twitter. I like some of the discussions there and love reading the literary stuff posted by friends. But there is too much "spam" too and it is difficult to filter that garbage. And Facebook, by design, encourages us to "consume" a lot without "producing" much. So for a long time, I struggled with Facebook to decide how to use it and interact with it. After lot of experimentation, which included staying away from Facebook entirely for more than a month, I currently follow this </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"30 minute rule</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">". I only spend 30 minutes per day (I use a timer) on social media and news. I read the following on my phone in that order (you may have your own list) - US News (Yahoo News Digest App), India News (Eenadu e-paper, an Indian Telugu daily), Whatsapp groups (I put most groups in mute mode and check them only once per day), Facebook and Twitter. I usually have my 30 minute break in the evening time, after my work. Since I do it only once a day, I look forward to this time and it actually feels relaxing. Often, I cannot complete the entire list and that is OK. Things can wait till the next day. I book-mark the articles I want to read later (either Pocket app or Facebook “save it later” feature). And if I have to post something (my writings, things I think are worth sharing etc), I often use the Buffer app to schedule the posts. I often schedule all the posts I want to post a week before, so that I can spend some time over the weekend to write them.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Talk, don’t text</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sherry Turkle</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, an MIT communications professor, gave a talk in my company (Qualcomm, San Diego) last November which had a huge influence on me. She pointed out that we are relying more and more on texting (includes Whatsapp, messenger etc) instead of talking. And we shy away from phone calls or face-face conversations. She has lot of fascinating research on how digital devices are killing our solitude and influencing our conversations and how all this is impacting us in her book </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reclaiming-Conversation-Power-Talk-Digital/dp/1594205558" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Reclaiming conversation - The power of talk in a digital age"</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> which I very highly recommend. After that talk, I called some long time friends to just have a conversation with them. That human connection feels good and makes us healthy. As my thoughtful friend Om put it in our phone conversation, “We have so many modes of communication these days but so less communication happening!”. We need to come out of our Facebook connections and make real connections outside. We need to have face-face talk or phone chat more than text communication. This not only fosters friendships but also helps us in our mental health! As we all know, it always feels good to talk to a friend!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Read books in hard-copy format:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Books relax you in a way no movie can. While reading a book, you recreate the whole story with your imagination. You pause and converse with yourself. All this is not possible with a movie. They both serve different purposes. Whenever possible, I personally like a physical book, instead of reading on the kindle/computer. A physical book has a life of its own. The book design, the cover, the font, the smell, the feel of the pages - it is all very unique for a given book. But in Kindle, every book feels the same. Also with a physical book, you are more immersed. You don't keep searching for word meanings or googling what a particular thing is. So take a book you like, go to a nice and quiet place (it can be as simple as a favorite corner of your house), put your phone in silent-mode (resist temptation to check things described in the book on Google) and just read! It is one of the most relaxing things you can do.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sleep more: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tom Rath</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">once gave a very informative talk in our company on his book </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Eat-Move-Sleep-Choices-Changes/dp/1491513551" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Eat Move Sleep” </span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> . For the first time, I learnt that “sitting is the new smoking”. I also learnt that we are not sleeping enough! Till then, I used to think that around 6 hours of sleep is good enough for me and it is OK to spend time on computer/phone before sleep. I learnt then that our smartphones are disturbing sleep cycles quite a bit. This combined with the fact that most of us get less sleep than we need means that we are chronically sleep deprived. So I decided to sleep around 8 hours and to not see any bright objects like phone/TV from at least 2 hours before my sleep time. Both have been quite difficult to do, but I am trying my best. After that talk, I started using </span><a href="https://justgetflux.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">flux</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> on my computer which makes the color of your computer's display adapt to the time of day (later Apple iPhone had the same feature called </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Night-Shift</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">). But I was still using phone/computer till the bed time. And since phone is next to my bed, often there is a temptation to do some reading or idle browsing. I finally found a solution - Now I do not bring my phone to the bed room at all! I put it away in the living room! That helps a lot, not only to sleep well without distracted by phone but also to wake up early the next morning. Since I have to walk couple of steps to shut-off the alarm, it is much more likely now that I do not go back to sleep!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meditate:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I am not a regular meditator but I consider myself a meditation enthusiast. Meditation is really like an "exercise for the mind" and helps immensely in promoting our emotional health. Meditation is not necessarily sitting cross-legged with eyes closed. Even Yoga can be considered a dynamic meditation, if we do the postures mindfully, focusing on the movements without thinking anything else. Doing Yoga like aerobic exercise with loud music and all takes away this meditative aspect of Yoga. We can similarly have mindful eating, mindful walking, mindful brushing etc! It sounds silly but if you try it you will see the usefulness. Paraphasing the great Zen master </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>Shunryu Suzuki</i></b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, “We express ourselves when we put our mind wholly on the task we are doing”. And in expressing ourselves, we find ourselves! So try meditation, explore different forms and stick to the one you like. Do whatever but meditate in the end!
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have more things to write about but will stop here. I know I did not write anything new, we all know this stuff. It is just that we need to reinforce and internalize these things. More importantly, we need to put them to practice! Please share your thoughts and ideas too!</span></div>
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Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-29453281764731650212017-02-20T14:18:00.000-08:002017-02-20T14:18:16.055-08:00Don't use phone while driving!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Few weeks back our car was rear-ended - a teenage driver crashed into our car at 45 mph while my wife was waiting at the red signal, on her way to pickup our 6 year old daughter from school. Luckily, no one was hurt, though our car had moderate damage and his car was totaled. We were quite glad that the accident did not happen after my wife picked up my daughter. This teenager, who got his driving license only a week back, did not apply brakes at all. It was as if he never noticed the red light or the car before him. He claimed that his brakes failed but we know the real reason for his accident - he was distracted by his mobile phone. <br /><br />A day after the accident, a friend forwarded a video on Whatsapp which showed a heart rending news item of an entire family (mom & 3 children) being wiped out by a distracted truck driver.<div>
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The camera inside the truck captured the driver changing music on his smart phone and he did not notice the traffic halted on the freeway. It all happened in seconds. I ask everyone to watch this painful video because the message is extremely important.<br /><br />Most of us (including me) are guilty of using phone while driving to change music or search for a location in maps. We think it is all right, that things are in control, that we are safe drivers etc. And we often talk over phone or attend business meetings while driving. We use hands-free and so we think it is safe. But studies repeatedly show that even talking over hands-free is distractive. Remember, it just takes 1-2 seconds to make a mistake. And the mistake can be made by others too and if we are attentive enough, we may have a chance to escape from their driving mistakes.<br /><br />So do yourself a favor. Do not use your phone <b>at all </b>while driving. It is best to not even take hands-free calls. Make a rule to touch phone only when the car is completely stopped. You may be saving yourself, your family and someone else's family too! After our experience with the teenage driver, I decided to do it myself strictly. Our phones can wait, our life can wait while we are driving. </div>
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Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-77520254818034997652016-12-31T15:01:00.000-08:002016-12-31T15:01:19.125-08:005 inspiring readings for the New Year<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Whether we change or not, we all have a desire to improve ourselves. New Year offers a logical opportunity to pause and reflect. That is why "new year resolutions" are very popular, though in practice most resolutions do not live long. Yet, I think it is always useful to be "inspired". Inspiration can pull us out of lethargy. So here are 5 articles that I found most inspiring to make a positive change in my life. Hope they help you too!<br />
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<li><b>Managing Oneself:</b> I have great admiration for Peter Drucker, the management guru. My love for him started when I read his article in HBR titled "Managing oneself". It contains wonderful advice for creating a "fruitful life", starting with knowing your strengths, putting yourself in a career that utilizes those strengths and planning for a productive retirement. I read it every 6 months or so to get inspired. Very highly recommended. The HBR article is not freely available on the web, but that article itself is a condensed version of a chapter with the same title in Drucker's book "Management Challenges for the 21st Century". You can read that 34 page chapter <a href="http://academic.udayton.edu/LawrenceUlrich/LeaderArticles/Drucker%20Managing%20Oneself.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a>. It may take an hour to read and comprehend, but that will be an hour well spent.</li>
<li><b>7 habits: </b>Many years before Drucker, Stephen Covey entered my life through his wonderful book "7 habits of highly effective people". If I have to recommend one personality development book, I would choose this! The 7 principles Covey describes are simple to understand and remember. The principles are immensely practical too and they helped me a lot to conquer my fears during my B.Tech days. A very good summary of the book can be found <a href="http://www.pnbhs.school.nz/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/7-Habits-of-Highly-Effective-People-Summary-Covey.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a>. </li>
<li><b>Setting priorities: </b>Habit 3 of seven habits is "putting first things first" which is best described by a quote from the book - "<i>Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least</i>". We are overwhelmed by too many things in our life and unless we make a conscious effort to focus on the essentials, we get lost in doing things which do not add much value. This short<span style="color: blue;"> <a href="https://hbr.org/2012/08/the-disciplined-pursuit-of-less" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">HBR article</span></a> </span>titled "The disciplined pursuit of less" offers a great reminder for this. </li>
<li><b>Overcoming procrastination: </b>If you are like me, you will find that reading great stuff does not help much in putting it to practice. I struggle to find the motivation to act in my best interests without getting distracted by temptations. This brilliant <a href="https://hbr.org/2014/02/how-to-make-yourself-work-when-you-just-dont-want-to" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">HBR article</span></a> offers practical suggestions to make us get to action. </li>
<li><b>Taking it easy: </b>It is a known experience that setting high goals for ourselves has a side-effect of leading us to frustration when we do not meet our expectations. The very effort to be "productive" might make us feel stressed. So<span style="color: blue;"> <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/22/why-time-management-is-ruining-our-lives" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a> </span></span>is a recent long read article from Guardian that looks at the history of time-management and questions the focus we put on "productivity". It is a refreshingly different take on productivity and can help to put the four articles above in perspective.</li>
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Here to a more satisfying new year!</div>
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Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-47299651767284144752016-12-31T11:36:00.000-08:002016-12-31T11:41:44.628-08:00Happy New Year 2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I never celebrated New Year and till few years back I used to feel it is nothing special. It is just another day and why so much fuss about it, is my thinking! I still do not celebrate New Year, but I realize that it offers a nice opportunity to reflect, reassess and reform. Every step we take should be better than the one before and as we step into a new year, it is useful to think about how our future steps can be better.<br />
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So here I wish you all a Happy New Year!<br />
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New Year is a time for reflection...<br />
Our triumphs and failures<br />
Our joys and sorrows<br />
Our hopes and disappointments<br />
All inspiring us to move ahead<br />
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New Year is a time for aspiration...<br />
To become more joyful<br />
To spread more love<br />
To make life more fruitful<br />
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May in this new year<br />
We become more of what we want to be<br />
More of what we need to be<br />
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Happy New Year!</div>
Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-30096658564650351552016-06-02T19:11:00.002-07:002016-06-02T19:24:10.074-07:00O papa lali (Geetanjali) - a profound melody!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today (June 2nd) is the birthday of two great film personalities - music director </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Ilayaraja</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and director </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Mani Ratnam</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. “</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Geetanjali</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">” is one epic film in their combination, the only straight Telugu film by Mani Ratnam. It is a wonderful love story, beautiful and philosophical. A terminally ill guy and a girl, both in the prime of their youth, find eternal love and solace in an impermanent world through their relationship. Ilayaraja’s magic plays a big role in this movie where he wonderfully creates the mood of the story through his amazing compositions and background score. Lyrics by </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Veturi </b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">are to be specially mentioned too because he captures the soul of the movie in the depth of his poetry. I will attempt to translate/explain here the lyrics of a song in the movie.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The soothing me</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">l</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ody “</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>O paapa laali</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">”, sung wonderfully by </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>SPB</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, is anything but soothing in its content. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The girl is hospitalized again and this time doctors do not give much chance to her. The guy, full of despair, sings this song imagining that he is consoling her. In his imagination, she rests in his lap and he keeps caressing her hair. He is indeed consoling himself that the darkness of night spread around him will eventually go away and dawn comes down smiling. Cinematography, music, lyrics - all gel together to create one of the most artistically brilliant songs of Telugu cinema.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The song begins with this </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">pallavi</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ఓ పాపా లాలి</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">జన్మకే లాలి ప్రేమకే లాలీ</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">పాడనా తీయగా</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lullaby to you, my love</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lullaby to your life</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To our love</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let me sing sweetly</span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lullaby to life and to love! What a beautiful expression! These young lovers, hit hard by fate, surely need this soft embrace of a lullaby.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first stanza is heart touching -</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">నా జోలలా లీలగా తాకాలని గాలినే కోరనా జాలిగా</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">నీ సవ్వడే సన్నగా ఉండాలని కోరనా గుండెనే కోరిక</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">కలలారని పసిపాప తలవాల్చిన ఒడిలో </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">తడినీడలు పడనీకే ఈ దేవత గుడిలో </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">చిరు చేపల కనుపాపలకిది నా మనవి</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Filled with sorrow, I plead with the breeze</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To be as gentle as my lullaby!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I request my heart beat</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To be tender so as to not disturb her!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I ask my eyes to restrain themselves and not shed tears</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For a girl, whose dreams are still fresh, is resting in my lap</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And the shadows of my tears may not tarnish the temple of that Goddess!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What a wonderful poetry! The Telugu words used are so tender and beautiful that a mild wave of sorrow will fill the listener even if he doesn’t understand the meaning of the lines! </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the second stanza, the guy pleads with the nature around him to cooperate -</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ఓ మేఘమా! ఉరమకే ఈ పూటకి గాలిలో తేలిపో వెళ్ళిపో!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ఓ కోయిలా పాడవే నా పాటనీ తీయని తేనెలే చల్లిపో!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ఇరుసందెలు కదలాడె ఎద ఊయల ఒడిలో </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">సెలయేరుల అలపాటే వినిపించని గదిలో </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">చలి ఎండకు సిరివెన్నలకిది నా మనవి</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">O cloud, do not roar today, just fly away please!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">O cuckoo, please sing my song and spread some sweetness</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dawn (hope) and dusk (despair) oscillate</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the cradle lap of my heart, a dark closed room where no sweet music can penetrate!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">O moonlight! I request you to give way to the morning sunshine!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The guy’s mental state is portrayed here. He can’t tolerate unpleasant things (roaring cloud) and tries something pleasant (song of a cuckoo) but even that does not give him solace. His turbulent inner feelings do not leave him alone. He is hopeful this moment but filled with despair </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 20.24px; white-space: pre-wrap;">again in </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">the next moment. His heart has become a dark closed chamber and nothing sweet or beautiful can penetrate inside. In just a few lines, Veturi captures so many feelings! The last line is interesting. Moonlight is pleasant and gives the impression of light but there is actually darkness around and only dawn can demolish that darkness. His “hope” is like that moonlight but he wants a “confirmation”, he wants dawn. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For such great lyrics to come out, we need a situation that inspires the writer. We need a director who can extract the needed feeling in the song. We need a music director whose tune establishes the mood of the song perfectly so that the lyrics can just flow out. Kudos to Mani Ratnam and Ilayaraja for making this happen and to Veturi! </span></span></div>
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Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-63195375577819760742016-05-21T15:16:00.001-07:002016-05-21T15:21:19.132-07:00Book Review: The Battle for Sanskrit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28432017-the-battle-for-sanskrit" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Battle for Sanskrit: Is Sanskrit Political or Sacred, Oppressive orLiberating, Dead or Alive?" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1451753666m/28432017.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28432017-the-battle-for-sanskrit">The Battle for Sanskrit: Is Sanskrit Political or Sacred, Oppressive orLiberating, Dead or Alive?</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4939005.Rajiv_Malhotra">Rajiv Malhotra</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1596266811">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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This is the first Rajiv Malhotra's book I read. It concerns itself with criticizing Sheldon Pollock's views on Sanskrit and its social impact on Indian society (I heard his name for the first time in this book). It is indeed a class work of criticism. Malhotra speaks of Pollock respectfully, presents Pollock's views well and gives a dispassionate counter view-point. Rajiv Malhotra mentions that he even met Pollock twice to discuss their disagreements. This is really a very professional and dignified way to approach criticism and I am quite impressed with that! <br />
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Coming to the core topic of this book, I am surprised that there are intellectuals like Pollock who think that Sanskrit language itself is a "language of oppression"! Of course the Sankrit Kavyas are blamed by people like Pollock for portraying patriarchy, hatred, social oppression and what not, but to take it further and blame the language itself is something only intellectuals can do! Rajiv Malhotra does not deny that these "dangerous elements" pointed out by Pollock exist in Sanskrit literature but he does not treat these as the "core characteristics" of the Sanskrit language/literature. Traditional interpretation of the Sanskrit kavya literature is that it is essentially "sacred" in nature and hence Malhotra points out that one needs to approach it accordingly to understand it in the right spirit. I side with him on this. So there may be some troubling aspects in Ramayana but normal people read it for inspiration and spiritual development, not to oppress woman or cultivate hatred against Dalits/Muslims as Pollock seems to imply.<br />
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Malhotra explains in detail that the issue is much larger than Sanskrit language and literature. It has to do with efforts by people like Pollock to replace/reinterpret certain aspects of Indian traditional thinking with Western approaches. Pollock thinks he is doing a favor to Indians by flushing out the "toxicity" embedded in their literature but he is actually "throwing out the baby with the bath water", Malhotra argues convincingly. In the end, "toxicity" is not really out there in Sanskrit language or literature or Hinduism but in the human mind. Man thinks he is replacing the external toxicity but he is actually creating a new version of it! So it is amusing that Pollock himself is doing the very same things he is opposing in Sanskrit literature (being hegemonic in his views, seeking sponsorship, spoiling the purity of literature with his own interpretations etc), as Rajiv Malhotra explains towards the end of the book.<br />
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At parts, the book gets too detailed and intellectual for my taste but it is an eye-opener in many aspects. This book is a must-read to understand the current intellectual eco-system with its social and political biases against the Indian tradition. I give the book 4 stars only for the "readability" aspect, it is a somewhat dry book (guess all intellectual books are!). But the content itself is surely 5 star!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/22132282-phanindra">View all my reviews</a><br />
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Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-27475522342983665342016-05-07T20:23:00.001-07:002016-05-07T20:37:46.440-07:00Swami Chinmayananda - Greatness personified!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“The day you take up the policy of giving love instead of demanding it - that day you will have rewritten your entire future destiny - Swami Chinmayananda”</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today (May 8th) is Gurudev<b> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinmayananda_Saraswati" target="_blank">Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati</a></b>'s 100th birth anniversary. This beautiful doodle created by Chinmaya Mission as a mark of devotion towards him has the words "Chinmaya Sadgurave Namaha" -</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chinmayananda, widely hailed as the second Vivekananda, has done a tremendous contribution to spread the real essence of Sanatana Dharma among Hindus. He used English as the main language to communicate his message to the English speaking educated class who were increasingly becoming averse to Hinduism due to their misconceptions. He wrote excellent commentaries on several Hindu scriptures including Bhagavadgita and Upanishads. His vision of making the "family" as a member of the mission and not just the individual, is perhaps his master-stroke. Chinmaya Mission is unique in having thoughtfully designed Balavihar classes for children (Pre-K to 12th grade) and study groups for adults along with many Satsangs and Seva activities. This distinguishes them from similar organizations like Rama Krishna Mission, which are mainly focused on individuals.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I first heard of Chinmayananda during my B.Tech days (possibly year 2000) when I met a <i>Brahmachari</i> (Uddava Chaitanyananda Ji, now Swami Sarvesananda) of the mission along with a friend who is a CHYK (Chinmaya Yuva Kendra) member. I was very impressed by the brilliance and wit of the Brahmachari. At that time, Chinmaya Mission conducted a Bhagavadgita competition which involves reading Chinmayananda's commentary on the Gita and answering a multiple-choice questions test! It is a sweet memory for me to participate in that competition. It is also my first tryst with the Gita. I got a good understanding of what it says and was inspired by the overall message. Before that, I read a lot of Vivekananda's works and became his great fan! I found Chinmayananda to be equally wonderful. Yet, I did not read much of Chinmayananda after the Gita competition (for that matter, even Vivekananda! It was at this time that I started exploring modern and non-traditional spiritual personalities such as Jiddu Krishnamurti).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After moving to San Diego in 2012, I again heard of Chinmaya Mission when a friend casually mentioned that their kids to go to Chinamaya's Balavihar. I googled and learnt that San Diego is special because Chinmayananda left his body here. There is an aptly named center "<a href="http://chinmayajyoti.org/">Chinmaya Jyoti</a>" in existence here for a long time. I was fortunate to visit Chinmaya Jyoti soon after this to attend a Satsang with <b>Guruji Tejomayananda</b> who is the current head of the Chinmaya Mission Worldwide. I was very impressed by the beautiful ashram with its serene surroundings and by the divine simplicity of Tejomayananda and the nectar of his wisdom. Now my daughter goes to Balavihar and learns about our culture in the Chinmaya way and I benefit from the study groups and the Satsangs. At Chinmaya I am learning about Vedanta, the essential Hindu philosophy, which for me is a continuation of what I started to learn with Vivekananda.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As with Isha Foundation (another organization I am associated with), I find very nice people at Chinmaya too. Their devotion to their Guru and the organization is most touching to me, though personally I do not get too attached to any organization/Guru. I have no doubt that both these organizations are doing a great service in their own way by spreading the Sanatana Dharma. I feel fortunate to have been associated with them!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To offer our thanks to Gurudev on his 100th anniversary, we are offering a pledge in the spirit of "Unto Him Our Best". Here is my pledge -</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I will strive to uplift myself by myself through the guidance of the eternal Vedantic ideals whose glory is shown to me by the great Gurus!"</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With profound pranams to Gurudev on his 100th anniversary...</span></div>
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Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-90730540037637678042016-04-02T22:33:00.000-07:002016-04-02T22:33:32.502-07:00Homeopathy - medicine or superstition?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;">In the second part of the documentary "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0-NalmRSl8" target="_blank">Enemies of reason</a>", <b>Richard Dawkins</b> evaluates the scientific basis of Homeopathy</span><span style="line-height: 19.32px;">. I am surprised to learn that Homeopathy believes in "<i>like cures like</i>". This is exact opposite of what Ayurveda believes (like increases like) and what modern medical science knows. Dawkins explains that this is not the same concept as a "vaccine" which introduces a diminished form of a virus to provoke the body's immune system. Instead, Homeopathy believes that "what causes similar symptoms cures those symptoms". So diluted poison ivy cures skin rash because undiluted poise ivy causes rash! To cure streaming eyes, the medicine is, you guessed it, diluted red onions!</span></div>
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Even more curiously, Homeopathy believes that "the more the active ingredient is diluted, the more potent it becomes". Most Homeopathic medicines are marked 30c. This is, hold your breath, 1 part medicine : 100^30 parts water! This is so huge a scale that for a single drop of medicine, not even the entire water on earth is enough to dilute. Homeopaths acknowledge that there is <i>not even a single molecule</i> of active ingredient in the medicines sold, it is just water!</div>
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So how does it work then? Enter another theory which says "water in the bottle of medicine has memory of the active ingredient" even though there is not even a single molecule of the active ingredient present. It is worth noting here that this "water memory" theory is <span style="line-height: 19.32px;">also </span><span style="line-height: 19.32px;">believed by some non-Homeopaths. For example, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C1p4HUHlfE." target="_blank">here</a> Sadhguru (of Isha Foundation) says the same thing. </span><span style="line-height: 19.32px;">Unfortunately, there is no scientific basis for this theory. Dawkins points out that Homeopathy has consistently failed to generate any positive outcome in the controlled scientific experiments. It is only as good as a "placebo".</span></div>
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But it must be said that many people vouch for the effectiveness of Homeopathy. Even I have a "homeopathic cream" at home which helps a lot in pain relief. Is it just placebo effect? May be. Or may be not. Homeopaths are trying their best to convince people that there is a scientific basis which "scientific fundamentalists" like Dawkins are refusing to acknowledge. <a href="http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/defense-homeopathy?page=1" target="_blank">This article</a> makes a very strong case. But if we then read <a href="https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/reference/homeopathy/" target="_blank">this article</a>, we get a different picture.</div>
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In the end, one has to make a personal choice. It is a bias surely and my bias is towards science. I feel it is always better to be on the side of science than on the side of mysticism. So my current view, given the facts, is that Homeopathy is indeed a placebo but possibly a harmless and useful one.</div>
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Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-25331132999030430092016-02-27T15:40:00.001-08:002016-02-27T15:57:29.510-08:00"Mounamelanoyi" song - the magic of Ilayaraja and Veturi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In director <b>K.Vishwanath</b>'s masterful creation "<b>Sagara Sangamam</b>", music and lyrics play a big part. The magic of <b>Ilayaraja</b>'s music is amplified by the wonderful lyrics provided by <b>Veturi</b>. I</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">n this article, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I take a look at the lyrics of the haunting melody song in the movie - "mounamelanoyi ii marapu raani reyi". This simple and soothing composition is wonderfully rendered by</span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> SPB</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Janaki</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The situation of the song is quite unique, something that shows the genius of K.Vishwanath. A married lady (female lead in the movie) who is separated from her husband due to some differences meets a dancer (male lead). Their artistic tastes meet and they soon become very good friends. Their mutual admiration leads to the bloom of love, unexpressed as yet. This song focuses on the feelings of the lady and the conflicts within her given her marital status. She is not yet legally divorced and so she has to decide between her marriage and her new found love. This song is basically a conversation she has with her own self. Her heart speaks to her gently, asking her to acknowledge her feelings and cajoling her to express her love. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Normally such songs would be solo songs. But K.Vishwanath shows his brilliance again by making this a duet. It is as if the guy is questioning her. The guy is also struggling to acknowledge and express his feelings so the lyrics apply to him too. On top of this, Vishwanath also adds the backdrop of a first-night song. In the movie, this song is played in the first-night of a newly wed couple, the bridegroom being the male lead's friend. On such a night, the bride, though full of love, is filled with shyness. She takes her time to get the confidence to open up and express herself. The female lead's mental state is similar though her situation is different. So this song is a 3 in one - a first-night song, a song of a guy in love and a song of a lady in love and conflict.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Writing lyrics for such a situation is challenging, but luckily for Vishwanath there is Veturi. Lyricist Veturi is known for his multi-layered lyrics. His lyrics tend to have a slight ambiguity in them and can often be interpreted in a way chosen by the listener! This approach leads to frustration in the listener at times, but it is perfect for this situation. Veturi choses to take the simple route and expresses feelings so subtly that describing their meaning would kill the beauty of the song! One can best appreciate this song only in Telugu. But here I attempt a translation in plain English, knowing fully that I am not doing justice at any level!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My translation only interprets the lyrics from the perspective of the female lead. Other interpretations are possible, as I just described. In fact, my friend <b>Surya Prabha</b> gaaru wrote her own translation on Facebook. Her beautiful translation has motivated me to write this post, so I thank her for the inspiration. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now put yourself into the character and situation of the female lead. Imagine a beautiful full-moon night when you are all alone (or possibly walking silently along with your lover). Listen to your heart! What is it saying?</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Hook:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When the moonlight inside you is dangling in your bright eyes...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(And silently expressing your love)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stanza 1:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Those lips of yours that utter sweet words, why are they trembling?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And what is hiding behind those trembling lips?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When two hearts entwine,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When youth blooms (in love),</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Those naughty whispers you hear,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Those sweet nothings conveyed by the tender breeze,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aren't they nudging you to open up?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(And yet)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Why this silence dear, on this unforgettable night?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stanza 2:</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(Look at this beautiful night!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A snow is falling in the lap of the moon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A flower is blooming at the moon-light's door-step...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(And yet you are still wondering...)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Are these (steps with him) the seven steps (of marriage)?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or are these (just) pools of love (that never culminate in marriage)?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The throbbing of the feminine youth</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The dreams woven by the eyes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Knowing these fully...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Why this silence dear, on this unforgettable night?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The song is very beautifully picturized by Vishwanath, as can be seen in the Youtube video below.</span></div>
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Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-27041744738040458782016-02-26T23:09:00.000-08:002016-04-03T23:10:51.096-07:00Fifty shades of Grey!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">#JustForFun #TrueStory</span></span><br />
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<b>Note:</b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> If you do not know what "Fifty Shades of Grey" book/movie is all about, please skip reading this post! Don't ask questions :) </span></div>
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<b>Disclaimer: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">This post is for fun only and is not intended to hurt die-hard Fifty Shades' fans (who I know are in plenty!)<br /><div>
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It was year 2012 and I was waiting in Chicago airport for my next flight. So I did what I normally do at such places - looked for book stores. Browsing through books gives me a joy surrounded by calmness, something every book-lover would know. I guess this is the same joy women experience when they do shopping, although book-shopping is way cheaper and a lot healthier!</div>
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In the airport book-store, I saw a book being prominently advertised as a best-seller. The book had an interesting cover design - just a classy looking grey tie. It was titled "Fifty Shades of Grey". I thought it was some business book, going by the cover. But I was in for a surprise. It is an "erotic romance" book written by a female author. Normally, one would expect an embarrassing, sexist cover for such a book, but here we have a very decent looking cover! I was very impressed and attributed it to the female author. "You sick male writers! You know nothing about dignified romance and subtle feelings, learn from this lady!", I said to myself. I did not buy the book then but made a mental note about this book.</div>
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Several months later, I was in the local library and saw this book again, as it was showcased in the front row. I remembered the airport book-store visit and had no hesitation in picking up this book for reading. After all, it looked like a book any gentleman would read! At the check-out counter, the female librarian had a smile when she saw the book, which I thought was an appreciation of my selection! (It was only after this incident I realized the need to use the self-service check-out option at the library!) Back home, I was rather excited to read this book. I assumed it would be on par with classical Sanskrit romantic literature which I love.</div>
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The book started out as a love story between a student girl and a business man. The prose is rather simple and the writing is decent. But nothing very romantic or classy and nothing very impressive yet. I wondered why the book was such a phenomenal success. I continued to read hoping to be hit by some wonderful twist that would at once transform the book into an erotic classic! The twist did happen but it was of an entirely different kind than I expected! It suddenly dawned on me that the classy tie on the cover of the book is possibly a code for the verb "tie"! This kind of romance is not my cup of tea and I was very much embarrassed (Here, it must be pointed out that embarrassment has nothing to do with vulgarity. Sometimes the most vulgar stuff might not embarrass us. Embarrassment has more to do with one's own comfort zone.) Since I do not like to abandon a book in the middle, I continued to read hoping that either the book would get better or I would get bolder! But since neither of these happened and I had to return the book to the library unfinished!</div>
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I write this not to criticize the book or to showcase myself as a very decent gentleman! I do not consider the book a "sinful book", it is just not my kind of book. But it does surprise me to learn that women (not just teenagers, but even married women) are going gaga over this book and consider Mr.Grey as an ideal lover/partner/boy-friend! I mean, I don't really get it. One can be good, one can be bad, but how can one be bad in a good way that women love? Well, I guess this will remain an unsolvable puzzle for most men!</div>
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Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-8853649917512632132015-04-13T19:33:00.000-07:002018-10-23T20:45:38.068-07:00Sadhguru and Rishi Prabhakar: a curious connection!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When we have a Guru who strikes a chord with people, there will be always be Guru-haters too who keep spreading lies to damage and discredit the Guru. So it is not surprising that Sadhguru (of Isha Foundation) has his fair share of critics who call him a fraud and his spiritual movement a “cult”. I addressed some of these “cult concerns” in my earlier </span><a href="http://ksmphanindra.blogspot.com/2011/11/is-isha-cult.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">article</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Most of this so-called “criticism” is not worth considering because it is devoid of facts and is full of hate-filled propaganda. But we must keep listening to the critics because they may sometimes dig out a fact that deserves some attention. This article focuses on one such fact.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The allegation</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An allegation I heard long back about Sadhguru is that he got trained under one</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> Rishi Prabhakar </b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Siddha Samadhi Yoga</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (SSY), learnt all the yoga techniques from him, left him and started his own organization (Isha Foundation). I discarded this allegation as “silly propaganda” and never really paid much attention to it. But recently I happened to talk to one acquaintance who after learning that I am an Isha meditator, casually remarked that “he meditated with Sadhguru long back in Hyderabad, when he was part of Siddha Samadhi Yoga”. This made me very curious and I considered this allegation with some seriousness for the first time.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some facts</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So I researched on the internet. The most difficult part for me was to separate facts from opinions and propaganda. In the end, I could gather these facts regarding this allegation:</span></div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rishi_Prabhakar" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rishi Prabhakar</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (who expired in 2014) never himself said anything about Sadhguru. However, Rishi Prabhakar’s disciple </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/profile/17667691388665612640" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Raviji </span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (who is a Guru himself) did go on record about this and wrote the following in a blog </span><a href="http://harmanjit.blogspot.com/2007/10/sadhgurus-lineage.html?showComment=1279390038398#c6842315458289998638" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">comment</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in 2007:</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The arguments and counter arguments about Jaggi and his life are interesting. One fact I wish to share is we both got trained by Guruji Rishi Prabhakar in the years 1984-86. We both took SSY teachers training together in Gommatagiiri near Mysore. We did SSY classes together and we started the Hyderabad center of Rishi Samskruti Vidya Kendra under Guruji. Then he was sent by Guruji Rishi Prabhakar to Coimbatore to start center there. There he slowly left the organization and started his own. He renamed himself as Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev and became popular.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">His Guru Rishi Prabhakar will not claim him to be his student as Jaggi has not lived up to his word. There is no secrecy in these matters. Jaggi himself will accept it (I still believe he is truthful). I have not contacted him so far after he left Guruji Rishi Prabhakar."</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Apart from Raviji’s statement, there is no other factual proof I could find online, apart from some people who claimed that they did indeed see Jaggi Vasudev when he was with SSY. And there were couple of Isha meditators who heard this from people they trust and so were surprised like me and wanted to know the truth. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sadhguru never mentioned Rishi Prabhakar. But let us look at some relevant facts we know about Sadhguru and try to put those in the context of this allegation:</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Per his own words, Sadhguru got enlightened in September 1981 on Chamundi Hills, Mysore. </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After enlightenment, there was an “year of withdrawal” after which Sadhguru decided to teach yoga. He conducted his own class for a time and then decided to “work under the umbrella of other yoga organizations with similar objectives”. Reason? They had “methods and techniques but no (spiritual) experience, while Sadhguru had a huge experience but did not have any methods or techniques”. Working with them taught Sadhguru “what he should not do”. He picked up some things from these organizations and made them into something “totally different”. These efforts culminated into the present Isha Foundation’s programs, “where the content may be the same but the dimension and depth with which it is presented is not being done anywhere else”. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Details taken from his biography by Arundhati Subramaniam titled “Sadhguru, more than a life”, pages 87-89)</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Till 1987, Sadhguru continued his yoga classes (which were flourishing, with some classes held even in Hyderabad). He also got married during this time and did other business activities to earn money. </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 1987, Sadhguru visited Coimbatore to meet a friend and entered a deep meditative state waiting at the bus depot. It was then he decided Coimbatore as his future home. In 1989, he conducted his first class there. Isha foundation was established later in Coimbatore in 1992.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Analysis</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The most striking aspect of Raviji’s statement is the details provided. Specific years and place names were mentioned. Between 1984-86, Sadhguru was still possibly interacting with outside organizations and so his involvement with SSY cannot be ruled out. The place “Gomatagiri” mentioned by Raviji even figures in Arundhati Subramaniam’s book where it is mentioned that “Jaggi conducted a program in Gomatagiri” (page 92). Per the book, Sadhguru visited Coimbatore in 1987 which aligns with Raviji’s dates.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One can also see some similarities between Isha’s programs and SSY’s. SSY’s intro program is called “Siddha Samadhi Yoga” which teaches a basic breathing technique and emphasises eating “positive pranic” food. Isha’s flagship program called “Inner Engineering” is similar. Interestingly, before “Inner Engineering”, Sadhguru used to teach a 13 day program called “Sahaja Stithi Yoga” which also acronyms to SSY. Rishi Prabhakar’s other program called “Bhava Samadhi Training” (BST) deals with handling emotions and is intended to “vomit out what was suppressed for many years”. This has some resemblances to Isha’s “Bhava Spandana Program” (BSP). Rishi Prabhakar has a silence program called “Advanced Meditation Course” (AMC) designed to “take one into one’s own state of silence within”. Isha has a similar advanced silence meditation program too called “Samyama”. Critics pointed out these similarities to claim that Isha’s programs are a rip-off from SSY. That is a hasty conclusion because many organizations have similar programs (e.g Art of Living also has a silence meditation program). Moreover Sadhguru himself admitted that he took some ideas from these organizations but transformed them entirely. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But there are some troubling aspects in Raviji’s statement. He claims that Sadhguru took teachers training with SSY which indicates a far deeper involvement than what Sadhguru hinted at in Arundhati Subramaniam’s book. Raviji also says that Sadhguru was sent to Coimbatore by Rishi Prabhakar to establish SSY there. This contradicts Sadhguru’s own version. Per Sadhguru, he had a mystic connection with Coimbatore and Velliangiri mountains in his past life and therefore selected Coimbatore to establish Dhyana Linga, his mission in this life. It is however possible that he first came to Coimbatore on some SSY related work and then recognized his past-life relation with it. Arundhati Subramaniam’s book does mention that Sadhguru remembered his “coimbatore connection” unexpectedly when he visited Coimbatore in 1987 (page 100).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Final impressions</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Given these facts, this is the story I construct. After enlightenment, Sadhguru taught yoga on his own for a while. Then he decided to join with other organizations. In this phase, I am reasonably certain that Sadhguru was involved with SSY, possibly as a teacher. We need more factual details to establish the story entirely here. But it is possible that Sadhguru went to Coimbatore on SSY related work and recognized his connection with that place. This is when Sadhguru started cutting off from SSY to be on his own again with his Sahaja Stithi Yoga. So this is the possible story and there is nothing fraudulent here as some critics allege. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I conclude that blaming Sadhguru for his "Rishi Prabhakar" connection is entirely baseless. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>P.S - Email communication with Raviji:</b> I contacted Raviji over email to comment on Sadhguru's involvement with SSY but he declined to discuss it. His advice to me over 2 replies is a really wise advice for a spiritual seeker but does not help to fill in the gaps -<br />
<b>Reply 1: </b>Why you want to disturb yourself with the history of your guru? Just enjoy your sadhana and move ahead. It is good for you and for your guru too! Until one comes out of the idea that a human being can be a Guru to another human being, it is not possible to see the truth that every life has something to offer as wisdom and knowledge. It is Nature that lets us learn everything. All human interventions are just obstacles for ones journey towards God and divine living! Simply celebrate your life free from all Gurus, who are just human beings, like all of us. No one can save you excepting your own self!<br />
<b>Reply 2:</b> Just continue your sadhana. Be thankful to whoever had offered it. Keep offering your best wherever you are and enjoy life as it comes. There is no one who is a Guru or Sadguru, it is his/her disciples who make it. If it is authentic or he is genuine or your belief is true, matters not from his/her context. You give value to such things and so it matters to you. That's all. Just continue your Sadhana without getting attached to the person whoever had made it possible for you. It is your journey and you need to take it up. No one will carry you. "Uddaret Atmana atamanam..." Bhagavat Gita says. What more can be? </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(P.S: This blog is defunct now, see my current active blog for my other articles on Isha and Sadhguru - <a href="https://ksmphanindra.wordpress.com/category/isha/">https://ksmphanindra.wordpress.com/category/isha/</a>) </span></span></div>
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Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com86tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-25202513667664677592015-04-10T11:16:00.000-07:002015-04-10T11:16:16.271-07:00Rahman's "Ok Bangaram"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />Some of my thoughts and feelings after listening to Rahman's latest offering "OK Bangaram"<br /><div>
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The most touching song in "OK bangaram" for me is "<i>maula wa sallim</i>" which apparently is a traditional Sufi song and so not a Rahman's tune. Rahman's young boy AR Ameen sings this song with such devotion and innocence that I can't help uttering - "God bless you beta, may you shine like your father!"</div>
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I am big fan of Rahman's classical-based compositions and “Ok Bangaram” has 2 such songs - "<i>edo adagana</i>" and "<i>manase tiyaga</i>". The tunes sound somewhat familiar but nevertheless good. Chitra does a splendid job in "manase tiyaga" though her voice shows some age. One crib I have in this song is that Sirivennela uses the word "trishna" in the pallavi which sounds too strong and disturbs the soft feel of the tune. Singer "Shasha Tirupathi" (I am hearing her for the first time) does a great job too in "edo adagana" but her pronunciation of "Da" is rather strange and almost sounds wrong.</div>
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My next pick is "<i>hey amayika</i>" sung beautifully by Karthik. This song is short in lyrics (only one charanam) but is more than 6 minutes long! Rahman seems to use more repetition in his songs these days, a trend we can notice in some other songs of this album too. </div>
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Next I like the innovatively composed romantic duet "<i>maayedo ceyyavaa</i>", which is lovely if one can ignore the female singer's mis-pronunciation of "ceyyavaa". </div>
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“<i>mental madilo</i>”, which seems be the hit number of the album, comes in 2 versions (male and female) and is peppy. </div>
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I really liked the constant background beat in the song “<i>neetho alaa</i>” which gives this melody song a very different feel. This tune can work both as a sad number or a happy one and the lyrics are ambiguous enough to keep one guessing the mood. </div>
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“<i>raara aatagaada</i>” is my least favorite song of the album. The lead tune is quite catchy but this song did not impress me that much, possibly because of the rather irritating telugu rap lyrics!</div>
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Overall, a very good album by Rahman. I did not love this album as much as I loved “I” but I can say that Rahman-Mani Ratnam combo’s magic is here in this album!<br /><br />Speaking of lyrics, one must appreciate Sirivennela for writing simple and sensible lyrics which sound natural with no “dubbing flavor”. Of course, it seems Sirivennela did not actually translate the Tamil lyrics for the most part, so we cannot call these lyrics as “translated”. In any case, these lyrics should delight Rahman’s Telugu fans whose frequent lament is that they cannot listen to Rahman in Telugu due to the lyrics. That said, I am somewhat disappointed because Sirivennela’s magic and mastery is not very evident in this album. I did love some of the expressions used by Sirivennela but I would not count this album as one of Sirivennela’s best works. </div>
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Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-45836184596399586932015-02-17T14:16:00.003-08:002015-02-17T14:25:46.823-08:00The man whom no one understood!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">People say it is difficult to understand Jiddu Krishnamurti’s philosophy. I agree. But if you think you have to understand Krishnamurti’s philosophy, you are already on the wrong path. For there is nothing called Krishnamurti’s philosophy. There is only one thing - understanding yourself. Krishnamurti is just a mirror for you to look into yourself. Looking into yourself requires infinite patience and tremendous courage. It is not an easy thing to do. No wonder people never understood Krishnamurti.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I first heard of Krishnamurti when I was reading a Telugu magazine article on “overcoming your fears”. It had a side-note on Krishnamurti who said - </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fear is created by thought - t</span><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">hought which is the operation of past memory, past experience and past knowledge</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">”. I thought it was an interesting way of looking at fear and remembered his name. So years later when I found Krishnamurti book stall at the popular Vijayawada annual book festival, I immediately stepped inside to explore his writings. I purchased an introductory book which is a compilation of his lectures and discussions. I did not understand much of what he said but the simplicity and novelty of his ideas intrigued me. The spiritual books I read till then (Vivekananda, upanishads etc) all started well but later went into too much spiritual jargon that bored me! So I found Krishnamurti’s approach very fresh and direct. Usage of plain English and conversational style to discuss profound topics of life is something I first found and loved in Krishnamurti, which I later found in other Gurus like Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev and Osho.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But inspite of his simple language and his avoidance of stereotypes, Krishnamurti is not easy to understand. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Sir, please, we are talking over together. This is not a lecture, where you listen, you are told, or given certain concepts, certain formulas, certain cliches, and you accept them and go home. But here we are not lecturing, we are having a conversation to find out, to enquire deeply. And I hope that you are going to do this, not merely listen to the speaker but also use the speaker as a mirror in which you see yourself. And when you have seen yourself you can throw away the mirror.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">” - Krishnamurti would often begin his talks with words similar to these. Inspite of his repeated requests to not “believe in anything he says” but “think through and find it out yourself”, people “lost” him and formed “theories and concepts” around his teachings! We are not trained from our childhood to observe our thoughts impartially and silently, but I feel this is a prerequisite to understand Krishnamurti. Instead, our minds are trained to form concepts and theories from what we read but again and again Krishnamurti insists that “all ideas lead us away from truth”. For him truth is like a flowing stream, fresh and ever changing, but our minds are too impatient to observe and assimilate the minute by minute wonders of the creation.</span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That is why I feel it is not accurate to call Krishnamurti a “philosopher”, in the normal sense of the word. “Philosopher” implies the existence of a philosophy, but Krishnamurti had no philosophy. Even though he published what he called as “core of the teachings”, it is neither a philosophy nor even a method to approach truth. He was against all methods, all teachings, all philosophies, all ideas and ideals! He proclaimed, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Truth is a pathless land. Man cannot come to it through any organization, through any creed, through any dogma, priest or ritual, not through any philosophical knowledge or psychological technique!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">”. If all this is still too confusing, let me give a specific example to illustrate how Krishnamurti’s mind operated. Once he was asked what would he do if his mother or sister is attacked before his eyes. The questioner had possibly heard of Krishnamurti speaking against violence and so wanted to know how he would react in a violent situation. Krishnamurti replied something like this - “</span><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sir, you ask me, what will I do if my sister is attacked. I will say, I don't know. I will know when the attack happens. I will act at that moment. My intelligence, because I love, have compassion, that compassion creates that intelligence, that intelligence will operate at that moment.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">” </span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If Krishnamurti did not believe in any teaching or method or philosophy, what exactly did he want to convey through his talks? The answer can be found in the “core of the teachings” itself - </span><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Man has to find Truth through the mirror of relationship, through the understanding of the contents of his own mind, through observation and not through intellectual analysis or introspective dissection</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">”. So in a sense, what Krishnamurti is saying is this - “I am not the light, I cannot dispel your darkness. You have to do it yourself. My work is just to make you realize this truth”. This “essence” may be the same as what many other great preachers like Buddha taught but Krishnamurti had an unique approach where he was always cautious to not give any impression that he was an “authority on Truth”. He knew that his teaching can become an obstacle to truth and tried in all sincerity to prevent it from happening.</span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But people disappointed him! Even though Krishnamurti warned against “intellectual analysis or introspective dissection”, his approach is understood only intellectually by many. I remember once checking out an Orkut group of “Krishnamurti followers” and was not very surprised to find them busy in intellectual debates and arguments on mundane topics. Sometimes I think it is also partly Krishnamurti’s fault because his talks are often dry and abstract and seemingly intellectual. It is said that Krishnamurti died in regret that “no one got transformed by his teaching”. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have to agree. Personally, I have tried Krishnamurti’s teachings on myself and did not get any significant benefit. In fact, I find myself misusing his teachings such as “Don’t resist anything”, to give excuses to myself to continue my pleasurable old patterns! But I will take the blame on myself instead of accusing Krishnamurti. I am guilty of ditching him. In the age of self-serving Gurus with their corrupt organizations and cult behaviors, Krishnamurti stands tall as a man who realized that “Truth cannot be organized” and practised it all through his life. His passion for Truth and his concern for humanity are ever inspiring. This is how I remember him - as an inspiration. Though I may never be able to grasp or apply his teaching, I have no doubt that his teaching fuels my journey on the “path”. He is one of my many inspirations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When Krishnamurti died, Osho, who often criticized Krishnamurti’s approach and teachings, gave a touching </span><a href="http://www.oshoworld.com/biography/innercontent.asp?FileName=biography9/09-09-krishnamurti.txt" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">tribute</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to him where he said - </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>“If you hear him, if you allow him, if you open your doors to him, he is pure fire. He will burn all that is rubbish in you, all that is old in you, and he will purify you into a new human being. It is risky to allow fire into your being—rather than opening the doors, you immediately close all the doors”</i></span><div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />As Osho rightly said, Krishnamurti is a fire. Most of us (including me) are just content to derive some “warmth” from him to keep ourselves cozy in our shells. One day, if we ever become courageous, we may attempt to bathe in that fire and then may be the “transformation” which Krishnamurti hoped for will happen!</span></div>
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Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-54938411001271564532015-01-01T12:59:00.000-08:002015-01-01T12:59:58.524-08:00Three inspirations for the new year<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
“Three” is a<a href="http://www.psychotactics.com/harness-the-psychological-power-of-3-to-improve-communication/"> magic number</a> because our brain seems to have some natural affinity to this number. It is easier to remember three things than five or six things. So why not start the new year with “three inspirations”? Here I pick three tools & concepts that helped me in my personal productivity over the years.<div>
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1. “Circle of Concern” vs “Circle of Influence”</h3>
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Stephen Covey</b>’s "<b>7 habits of highly effective people</b>" is one of the first personality development books I read back in my college days. I consider it the most useful and inspiring book I ever read. It helped me to overcome some of my "public speaking" fears in those days. That book teaches many "principles", but the one principle that I found most practical (I use it at least 2-3 times every month) is - <a href="http://www.centreforconfidence.co.uk/pp/techniques.php?p=c2lkPTYmdGlkPTMmaWQ9MzU%3D" target="_blank">"Circle of Concern" vs "Circle of Influence"</a><br /><br />"<b>Circle of concern</b>" is everything you are concerned about - your life, your career, your family & friends, politics of the country, movies you like, ideas/actions that you disagree with etc. "<b>Circle of influence"</b> is everything that you can influence i.e do something about it. Covey's observation is while most people spend too much time on "circle on concern", effective people focus on "circle of influence". "Circle of influence" is often a small subset of "circle of concern" and when you focus on it, you will find that your "circle of influence" grows.<br /><br />This idea is not new and is expressed by others in many different ways. But I find this "circle" framework very visual and useful. Whenever I find myself bothered about something, I ask - "Ok! This is my circle of concern, what is my circle of influence?" and immediately there is a lot of clarity and calmness.<br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">
2. Starve problems, feed opportunities</h3>
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Peter Drucker</b> is the father of modern management. It was through him that I first learnt the concept of focusing on one’s strengths for achieving things rather than on rectifying weaknesses. Great achievers had their share of imperfections and follies but they made their impact felt on the world primarily because of utilizing their strengths. Your strength is an “opportunity” and your weakness is a “problem”. Would you work on “achieving things” or “fixing problems?<br /><br />This is a powerful concept that can be applied in many areas. For example, we can apply his statement “Management is about human beings. Its task is to make people capable of joint performance, to make their strengths effective and their weaknesses irrelevant.” to "families". A great family or a great relation happens not when an ideal set of people get together but when real people with all their lapses bond in such a manner that their "weaknesses" become "irrelevant".<br /><br />Does this mean, problems have to be ignored? No! Drucker summarizes this concept best when he said - <div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“The first – and usually the best – opportunity for successful change is to exploit one’s own successes and build on them. Problems cannot be ignored. And serious problems have to be taken care of. But to be change leaders, enterprises have to focus on opportunities. They have to starve problems and feed opportunities.”</blockquote>
<br />I recommend reading Drucker’s long article titled <a href="http://academic.udayton.edu/lawrenceulrich/LeaderArticles/Drucker%20Managing%20Oneself.pdf" target="_blank">"managing oneself"</a> which talks about the “strengths” concept. It is a great tool to introspect and look back at your life and career. It is also a great introduction to Drucker who offers simple, often obvious, but always fresh and clear insights on many aspects.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">
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3. Mind like water</h3>
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“Mind like water” is a Zen/Yogic analogy. It can be interpreted in different ways but the one analogy I found most practical is what <b>David Allen</b> gave in his classic book <b>“Getting Things Done” (GTD) </b>- <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
In karate, there is an image that's used to define the position of perfect readiness: "mind like water." Imagine throwing a pebble into a still pond. How does the water respond? The answer is, totally appropriately to the force and mass of the input; then it returns to calm. It doesn't overreact or underreact.</blockquote>
Allen’s simple observation is that “stuffing your mind” prevents your mind from being like water. He <a href="http://gettingthingsdone.com/newsletters/archive/0909.html" target="_blank">says</a> -<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
Your mind is a great place to have ideas, but a terrible place to manage them. If you are still walking around with a head full of "stuff" that you have your attention on, don't be surprised if you're not reaping the fruits of your labors with GTD. I never said getting your head clear was easy—it requires work to keep it on your mind as well—but the rewards of having a clear head on a regular basis will pay you back many times over in ways you may never have thought possible for feeling in control and getting perspective.</blockquote>
GTD is essentially a framework that helps in achieving this “mind like water” state in dealing with our day to day tasks. I tried implementing GTD but found that it does not suit me that well. So I left it, but I still use this “mind like water” concept. I found the advice “to not use your mind to store ideas” very useful. It helps me to clear my “inbox” and is my daily de-stressor! </div>
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Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-63183916504478372322014-10-19T18:57:00.000-07:002014-10-19T18:57:21.987-07:00Rahman's "I"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Listening to Rahman's latest music album "I", I remembered that I was
once a fan of this musical genius! I did not exactly stop being his fan now but
I lost that fascination for his music. I still like his music (I loved his
album "Highway") but his music no longer touches me deeply. So,
I was surprised that I kept listening to his latest music album "I"
repeatedly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I never listen to
Tamil albums, as I don't understand Tamil and understanding the lyrics is
crucial for me to appreciate a song. So I don't know what prompted me to listen
to this album in the first place. To my surprise I found that, with my focus
diverted from lyrics, I could appreciate Rahman's music in a purer form!
Ignoring the lyrics would not have been possible with a language I know. Now,
for the first time, I can possibly feel the pain of Rahman fans who keep
complaining that Telugu lyrics of Rahman's albums suck! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">There is a song for
every taste in this album and Rahman managed to keep each song fresh and novel.
So the melody number "<b>pookkalae"</b> sounds unlike any melody we
heard earlier and one may be surprised to realize that "<b>ennodu ne
irundhaal"</b> is actually a sad number. Also, Rahman seems to have
deliberately ignored the typical Indian movie song structure of a pallavi,
charanam 1 & charanam 2 in almost all the songs. Clearly, he is given a lot
of freedom and his creativity is in full form here. The party number “<b>Ladio</b>”,
with its silly lyrics (You don’t need to understand Tamil to recognize that a
song that starts with lyrics like “Ka Sha Da Tha Pa Ra, Nya Na Na Na Ma Na, Ra
Pa Ta Tha Pa Ta, 32-22-32” does not make much sense!), has still some kind of a
magic appeal to it. I also liked the peppy numbers “<b>Mersalaayitten”</b> and “<b>Aila
Aila”.</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Rahman amazed me again
with his choice of singers. I loved the voice of “<b>Sid Sriram</b>” in “ennodu ne
irundhaal”. Earlier, I listened to “Kadal” but did not realize the beauty of this chap’s
voice. What a voice it is! I would say the female version of “ennodu ne
irundhaal” fades away when compared to the male version just because of his
singing. And the girl who sang “Ladio”, Nikita Gandhi, is amazing too. The way
she sings “Beautiful Ladio, Sexy Ladio” is quite sexy! Due to lack of my
musical knowledge, I can’t comment on the instrumentation used by Rahman but I feel it
is top-class. I particularly loved the Guitar bits in “ennodu ne irundhaal”.
Overall, the album is a winner for me, the one album of Rahman I loved after a
long time. Being a big melody lover, I would pick “pookkalae” & “ennodu ne
irundhaal” as my top picks with “ennodu ne irundhaal” being the final winner
for the wonderful tune and the heavenly voice.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I do have a complaint,
more on Rahman and less on the album “I”. His music is becoming more and more a
“listening experience” than a “singing experience”. Many of his songs are
difficult to sing, or even to hum, except by professional singers or those who
have a solid singing voice. But possibly that is the idea of Rahman – to prevent
his songs from being spoiled by singers like me!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-50158228181784876512014-07-04T15:09:00.000-07:002014-07-04T15:09:39.433-07:00The Swami who showed the way<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I still vividly remember that day. I casually picked-up a book from my grandmother’s library when I was visiting her during my summer holidays. I might be around 14 years of age and was more attracted to fun books than any serious reads but I somehow picked up this seriously titled book “<b>Why I am a Socialist?</b>”. I realized it a compilation of speeches by someone called “<b>Swami Vivekananda</b>” of whom I knew very little at that time. As I started to read the book in the small open area in the house, I was truly touched by this man and his compassion for the needy. It was my first introduction to the Indian society - the poverty and ignorance of the masses, the reasons for it and the actions to be taken. When Vivekananda declared in the book, “<i>Even if a dog in my country is hungry, my first duty is to feed it</i>”, I almost had tears in my eyes. After I finished the book, I remember that I was lost in thoughts for a long time. The book had such a deep impact on me that I decided to study Vivekananda more. Thus started my journey with Vivekananda, from the human side of him to his divine nature.<br /><br />In the next few years, I read everything I could find on Vivekananda, mostly Telugu and English compilations of his speeches. Though I read his famous Chicago speech at Parliament of Religions and his talks on Vedanta, for me Vivekananda remained a motivator and an inspiring figure in these initial years and not a spiritual Guru. I still remember the small booklet of quotations I used to carry with me which contained some gems like - <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Arise, Awake and Stop not till the goal is reached”<br /><br /> “Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success”</blockquote>
I can say with confidence that this small book of quotations helped me to shape my character, a character which helped to stay away from the lures of the college days that followed. By this time, I became a big fan of this man. Everything about him excited me. I remember the excitement when "Swami Vivekananda" movie was screened on Doordarshan which I watched with ardent devotion and even recorded it with a VCR only to be disappointed later to realize that it did not record due to some problem! I was particularly attracted to a song in this movie, which I recently discovered again - “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XPrvx2DLq0" target="_blank">chalo man jayen</a>” (Singer: Yesudas, Lyrics: Gulzar). I used to hum this song so frequently that my father once got irritated and scolded me! I also remember attending a rally of Vivekananda where I joined many students and adults and shouted “Jai Swami Vivekananda” with pride.<div>
<br />Around this time, when I was still in Intermediate (+2), I started reading his lectures on spirituality and religion including his lectures on “Practical Vedanta”. I did not fully understand everything he said, but nevertheless found his exposition of Hindu religion very interesting. I was utterly amazed when I read a Vivekananda’s lecture on Vedanta where he says if you touch a tree, you know only the sensations caused inside you but not the tree itself, in fact, you can never know what the tree is. He explains that we can perceive only what is inside us and can never know a bit of the external world. The “intellectual realization” of this truth fascinated me when I first understood it. I continued reading his spiritual works and regularly followed the monthly magazine of the Rama Krishna Mission titled “Rama Krishna Prabha” which contained of wealth of spiritual information. The librarian was surprised to see that I was coming every month to read this magazine while other guys of my age are reading filmy and commercial magazines! <br /><br />I was so inspired by the teachings of Swamiji that when I saw an ad in the newspaper that the Vivekananda Kendra of Kanyakumari is looking for young guys who may be interested in becoming<i> Brahmacharis</i>, I seriously considered applying. I did not have enough courage to approach my parents but otherwise I would have possibly done that for sure! After I joined engineering and got busy in studies, this fervour for Swamiji reduced significantly but the love for him in my heart stayed intact. By this time, I became interested in studying other spiritual teachers and started reading Jiddu Krishnamurti and other modern teachers. I still read Vivekananda occasionally and remembered all his teachings.<br /><br />When I was studying M.Tech at IIT Madras, Vivekananda came back into my life through the Vivekananda Study Circle started by some students. There was a small but dedicated group of students who discussed Vivekananda’s works. I enjoyed those discussions and the occasional lectures from the Swamis of the local Chennai Matt. After I finished my studies and got a job, I got busy with the routine of a typical MNC employee and Vivekananda kind of faded away from my day to day life. I still read his works every now and then, even after getting married. I continue to read him occasionally even now. He is very much a part inside me, if not a part of my life. And recently when I attended the 150th birth year celebration of Swamiji here in San Diego, I felt blessed to be part of this phenomenon called Vivekananda.<br /><br />They say, “first love is the best love and will never be forgotten”. In my spiritual journey, Vivekananda was my first love and remains very dear to me even though I had the good fortune to experience the teachings and blessings of many other spiritual giants. Being the lethargic and lazy Leo I am, I find Vivekananda to be a great inspiration to make me act! I attribute my current loss of will-power less to my age and more to my moving away from the teachings of Swamiji. I think it is time to reconnect with the Swami and rejuvenate in his glorious teachings. He is forever young and forever energizing with his teaching to “be fearless and strong”. On this day of his Maha Samadhi (July 4th), I bow down to this great Vedantic lion from India!<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
The world is the great gymnasium where we come to make ourselves strong.</blockquote>
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Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-1003993384762277572014-06-01T19:35:00.000-07:002014-06-01T19:58:07.555-07:00A song on Ilayaraja!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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June 2nd is <b>Ilayaraja</b>'s birthday (though he celebrates it on June 3rd) and I happened to write a song on him on this occasion, thanks to <b>Suresh Sistla</b>. Suresh, being a great fan of Ilayaraja, planned to organize a celebration to honor Ilayaraja. We were casually chatting about the event when the idea occurred to us that we should compose a song as a tribute to the musical genius. Since we did not have time, we decided to reuse a beautiful melody composed earlier by Suresh Sistla for the movie "The Girl Upstairs". Writing a song on someone like Ilayaraja is no easy task and after some struggle I could write a decent lyric (or so I think!) in the time constraints we had. Frankly speaking, I was not very satisfied with my lyric but after listening to the recorded version, wonderfully sung by <b>Sushma Suresh</b>, I could say with confidence that this is definitely a very good song. Many thanks to Suresh and Sushma for uplifting the lyric with their musical talent. Here I present the lyric with a rough English translation for the benefit of the non-Telugu Ilayaraja fans.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVSQ2esyB47r5Xb0Q5RgTdquF80cexrkAGPKRf8cwA1eNvolJE3hjfGI6DCU0mav2VST6i4YRKzAEssKptOMMqBtqWdr9tbNbtf76c85i1Lol7AXuJJ3uHYle1eFrtRaeGmy88Ew5v_4/s640/blogger-image-834184457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVSQ2esyB47r5Xb0Q5RgTdquF80cexrkAGPKRf8cwA1eNvolJE3hjfGI6DCU0mav2VST6i4YRKzAEssKptOMMqBtqWdr9tbNbtf76c85i1Lol7AXuJJ3uHYle1eFrtRaeGmy88Ew5v_4/s400/blogger-image-834184457.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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ఈ ఇలపై మా కొరకై ఎలపాటై రవళించావో!</div>
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ee ilapai maa korakai elapaaTai ravaLiMchaavO!</div>
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<i>You came down to earth for us, as a reverberating gentle song</i></div>
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సరిగమలకు శ్రుతిలయలకు మునుపెరుగని సొగసిచ్చావో!</div>
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sarigamalaku Srutilayalaku munuperugani sogasichchaavO!</div>
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<i>You rendered unseen beauty to the seven musical notes, to the musical progressions and rythms</i></div>
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నీ గీతమె ఓ యోగము, స్వరజ్ఞానివి నీవేలే</div>
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nee geetame O yOgamu, svaraj~naanivi neevaelae</div>
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<i>Your song is a spiritual experience and you, a true musical genius</i></div>
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సంగీతమె నీ రాజ్యము, రసరాజువి నువ్వేలే</div>
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saMgeetame nee raajyamu, rasaraajuvi nuvvaelae</div>
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<i>Music is but your kingdom, you being the king of aesthetic taste in music</i></div>
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మా ప్రాణము మా మౌనము నీ పాటల పరమైపోయె</div>
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maa praaNamu maa maunamu nee paaTala paramaipOye</div>
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<i>Our life and our silence got dedicated to your songs!</i></div>
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మా ఎదలయలో ఇళయరాజాయే!</div>
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maa edalayalO iLayaraajaayae!</div>
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<i>Our hearts beat for you and you alone</i></div>
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నీ మధురిమలో మంత్రించావే!</div>
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nee madhurimalO maMtriMchaavae!</div>
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<i>We remain spellbound by the sweetness of your songs</i><br />
<i><br /></i>Suresh created a very nice <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzLG3JsnHZA" target="_blank">video</a> featuring this song. You can also listen to the song and download the mp3 <a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reverbnation.com%2Fsistlasuresh%2Fsong%2F21006970-first-telugu-song-tribute-to-maestro&h=TAQHQr2Ma" target="_blank">here</a>. Hope you will like this song. Your feedback is very much appreciated.<br />
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Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-39693000072681982642014-05-16T23:44:00.000-07:002014-05-16T23:44:03.249-07:00The elections of hope<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
No one can predict the future. Those who keep making fancy predictions based on their ideologies often end up looking foolish. But what can be predicted and seen, if we have the eyes, is the "future that has already happened", as Peter Drucker puts it. When witnessing the spectacular victory of Narendra Modi in the 2014 elections, one is reminded of the political pundits' gross miscalculation of the people's aspirations and their refusal to see the reality of the day. Those who denied the "wave" are now forced to acknowledge the "tsunami".<br />
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And what a victory it is! Come to think of it, no party other than the Congress has achieved a 272+ majority till now. Credit for this grand victory must go to Modi who led his campaign around development and good governance. His energy, his speeches and his vision inspired the nation to vote for him, setting aside regional considerations. More than anything, Modi has led the nation from pessimism to hope. He has shown people the dream of an India filled with glory and development, a dream whose time has come. Take a bow Modi Ji, your story of personal success is truly inspirational. We hope your victory will be India's victory too.<br />
<br />
I had been a big supporter of the Aam Admi Party from their IAC days. When some friends were discarding their agitation for Jan Lokpal, I argued rather emotionally in support of Jan Lokpal and the Anna movement. When AAP won in Delhi, I was glad that AAP achieved what Lok Satta could not achieve till now - get mass support for clean politics. But alas, Kejriwal and AAP proved to be a disappointment from then on. I tried my best to give them a chance but they kept on repeating the same antics day after day. My old manager once told me - "People may misunderstand your intentions, but will often give you a benefit of doubt. That is your chance to prove them wrong. But if you keep repeating the same behavior, you can no longer blame them for their misunderstanding. It is now entirely your fault." So AAP, lost my trust, so to say. So, in a way, I am glad that AAP got a fitting reply from people in these elections. I hope they come to senses with this defeat, introspect their failures and mend their "arrogant attitude".<br />
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Along with Lok Satta, I believe AAP has a significant role to play in the coming years. Earlier, in their euphoria, AAP has refused to join hands with Lok Satta, but I now hope that they will be more willing to work with like-minded parties. Together, AAP and Lok Satta are needed to put a check on the Narendra Modi's government. Incidentally, Lok Satta party has lost terribly in these elections with even Jaya Prakash Narayan not winning a seat. While I feel sad for JP, I think the mandate is kind of expected, given the polarized election in AP in the wake of a divided state. But as Modi rightly pointed out in his victory speech, parties have an important role to play in democracy even if they do not win any seats. Someone like JP is very much needed for India. I only hope AAP joins with him to make the movement stronger.<br />
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Back in AP, it is a good news that Chandrababu Naidu's TDP has won the elections in Seemandhra. While I see the YSR Congress Party to be "very corrupt", I acknowledge that many others consider it better than TDP. The results show that YSRCP does enjoy a significant support. In the end, hopefully the better party won and it is expected that CBN will lead the newly separated state to prosperity and development. My congratulations and good-luck wishes to him. I don't have much hopes on TRS in Telangana, having seen their leaders' conduct during the Telangana movement. But I give them a benefit of doubt and hope that they will deliver good results in Telangana, fulfilling the aspirations of lakhs of people who dreamt of development in a separate Telangana state.<br />
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These elections have been truly path-breaking. One hopes that the decisive mandate will provide a stable government focused on development. Modi spoke of forming a development team comprising of all the state CMs. Hope such coordination and collaboration does become a reality. Hope, while being a powerful feeling, needs to be rekindled often. So hopefully this is just the beginning and we see promising outcomes soon. Hope so!</div>
Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-70394435719860094412013-09-24T15:22:00.000-07:002013-09-24T15:22:20.840-07:00The enigma called Osho<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It was during my B.Tech final year (2001) that I participated in a debate that discussed Osho. The topic was - "Who is the most influential personality of India?". One guy spoke of Mother Theresa, I spoke of Vivekananda and another guy chose Osho. He obviously read many Osho's works. There was a lot of sincerity and reverence in his voice when he was explaining the greatness of Osho. I had very little knowledge of Osho. From all the information I gathered, he looked like a "fake Guru". Earlier I read one <a href="http://meditation-handbook.50webs.com/osho2.html" target="_blank">article</a> on the web which was very detailed and well-written. It kind of concluded that "although Osho is enlightened, he is corrupt and misused his role as a Spiritual Guru". So I argued that Osho can never be a great man with all his lapses. Most of the participants in the debate agreed. I felt glad. When I think of it now, I realize my ignorance.<br />
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I always had an interest in spiritual personalities. During my school days, I read a lot of works of Vivekananda and was very inspired. In my B.Tech, I was introduced to Jiddu Krishnamurti by chance and read him in some detail. I briefly read the works of many other spiritual Gurus - Sai Baba, Meher Baba, Swami Rama, Swami Chinmayananda, Swami Yogananda to name a few. But I never read Osho. It was during my M.Tech that I first read his article on the "significance of meditation". I was not very impressed. It was at this time I learnt that he is called a "sex-guru" (apparently some Hollywood movies were created with his inspiration!). This further confirmed by bias against Osho and so I did not bother to study him again.<br />
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Osho came into my life again rather unexpectedly. Around an year back, I was searching the web for some commentaries on "Patanjali Yoga Sutras" and chanced upon Osho's series of lectures on Patanjali Yoga Sutras titled "Yoga - The Alpha and the Omega". I was spellbound by the immensity of his introductory words:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
We live in a deep illusion – the illusion of hope, of future, of tomorrow. As man is, man cannot exist without self-deceptions. Nietzsche says somewhere that man cannot live with the true: he needs dreams, he needs illusions, he needs lies to exist. And Nietzsche is true.</blockquote>
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Intrigued, I looked at other Osho's works and found that Osho gave commentaries on many other significant spiritual works - Ashtavakra Gita, Upanishads, Zen stories, Diamond Sutra, Khalil Gibran's Prophet etc. And in his commentaries, you discover the real Osho, the shining spiritual genius. It is rare to find a spiritual Guru having knowledge that spans across a wide range of spiritual traditions (Osho claimed that in his past lives he worked with many spiritual traditions). He could clearly see the threads that unite the apparently distinct spiritual traditions. He realized that most of the classical techniques need to be modified to fit the "modern man" (His "dynamic meditation" evolved from this need). Thus he is classic and modern at the same time. His work is a tribute to the Indian tradition of "fitting the method to the man and not otherwise".<br />
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Yet, Osho was crazy in some of his statements and deeds. For example, he once said that "Mother Theresa is a criminal and should be put in jail!". Of course, he had his argument but the statement is still rather careless and dramatic. It seems to me that he was deliberately pompous and misleading while talking to the media. He once even remarked that "he is the biggest conman in the world". His failed experiment in the US, where he attempted to create a new-age spiritual town called Rajneeshpuram, seriously damaged his credentials. He remained controversial in India and around the world till his death.<br />
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Some of the criticism on Osho is unfair and incorrect. His book "From Sex to Super Consciousness" is criticized as a book that encourages bad behavior and destroys marital life. That book earned him the title "Sex-Guru", while in fact, the book (which is a compilation of his lectures) encourages people to go beyond sex. His unapologetic display of wealth and luxury was used to prove that he is yet another fraudulent Guru minting money from people. This, in my humble view, is not necessarily true. We have an image of what a spiritual person should be and we find it difficult to accept someone who does not fit in our expectations.<br />
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One thing is certain, Osho eludes the definition of a typical Guru. He can be called a "bad man" by some standards. But to discard him completely (like I did all these years) is to lose the insights he offers in his splendid lectures. I sometimes feel that he purposefully confused people so that only serious seekers stay with him. But, of course, I realize that I cannot justify everything he said and did with this explanation. In the end, who are we to judge? Just drink the nectar of his offerings, ignoring the sour aspects.<br />
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In conclusion, I am reminded of this very wonderful message of Osho, when he was making the closing remarks of his "Neo-Yoga Sutras" lectures. This serves as a great inspiration to me:<br />
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I said these sutras to you, not to increase your knowledge, but to take away your knowledge from you. I have not said these sutras so that you may get some doctrines and become dependent on them. You will not be saved by being dependent on these few words of mine. All the doctrines, all the scriptures, all the words become a burden on your head and drown you. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I have not said these things so that you become dependent on them. I said these things to you so that you become aware of your helplessness. I have not said these things to you because I think that you may understand them by my telling them to you, I do not think that at all. I do not do such foolish things. If you had been able to understand just by my saying it then it would have been very easy, one man would have made you understand. And till now the whole world would have become wise. But Buddha became tired and died, Krishna became tired and died, Jesus became tired and died, Mahavir became tired and died, but the world’s ignorance did not improve an inch. That is why I do not think that anything will happen now by understanding.</blockquote>
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Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-35661350434250410542013-06-29T21:25:00.000-07:002013-06-29T21:25:43.875-07:00A year in the US<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>I never thought you were interested in going to US!</i><br />
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This is the reaction I heard from a couple of my friends & family members when I announced to them that I am moving to the US. I worked for Qualcomm, Hyderabad and got an opportunity to work in Qualcomm, San Diego. Like many opportunities, this one is a result of some good-luck and some personal effort. I decided to grab it and that surprised some people, including me!<br />
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What is the motivation to go to the US? Typically - money, life-style and growth opportunities. Among friends and colleagues, it is common to hear someone expressing their desire to go abroad. I never did. Added to that, I had the image of a "Swadesi guy" in the family. Hence the reactions.<br />
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Some 6 years back, I visited San Diego for 2 months on a business trip. I liked the place and the country but did not particularly feel any "pull" towards it. I like getting more money, but strangely money does not motivate me to do anything. Yes, the "quality of life" is better here. For most of us, quality of life is determined by external factors - No power cuts and mosquitoes, luxury cars, dust-free roads, people following traffic rules, cool electronic gadgets, efficient systems, very less corruption - the list goes on. I was irritated by lack of all these things in India but still that is not a reason good enough to aspire for US.<br />
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To be honest, I sometimes felt a desire to go to the US. Couple of times I was jealous when I heard success stories of people in the US. I sometimes felt a "peer pressure", knowing that my friends could easily go abroad and I am "lagging behind" or "missing things" (This feeling of "missing out" the things/experiences/opportunities everyone else is having seems to be a common feeling. This either motivates you or frustrates you!). But the desire never progressed into a dream or an aspiration.<br />
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So why did I finally land in the US? There are some personal and professional reasons. But one main reason is this - to embrace the "US experience", fill it in my heart and come-out of it! However great and wonderful something may be, once you get hold of it, it will lose its shine. But if you don't get what you want, even small things can make life miserable. Ultimately life is much more than "getting things", but to realize it you should first get those things. And then, go beyond them.<br />
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How do I rate my 1 year experience? It has been quite good, in general. The people are more courteous but less authentic. Family bonding is substituted with close-knit friendships. You can be on your own, with no-one bothering you. No maid at home implies that you have to learn to be more self-sufficient. For some reason, I really like the weekly house-cleaning and maintenance routines. A new country and culture provide you many new experiences which helped to grow "as a person" and understand life better. In some sense, I can claim that my life got enriched by the 1 year stay in the US.<br />
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But India will be missed. You miss interacting with your parents, immediate family and close friends. You miss the "homely feel". But most importantly, you miss the "phenomenon of India", its "spiritual richness". If in India everything is connected to spirituality, in the US I find everything is connected to business. Of course, many people say that India is no longer spiritual, that it is getting westernized and becoming more and more materialistic. But for those who can feel it, India still offers its spiritual genius. After his return to India from US, <b>Swami Vivekananda</b> remarked that, "Now, even the dust of this country is sacred to me". That statement still holds true.<br />
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Life is all about "clarity". Clarity is needed primarily to separate what is "you" from what "you are not". Many of our desires and dreams are not really ours. Our society, environment and experiences shape our thoughts. To truly know what "you" want in life is the most difficult thing. When faced with a choice, this clarity helps in making the right decisions. I hope to gain more clarity about myself through my various experiences.<br />
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<i>(Exactly one year back, on 29th June, 2012, I landed in the US.)</i><br />
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Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-56121129988203831652013-05-22T23:43:00.000-07:002013-09-27T18:39:33.086-07:00Kannanule kalayikalu<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>Movie:</b> Bombay<br />
<b>Music:</b> AR Rahman<br />
<b>Lyrics:</b> Veturi<br />
<b>Singer</b>: Chitra<br />
<b><br /></b><b>Notes: </b>A Muslim girl and a Hindu guy fall in love. They don't know each other and yet love pulls them together. The girl sings this song when the guy attends a function at her home. The lyric is very poetic and is quite beautiful.<br />
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<b>Pallavi:</b><br />
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కన్నానులే కలయికలు ఏనాడు ఆగవులే<br />
kannaanulE kalayikalu EnaaDu aagavulE<br />
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<i><span style="color: red;">I glanced at you and (eye) encounters never just stop there</span></i><br />
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నీ కళ్ళలో పలికినవి నా కంటి బాసలివే<br />
nee kaLLalO palikinavi naa kanTi baasalivE<br />
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<i><span style="color: red;">(I see that) your eyes express the same feelings as mine</span></i><br />
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అందాల వయసేదొ తెలితామరై, విరబూసె వలపేదో నాలో<br />
andaala vayasEdo telitaamarai, viraboose valapEdO naalO<br />
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<i><span style="color: red;">(Seeing you) my youth became a white lotus and a love blooms in me</span></i><br />
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నీ పేరు నా పేరు తెలుసా మరీ, హృదయాల కథ మారె నీలో<br />
nee pEru naa pEru telusaa marI, hRdayaala katha maare neelO<br />
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<i><span style="color: red;">We don't know each other's names and yet heart's story has changed in you</span></i><br />
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వలపందుకే కలిపేనులే, ఒడిచేరె వయసెన్నడో<br />
valapandukE kalipEnulE, oDichEre vayasennaDO<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><i>That's why love has united us, love-age has come already!</i></span><br />
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<b>Charanam 1:</b><br />
<br />
ఉరికే కసివయసుకు శాంతం శాంతం తగిలితె తడబడె అందం<br />
urikE kasivayasuku Saantam Saantam tagilite taDabaDe andam<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: red;">When the calmness (of love) touches my rushing age, my beauty quivers</span></i><br />
<br />
జారె జలతారు పరదా కొంచెం కొంచెం ప్రియమగు ప్రాయాల కోసం<br />
jaare jalataaru paradaa konchem konchem priyamagu praayaala kOsam<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: red;">My glittering "pardah" lowers a bit to welcome these sweet feelings of youth</span></i><br />
<br />
అందం తొలికెరటం; చిత్తం తొణికిసలై నీటి మెరుపాయె<br />
andam tolikeraTam; chittam toNikisalai neeTi merupaaye<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: red;">My beauty is like a fresh wave, my heart overflows and dances like light on water</span></i><br />
<br />
చిత్తం చిరుదీపం; రెపరెప రూపం తుళ్ళి పడసాగె<br />
chittam chirudeepam; reparepa roopam tuLLi paDasaage<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: red;">My heart is like a small lamp which trembles and flutters</span></i><br />
<br />
పసి చినుకే ఇగురు సుమా, మూగిరేగే దావాగ్ని పుడితే<br />
మూగె నా గుండెలో నీలి మంట<br />
pasi chinukE iguru sumaa, moogirEgE daavaagni puDitE<br />
mooge naa gunDelO neeli manTa<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: red;">Doesn't a tender drop evaporate when a wildfire engulfs it?</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: red;">(I am like a tender drop and) a mild flame (of love) is now spreading in my heart</span></i><br />
<br />
<b>Charanam 2:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
శ్రుతి మించేటి పరువపు వేగం వేగం ఉయ్యాలలూగింది నీలో<br />
Sruti minchETi paruvapu vEgam vEgam uyyaalaloogindi neelO<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: red;">The vigor of youth crosses its limits and is rocking in you</span></i><br />
<br />
తొలిపొంగుల్లొ దాగిన తాపం తాపం సయ్యాటలాడింది నాలో<br />
tolipongullo daagina taapam taapam sayyaaTalaaDindi naalO<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">A fire (desire) hiding behind my fresh youth is teasing me</span><br />
<br />
ఎంత మైమరపో ఇన్ని ఊహల్లో తెల్లారె రేయల్లే<br />
enta maimarapO inni oohallO tellaare rEyallE<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: red;">Oh, this ecstasy that dawns like night in my dreams!</span></i><br />
<br />
ఎడబాటనుకో ఎర్రమల్లెలో తేనీరు కన్నీరే<br />
eDabaaTanukO erramallelO tEneeru kanneerE<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><i>If we separate, the nectar of red jasmines is all tears</i></span><br />
<br />
ఇది నిజమా కల నిజమా, గిల్లుకున్న జన్మనడిగా<br />
నీ నమాజుల్లో ఓనమాలు మరిచా<br />
idi nijamaa kala nijamaa, gillukunna janmanaDigaa<br />
nee namaajullO Onamaalu marichaa<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: red;">Is this dream true, I pinched my life to confirm</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: red;">And (so lost) in my "namazs" to you, I even forget alphabets</span></i></div>
Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-28293747724043869142012-03-10T02:46:00.000-08:002012-03-10T02:46:06.513-08:00Around the world in 80 days<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I heard of this
novel many times before but never really bothered to check out the details.
Should be some boring, old fashioned novel, I thought. I chanced upon this
novel 3 weeks back (a pdf of this novel is lying in my computer for so many
years) and lo, I found myself reading the first pages. And that did the trick.
I found the novel irresistible and exciting. It is old fashioned but quite
delightful. The characters are strong, the descriptions are wonderful and the
plot innovative. I guess this is what is called a "classic".</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
A quick check of the
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Around_the_World_in_Eighty_Days" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a> revealed this is indeed a classic novel written by <b>Jules Verne</b>, a
French writer. The story is set in 1872 and is about an English man, <b>Phileas
Fogg</b>, who accepts a bet in his club to
travel around the world in 80 days. He starts the journey immediately with his
resourceful French servant <b>Passepartout</b>. The story is all about how he
overcomes the many obstacles in his journey and returns back to England to win
the bet. </div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Reading a novel like
this is quite informative. Now a days, we can make a trip around the world in
hours, but in those days (1872)
technology is just picking up and attempting t to cover the world in 80 days is
almost like embracing the impossible. India is still under British rule and the
novel gives a glimpse of the social situations in those days. US is still savage with its
natives and is struggling to make an impact. You learn about many other things
and it is a very enriching experience. The English used is heavenly and you get
a taste of the language. </div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
What I really liked
about the novel is its Hero, Phileas Fogg. This man is an epitome of a steady
mind and clear thinking. He has a "<a href="http://www.clay-collins.com/blog/the-mind-like-water-myth-a-dialog-between-bruce-lee-a-productivity-guru-and-others/" target="_blank">mind like water</a>" to use the Zen
simile. He is the example of a really cool chap, for "coolness" is not
about the outside looks. The way he deals with the many troubles that confront
him is awesome. It is quite inspiring to see such a character. It motivates me
to imbibe him (atleast partially) in my real life too. In the novel
"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather" target="_blank">Godfather</a>", the Godfather also displays this exact characteristic of
clear and balanced thinking. I liked
that quality of the Godfather and I am very impressed with Phileas Fogg. I
think I can even claim to be his fan!</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
It does not require
a genius to guess that this novel was possibly made into a movie. It is popular
and has all the action required for a movie. So I was not surprised to find the
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048960/" target="_blank">1956 English movie</a> with the same name. It won several Academy awards too. I eagerly downloaded the movie and watched
it. It is not as awesome as the novel partly because they converted it into a
comedy. But it is still entertaining and worth a watch. The performances are
very good, I especially liked Passepartout.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Thanks to Facebook
and Twitter, our attention span is just reduced to one Tweet or one post. We
(or atleast I), rarely read lengthy blog posts, we just pass over them after
pressing the "Like" button. After all, there is so much to catch up
and we cant be left behind. Every now and then, we slow down a bit and
experience something like reading this book. What we derive is
"happiness" which is of a different kind than what we are used to.
Life suddenly looks quite different and beautiful and for a moment we are
tempted to slow down and stay in this state. But, hey I have to check my
Facebook notifications and continue my pointless chat, which I call
"discussion", with that other chap.<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div>
</div>Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-4789380584589336302012-01-19T07:54:00.000-08:002012-01-19T07:54:45.894-08:00Isha "Bhava Spandana" experience<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Bhava Spandana Program (BSP) offered by Isha Foundation is described in their website as "an opportunity to experience higher levels of consciousness". It is an "experiential" program and this has drawn me to it, as I consider myself to be an "always thinking" person. Also this program involves stay at the ashram for 3 days and I thought it would be a nice experience, much like a vacation. Isha does not reveal the agenda of their programs to the participants. So there is always a surprise element in their programs and BSP is no different. In fact, it is nothing like I imagined. Thus my assumed "vacation" turned out to be a "revelation" of sorts. For some of the participants, it was even a transforming experience.<br />
<br />
The way the program is designed shows the thinking and innovation that went behind it. It is almost like watching a movie with twists, turns and suspense and only in the end you can connect all the dots. I am not sure if a yoga program like this is being offered anywhere else in the world. Another aspect is the meticulous planning that went in. The script is executed to perfection by a dedicated set of volunteers and teachers. Their passion and involvement is truly inspiring and heart touching.<br />
<br />
This is my second visit to the ashram. Just in December I attended the "Adi Yogi Alayam" consecration which witnessed a participation of around 12000 people. The ashram was quite crowded then and I did not feel the serene atmosphere I expected. But this time, I could very much appreciate the beauty, calmness and profoundness of the ashram. The very sight of the Veliangiri mountains made me lost in their beauty. The ashram looked pretty cute and the "Spanda hall" where the program happened is beautiful. I guess my awareness and receptivity improved this time for I could even experience "Dhyana Linga" in a much better way.<br />
<br />
Programs such as this help to form good habits. You sleep and get up at a regular time. You eat food together sitting on the floor. You can make good friendships and have some interesting discussions. In short, you can experience a healthy and enriching life for 3 days. Isn't this encouraging enough?<br />
<br />
So what are my experiences and learnings? A summary -<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>The program helps us to shed the emotional baggage of the past which we often unconsciously carry with us. Personally, I do not have much of a problem here but I know many people overloaded with emotional baggage. Even for the unemotional me, the program offered deeper insights into human psyche. It improved my understanding of human emotions.</li>
<li>The program encourages us to face our fears. It constantly puts us out of "comfort zone" and breaks the limitations we so carefully build around us. </li>
<li>The program urges us to "experience life" not just "think life". When we live life more consciously, experiencing it moment by moment, we will see how beautiful it is. A little awareness can really make a big difference. I was trying this "mindfulness" stuff even before this program but without much success. This program gave a new boost to me in this direction.</li>
<li>Most importantly, the program makes us to see the whole world as part of ourselves. If we can see the person next to us as part of ourselves (remember Jesus saying "love thy neighbour"?) then really it adds a whole new perspective to our experience. We become more humble, more graceful and so more human. </li>
</ol>
<div>
As one participant put it, this program "unsettles you". And unsettles you for good. I recommend it for everyone (BSP requires that you do Inner Engineering program before it). Go with an open mind, expect the unexpected and you would find yourself appreciating it in the end in more ways than you can imagine.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<br /></div>Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-86787994110092581172011-11-21T18:54:00.001-08:002011-11-21T18:55:59.066-08:00Is Isha a cult?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Sometime back I was
casually browsing the net and found one <a href="http://goo.gl/QIVPB">interesting
article</a> which claimed that Jaggi Vasudev (founder of Isha foundation,
revered as <span style="font-style: italic;">Sadguru</span>) is a fraud. The article is very informative and well written. You must read it even if
you are a big Isha fan. The author claims that he was once an Isha devotee and
that he had stayed in the ashram for some time. So the implication is that he
is speaking from direct experience and
not just imagining things. This chap wrote <a href="http://goo.gl/bkpZL">another
article</a> which argues that "Isha
is a cult". My current
article is not a response to these articles. I am not interested to prove or
disprove anything. I just want to share some thoughts on these "cult"
accusations.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
First of all, what
is a cult? I don’t know, so I googled to find out. I still don’t fully
understand what characterizes a cult, but apparently a religious/spiritual cult has some typical characteristics like</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ol style="direction: ltr; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="1">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;" value="1"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">A charismatic Guru who can
influence people with his speeches</span></li>
</ol>
<ol style="direction: ltr; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="1">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;" value="2"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">A set of devotees who
completely believe in the Guru and are willing to do anything for him</span></li>
</ol>
<ol style="direction: ltr; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="1">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;" value="3"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">A set of practices/rules that
define all followers</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Cessation of rational thought
and employment of blind belief in attracting new followers, conducting the
programs, doing the practices etc.</span></li>
</ol>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I guess point 4
above is the most problematic aspect of a cult. Once a belief creeps in, any
crap can happen in the name of religion/spirituality. The first 3 points are
not really harmful. In fact, they may be very useful if directed towards a
positive cause. So did Jaggi Vasudev ever wanted you to believe in him blindly?
I never felt so. In fact, he urged people to just focus on their growth. A God
or a Guru, however great, is just a tool for you to progress spiritually.
"<span style="font-style: italic;">When you go through a spiritual process,
remember its not about the guru or the other people out there. Its all about
you. If you don’t understand that, you’ve missed the whole point about being
there"</span> he said, in reply to
a <a href="http://goo.gl/ktOQD">question</a>. <span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>Personally, this is what I followed
even before I did a course with Isha. I found Jaggi's talks insightful and
attended the "Inner Engineering" basic course. I found the Kriya
taught there useful, so I am practicing it whenever possible. </div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Now, let us talk a
bit about the "followers". It is true that you find many people in
Isha who worship Jaggi Vasudev as a God. But what is wrong with that? If they
put a photo of him, prostrate to him and chant his name a thousand times, what
is my problem? Did they force me to do it? Did they ask me to forget my Gods
and my Gurus and to just fall at the feet of Jaggi? May be you are a
rationalist, a philosopher, a "non-bhakta" type and so you do not
like what they do. For that matter, even I don’t like all this bhakti
demonstration. But why should I rationalize my dislike, use my imagination and
create a theory that Isha is a cult organization? Yes, they preached that turning vegetarian is
good, but did they ask me to stop eating meat even during the inner engineering
course? Yes, they lectured on the
benefits of Rudraksh and even sold them, but did they force me to buy? After I did my "Inner Engineering"
program, I got calls asking me to participate in volunteer meetings, enquiring about my practices etc. There were
group mails about Isha monthly Satsangs, other Isha events, request for
donations etc. But nobody forced me to do anything. Surely they will try to
convince you of what they think is good for you, but it is really up to you to
decide. I attended only one Satsang to
see what it is and decided not to go again as I did not find it useful. I could
not volunteer for any event due to lack of time. But when there was a call for volunteers to
do Telugu translations, I opted for it out of interest. </div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
The truth is that,
nothing can happen to you, unless you allow it yourself. Only the weak argue
that they are being victimized. So if you allowed yourself to be influenced,
allowed yourself to be part of a cult, only you are to be blamed. If you say, "I
am intelligent enough to know this, but the ignorant masses can be easily
exploited", then think again. In this age of commercialization aren't we
being influenced by the marketing strategies, the ads, the brands and the ipads
(Very recently, I wasted quite a lot of time reading about the rumours on
iphone 4s)? Aren't we part of the FB/Twitter/G+ cult, that believes in having
fun and meaning in life by sharing every small thing with our friends? When we
like and believe in something, it is OK but if something irritates us a bit, it
becomes evil?</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Let me summarize. I
am not saying that Isha is not a cult or that it is a cult. I just don’t really
care. Isha is a resource, a possibility and I try to utilize it in the way I
want. In the ancient Indian tradition, there is a symbolism of a swan that can
separate water from milk. There is nothing like pure milk anywhere. You should
first decide if you are interested in milk or water. If you are looking for
milk, learn to separate the water out. If you start labeling and discarding
everything that you do not like, then really you are limiting yourselves to the
possibilities of life. After all, you yourself are not 100% what you want, how
can you expect the outside world to be?</div>
</div>Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724263696005503687.post-86908258639500835122011-08-19T08:54:00.001-07:002011-08-19T09:34:01.225-07:00Zindagi Naa Milegi Dobara<p> </p> <p>I saw ZNMD few weeks back and liked it. I read some reviews that made comments on the actors' performance and tried to compare the movie with "<em>Dil Chahta Hai</em>". All this is quite unnecessary, if we realize that we can appreciate something only by experiencing it all by itself and not in comparison with something else.</p> <p>Most people dislike message oriented movies, especially if the message is delivered in a preachy manner. "Hi, cut all this crap. Give me something entertaining" is the attitude. We are so filled with our ego that it does not like if someone tries to teach things. So this movie chose the right approach of conveying the message in a subtle and mild manner. The message, as I understood, is - "<strong>Banish all fear. Live your life to the fullest</strong>." Let us think about this.</p> <p>Fear is a popular word in the spiritual/philosophical circles. The great sage <font color="#0000ff">Vivekananda</font> often said that the message of Vedas and Upanishads is - "<strong>Be fearless</strong>". One Upanishad even went ahead and proclaimed that only if you conquer fear you can become enlightened. Fear distances you from yourself and once you conquer it you find yourself. All joy is in finding yourself, not in finding/possessing something outside. The joy of eating the chocolate ice-cream is really in you, not in the ice-cream. So in the movie, when the three friends conquer their fears they discover themselves. And then suddenly life appears in a different light. Its now an invitation to plunge and explore. In the process, you start understanding yourself more and more, learn more and more and you grow. As a wonderful quote from T.S.Eliot goes - <font color="#f79646"><font color="#f79646">"</font></font><font color="#c0504d">We must not cease from exploration. And the end of all exploring will be to arrive where we began and to know the place for the first time".</font></p> Phanindrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09713035754638011265noreply@blogger.com0