Mea Vulnerabilis

Mea Vulnerabilis, thy will not become an anthem,
I have showcased you my susceptibility...
I feel hatred towards love...
Why do I do what I don't want to do...
Why do I feel empty despite having a full head....
Why do I stutter despite not saying anything?
Why does the sky fall even if i have held it up with everythin I have?
Why do people call themselves people?
Why are we who we are?
All of this causes me harm....
I run and run and run and run...
I stay rooted to where I am...
I find myself in another place...
I am dead, yet breathing...
My heart beats, yet my pulse doesn't...
I hear things, feel things, see things...
But they don't exist...
I feel I am insane,
Yet my sanity is still there...
I can see...what I have got myself into..
Played into the hands of Vulnerability...
No prayers can get you out...nor me
except.....
The Anthem of Mea Vulnerabilis...
Know what is to be known, Learn what is to be learnt...
Thus, The Hanged Man's efforts never went in vain...
Because He wanted it, and after death he did,
and he went on to live even after his death...
It is difficult to know where Yggdrasil is for me...
But I know, It is there for me...

What is needed to be known...

Why does a tear fall when I cry?
Why does my heart beat?
Why does it not stop?
Why do my eyes frown when I am tense?
Why does my heart become sad when I become sad?
Why, in all loneliness, I think...I think too much only to think more...
Why do people think like they do?
Why do I think about people and the way they think?
Why do i type now and think about people and think how they think?
Why am I confusing you?
Why am I confusing myself in confusing you?
Why are you reading this?
Why are you here?
What if you weren't here?
What if you were someplace else?
What if you were someone else?
What if that other person, who was you, wasn't you?
Would you be you?
So, I've proved, from the above... I feel for you, I'd cry for you, My heart would beat for you, I would be tense for you, so that you wouldn't be anyone else than YOU!
Thanks for being who you are and comin into my life....
Who is it, you may ask?
That person knows....maybe...
But I know that person will read this...
And ask, 'what's gotten into you?? '
And then I shall answer....
I shall answer the question...
But 1st, I need to be asked this question by that person only...
So that I know...
So that I know...
What is needed to be known.

Why do the righteous suffer?

Why do the righteous suffer?
Before you answer this question, ask yourself first - How do you define 'righteous'?
Many references and dictionaries later, I concluded thus-A morally justified person.
So, why does a 'morally justified person', who obeys all the rules and treatises laid down by religion or law of the land, suffer?
Why does a friend, who amongst us is the most religious, has to suffer and see his mom pass away because of some one else's bêtise?
Why does a person,a priest at that, has to suffer and see his son die before him and he cannot do anything?
Why does a person, who has blind faith in God, has to see his family break down in front of him?
Why does a person, who is involved in charity and healing the sick, has to bear the suffering of losing love when it matters the most for him?
What about a person who sacrifices his whole life for his family, but is kicked on his backside when he asks his kin for support in old age?
What about a person who has never got the love required from another person(who should have actually done so), and now that other person behaves in the worst possible manner with them?
Where is religion when it fails to hear the screams of the needy?
Where is Law during times of injustice?
With these instances, I do not wish to highlight and gain your sympathy for them... coz I don't want you to think that I am just making these up....
The more I delve into these lives,I seem to ask myself...Why does God wanna do things like this? Is he trying to act like a bully? Stan Lee has remarked," With great power comes great responsibility"...Never a truer line of course...so is God acting irresponsibly?
I would like to bring up a case,which you may argue till times' end...
Someone's close relative passed away.... It was death through suffering. On the day of the condolence meet, people said,"...Maybe (the close relative) is up with God and looking down at us right now..."; "...Maybe God willed it so because he was testing you,and the strong person that you are, you will probably fet through this"
Hmmm...I ask...So if the person was less strong, would the relative have lived on? What proof exists that the person is upp there next to God??
There's one school of thought that says "If you sin, you are punished"...So, why have the people ,mentioned above and who definately would have sinned far,far less than your average crooked person, to suffer more than the crooked person, who probably is raking in and enjoying his life to the max? If God decided to punish the righteous just because they may have committed a sin,that too maybe unknowingly, then isn't God trying to prove that he is the biggest bully? Coz he knows he can control the righteous, but not the persistent sinners. Some will say that after their life, their souls will be punished..Ok...Any proof?
So, WTF God thinks he(?) is???
Ok,let's see this from God's perspective.... Imagine you are God...So, why would you do the above things?
For the kicks?
Why do you do something to others that you won't do to yourself?
Hmm...ok, let's play a game...you answer my question taking everything I have said above into account. I would love to hear your views on the same.Once we get on exchanging ideas, we can help us understand each other. You can give me your views-Whatever they are!
Cheers!

Have you ever...?

Have you ever got an evil, malevolent thought?
For eg, when you wished ill of a person without ever realizing it?
If you have realized it, then that makes it more significant...
Why is it that we say something and then regret we said it later? Coz, we have already said it,right?
How can we take something back which can't be taken back?
Normally, We all try to be as good as possible...But when a moment comes that our mouth works faster than our minds, all that 'trying to be good' thing comes to a null.
We will curse people....curse them that either they slip on a banana peel or just curse them the worst.When it comes true, the emotional reaction you show determines what type a person you are.
Agreed that this is all subjective, and may not apply to everyone.
I will not continue this further as I don't know what the solution is.
For those who I may have inadvertently said these things, I do not ask for forgiveness.Saying sorry has lost its meaning a long time ago.
Only Hope, that things turn out well...for everyone concerned.
As far as people against me are concerned,I have forgiven everyone except a ménage. And only The Spirit Time knows the reason why...

Day out....

Watched Batman: The Dark Knight on August 2. Wonderful movie, I must say. The beautiful manner in which the dark side of human psyche and mind games has been portrayed has to be commended. Lines like, “Why so serious?”, “If you are good at something, never do it for free” (Said by none other than the Joker…) make you think. Of course there are many lines that make you wonder… Ponder…think…
***Spoiler Warning here***
One of the best examples of understanding the human psyche is towards the end; There are 2 ships-One filled with prisoners and the other with civilians. On each ship is a detonator for the other ship. The Joker announces the same, and says that if one ship blows up the other, that ship will be spared. But, by 12 am, if neither blows up the other, He shall blow both of them. What happens later…Watch the movie! Total Paisa Vasool...
But really… a wonderful illustration of the Game Theory. Economics majors + Batman Freaks, rejoice!
And ya, a wonderful dialogue against someone who is in a solemn mood… “Why so serious?”

Whilst I was watching the movie, I really couldn’t help but wonder…Why don’t people keep their mobiles on silent or vibrate mode? Why is it that when some character is in the midst of delivering a great dialogue and someone’s mobile blares out a Himesh Reshammiya ringtone!!! As if the conventional Nokia mono ringtones weren’t bad enough!! These people are so illiterate to use the mobile phone. Agreed, no one fully is, but still at least keep the cell on vibrate or silent!!!!!!

The Starcity Theatre at Dadar/Matunga is nice. Sofa seats for Rs 80(morning show) and Rs 120(subsequent shows). They’re comfortable to sit in, but the headrest could do with some improvement. But its definitely better than shelling out Rs 700 at Metro…

We watched the Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor after Batman. But any movie after watching Batman would seem so nullah, especially when it comes to the action scenes and dialogues.

Went to Worli Sea face for the 1st time in my life! And boy, it’s really a nice place. The sea seems so much nearer. The clouds were wonderfully organized, without a hint of being contrived. The Sea wanted to kiss the shore… But each time it tried, it was restrained by the father-like rocks, who stood between the sea and the shore. It tried, it really did. But as we were leaving, I felt a tinge of happiness that if not tonight, the sea shall definitely kiss the shore by overcoming the noncompliant rocks. Neither one was evil here nor was anyone good. Each one doing what they were supposed to do. And, even if the ocean fails trying, the rocks can never stop the ocean from becoming rain and falling directly on the shore.

The day ended so fast… 24 Hours… It seems to run so fast, does Father Time. What remains is memories of watching some delightful things- be it a movie or the sea or just the wonderful chatoyant sky which seems so lifeless and colourless at first, but iridescent as you watch it more.

The Power that is..Music.

I hope everyone loves music. Its so universal, so neutral… Music doesn’t differentiate on what religion you belong to, what your wealth is, nor any thing else!

Even a deaf person can make the greatest of music.

Even a blind man can go on to become a great singer…

Even the music of the dead lives with us till today..

So, why is it so? I dunno…

You give a kid, a 1-2 year old kid at that, a colour pencil and paper. Under normal circumstances, the kid will scrawl something illegible. [well, on the brighter side, that may become a priceless piece of art after some years!]. But under present circumstances, that’s what a kid can do.

Now, give that kid a drum. No, Not a guitar, but a drum. That Kid’s too young too learn the nuances of knowing the guitar. So give a drum…

I assure you that the kid will play something that will make sense to a musically inclined ear.

That’s the neutrality of music… Anyone, Anyhow, Any where….It can be played under any circumstances.

Music is played at Birthday parties and at funerals. Music is played when teams win and also when teams lose in sports… You can’t escape it nor do you want to.

The sound of water dripping on an aluminium sheet… listen closely, and u’ll get your music.

When you listen to a person whom you really adore / love to world’s end…. That comforting voice… That’s music.

Music is Magically Understanding Self in Chaos.

The Lyrics, the Sounds, the Beats… The Melody…. The Message…

Music… is the antidote for something that has no cure… When music enters your mind, allow it to take over for a brief moment. And if you are sane and don’t dope, for that brief moment, every part of your body shall feel free from the clutches of a rigid, monotonous day.

One of the most beautiful quotes I have come across with regards to the freedom that music offers is in the movie , “The Shawshank Redemption”. The main protagonist(Andy Dufresne / Tim Robbins / being in jail), is alone in the warden’s office cleaning and arranging stuff. He comes across a Mozart Record. He locks the warden’s office, puts in the record, places the Public announcement system Microphone near the Player. This is what Ellis Boyd Redding (His fellow inmate / Morgan Freeman) says when Mozart’s Duettino Sull’ Aria is being played over the PA..

“I have no idea to this day what those two Italian ladies were singing about. Truth is, I don't want to know. Some things are best left unsaid. I'd like to think they were singing about something so beautiful, it can't be expressed in words, and makes your heart ache because of it. I tell you, those voices soared higher and farther than anybody in a gray place dares to dream. It was like some beautiful bird flapped into our drab little cage and made those walls dissolve away, and for the briefest of moments, every last man in Shawshank felt free.”

THAT, my friends, is the power of music…

The Well...

Filled with despondency… I really was. June 13-14 2008. Friday the 13th was bad as the day is.
Whilst coming home, my mind was racing with thoughts…Thoughts that caused disconsolateness...
Nox arrived, away from the Sun.
My lachrymal gland worked overtime that night.
T’was now 11-ish. Nothing to do. Put on the radio on my mobile. Dean Martin playing on 107.1 FM.
Then suddenly, I came across a well. It was nearing dusk.
Melancholia taking over.
Descended down the well.
Staring down at the bottom of the well.
Now I know why people meant that phrase…
It’s so sad to see the bottom of the well…
A well’s disfigured life with all the trash at the ground…
You feel your own life moving towards it, towards the junk..,
Waiting to bide time till it takes over.
I saw many dead at the bottom…
I cried…
Fate had decided itself.
What’s this fluttering around?
A Butterfly to keep me company till I descend?
It was a Black Butterfly…But so beautiful!
As I was descending, I saw it rest on the surface of the water.
My legs now touched the surface of the final frontier.
Slowly now I thought… resigned to Fate…
The Butterfly took in its wings, sat.
There was no reflection of it…
I kept on watching, waiting for the reflection…
I could see no one except the sky.
The Sky!
It existed…
The fact that it manifested was proof enough of its existence, waiting to be touched.
The B’fly raised it wings.
Flew skywards..
Saw up I did.
Far away I was from up.
Hope
It still existed…
I just needed to trust it…
And for no rational motive, I did…
Came the Butterfly, overgrown now to size dragon-like…
Lifted me from my descent… by its claws
And raised me high
Oh, what a beautiful feeling!
To touch the untouchable sky…
Flipping in air, to music
Screamed I…
And opened my eyes, Dean Martin had stopped; Tom Jones was now playing…
My ticket was redeemed…
Switched Off my mobile; went to sleep.
Woke up, things were unchanged.
But,Now,
There was Hope...

Rendezvous with Mr. Helios

Me:
“Well, Hello!Seeing you after a bit, eh Sol….All this rain and everything. Howz u been hiding behind the clouds?”

Helios: “Heh! Hiding eh? Oh well,I’ll take that. Been so different you know;Was at my fullest glory in May..and now, come June, I’m eclipsed by the clouds. Job hazards,one of them, this is!”

M: “Oh ya… But man, no offense, but there are many people over here that are glad that u into ‘hiding’. You were shining so hard this year between March and May that people wished that you went away…Of course you shouldn’t… but still…people were saying that!”

H: “Hmm…I know. Heard from Brother Zeus that day whilst I was in Greece the other day. Also Narad Muni… Felt a bit down that night. But then, It was night.”

M: ‘Ya, I know.. very depressing.’

H: “But what the heck, I gotta go back to work the next day anyways. Work is worship…at least for me!’

M: ‘Coming from someone who’s worshipped all over the world, that’s humble!’

H: ‘Ya Sid…You see, people will attack you all the time-be it at work or off work. Some would rather want me sinking in the ocean in the West and never come back. But then, you know, no matter how tiring the day was; you should just get back on our feet and start shining the next day!”

M: “Wow…but then, people will start all over again. They’ll say ‘Oh, here he comes again “

H: “Yup… they will.. and so may their sons and daughters and grandchildren. Understand, my dear brother, that if you are doing something with the right intentions, you will never go wrong!”

M: “Heyy?!! That’s what my friend said too! What a coincidence!”

H: “Then you surely have made a good friend Sid…I know… and may the heavens bless your friend” “Coming back to what I was saying… Yes, if you do something with the honest of intentions, no one…not even the greatest of Gods can punish you”

M: “Greatest of Gods… who’s that?"

H: “Let’s leave that shall we… unless you want religious riots or something!”

M: “Ok Ok…”

H: “You know Sid… The fact that I have to hide myself from the world is the result of my own karma!”

M: “Uhhh!!! You!! And Karma… explain dear brother!”

H: “You know, when given a chance to do something we like, how we tend to go to the highest limits to shine brightly?”

M: “Ya…I think”

H: “Well, when its March, I sorta shine with too much pride. You know that…At the same time, As I am shining, The waters of Oceania (The Oceans), The Seas, and every water element on terra firma evanesces. And when all elements of Nature coincide,(Geography and Science taking over), It rains! So you see, my actions lead to my own judgement. The more I shine, the more it shall rain. The more it rains, the less I am seen."

M:
“But then don’t you see that everytime?”

H: “I do…initially, I objected to the Rain Gods. But then, as I grew older, I realized one thing… They couldn’t hold me back for long. I realized that Gaia had thought things out well. She knew things which not many did at that time. She told me ‘Helios, What you are going through is understandable. But despair not, thy moment shall arrive. The Circle of Life is just. “Pactum serva ; Keep the faith”” M: “Oh ok…”

H: “So after a long drawn monsoon, when the clouds exhausted all their might, It was my turn to come back; just as the laws said I would. For my patience, I was rewarded…reward being the chance to shine sometimes during the monsoon. And as a token of my goodwill, I gave birth to the rainbow.”

“So you see Sid, its important to know that resurrection is possible through hope… by being true to yourself and your own self first, and then to others. What you sow, you reap. The laws of the Universe work in ways strange for the common man, but they work fine. Believe in them, but believe in yourself first.” M: “Hmm… You speak wisely, as always Helios.”

H: “And remember Sid, arrogance will get you nowhere…You know what happened between me and the wind sometime back right?”

M: “Yea..I remember reading about it in my 1st standard English text book. But that was way back in 1991-92 yaar… Care to refresh?”

H: “Hmm..of course…T’was during winter when I met Mr. Wind (blowing away a bit arrogantly that day). He came upto me and said “Ha…Sol! They call you powerful! Obviosly they haven’t seen the best of me yet!”. I said back, “Dear Wind, There is no one greater or smaller. We are all equals.” Obviously that didn’t go well with him and he challenged me. He saw this villager wrapped around a blanket (This was around 6:30 morning btw). Said he, ‘Aditya(I was in India this time, hence he called me by my Indian name), I Challenge you to blow away the blanket from the body of this man!”. I sensed his arrogance. I told him to proceed first. He started with great pomp and pride.. Blowing away at that man…But the more he blew himself, the more determined that man became to catch the blanket. Half an Hour passed…and then the Wind said (with its arrogance intact) “Think You can do better??!!!”

M: “And??”

H: “And what? I just had to shine. (I’m hot , you see!). No sooner I came, than that man took off his blanket, and proceeded onwards to his destination. So you see, the larger the pride, the easier it is for someone to bring you down”

M: “Gosh… That was nice…Of course we didn’t have you account of how it happened, as well as the moral of the story…But It was nice to hear that again…especially after 17 years!”

H: “Well, its night now, and you gotta have dinner now. Go fast or mum will blame me for keeping you all night. I’ve got nothing to do now na…except shine in the southern hemisphere.. but that shift’s ok…It’s the northern hemisphere I am worried about, especially with the Developed nations who are almost screwing things up. Heh!” “Take care Sid, go now… And remember, Life gives you a chance to come back-be it next morning or the next season…but you do get a chance.”

M: “Heavens bless you Helios….Shine on!”

H: “Cheers…!"

Serendipity and its after effects

Hello again… Back after a hiatus, I am…

Ever since my last entry, many things have changed. Ok, not too many, but quite a few.

You ever have that moment of serendipity wherein you meet a person who actually echoes most your sentiments, thoughts and views?Agreed, it ‘may’ not always ‘that perfect’, but the fact that this is known among yourselves, is what actually makes it work!

You come across someone randomly in life, and its almost as if you’ve known that person for a lifetime! It may sound silly for some, but you know what they say… the reality lies in experience!

And what an experience it has been!

Somehow or the other (??.. heh!), there seems to be cheerfulness in your day-to-day activities… Of course, you will crib about your boss and work everyday, but apart from that, everything seems so lively, so nice.

You wake up hearing that person’s voice in your mind, that person’s last conversation with you, that person’s laugh, the jokes et al. You mind has to decide as to what has to be given more importance- between choosing your toothbrush correctly or thinking about that person’s laughter. Maybe, that person is laughing coz You haven’t chosen your toothbrush correctly.

Time goes… you sit down and have tea/ breakfast. If you have amul butter and bread, you start smiling.You read the papers and smile. Your mom/dad notices the same. They see you reading the national news. They’d be thinking “What’s the good news…especially in National News??!!”. They’ll never know, neither will you coz u ain’t reading the news…You just on the same thoughts as before.

You leave for work. If you are the sort of a person who is always in his/her own world, then u may relate to this better. You are walking down the street, towards the bus stop. You come face to face with an acquaintance after a long time, and its someone with whom there was absolutely any good vibes with. Yet, you smile at that person unknowingly and ask ‘Hi, How’s u?” and pass on. I bet that they might be confused for the rest of the day.

Then you reach office. You greet the boss ‘Good morning’. They think ‘Ha! That smile will wear off in a few hours!(snigger!). You start to work. 6 hours into the day, that smile’s still there. That’s when the bosses come almost close to passing a decree” No one will smile/ keep smiling/(add anything with cheerfulness here)/ etc until close of work”. But they know they can’t…coz the smile’s so freakin’ infectious, that its already reached 90% of the working organization (The rest 6% being the bosses and the 4% being absentees/ on leave etc!) . They know you have won, yet they say “U do a lot of ‘Hasi-Majaak’. Concentrate on your work. You are a/an (put your work position here). You should be professional!” And that’s when you know that you have really seized the day…Carpe Diem!

You leave office, joking with colleagues about what the bosses had to say. The colleagues, then, find sanctity in knowing that such things do happen at office.You walk home…or you take the bus home. If you walk home, then it should be relevant to you (Maybe!).

You see all sorts of people… rich, poor, middle class…and yet their faces so stony! A lady drops her water-bottle down, and u go forward pick it up. She says ‘Thanks’…you say ‘Aaah! Chaal-se’. I dunno what the lady’s reaction would be, coz you see, I am still thinking about that person since morning.

You come home with that same smile (sometimes you don’t…’tis ok!). Mom nags…”Go have your bath fast and sit early for dinner so that everyone sleeps early”. You just stare back at her and smile. It may sometimes piss your mom off at that moment, but after that its so much better for her to be smiled at.

You dutifully have your dinner, read the papers, do something you may have pending…and by the time almost everyone sleeps, you put your office “bhramandhwani’ to good use. (That, btw, means ‘mobile phone’ in Marathi…ya really!)

You call up that person. You share your day with that person. That person shares that day with you. Then, with great sweet thoughts, you go to sleep. And just before your last “open-eyed” moments before sleep, you start to think about that wonderful effect that person has got on your life.

Many won’t understand why this has been written. Neither should people start “over-thinking” and try and find its hidden meanings…coz it has nothing hidden!

WYSIWYG! (What You See Is What You Get)

We may not always have the same situations for each person. What I am trying to say here is that we all will, One day, surely come across such a person. You may notice it at the 1^st time itself or it may take you a lifetime… but rest assured that moment will come.

Destiny, Fate, Kismet…they’re all there for a very good reason. Believe in what has to be believed. Fate might make your health bad one day..but remember, that it will be for a very good reason!! Trust me, I Know!

So believe in Destiny. Don’t try and be too dependant on it coz Destiny has 2 things that can overpower it-A person’s free-will and destiny’s honesty itself. Great things have happened to great people because of destiny’s hand. So, start believing in hope, that things will be alright in the end…

As my dear friend would say “Touchwood!”

Changing

Change:

Verb# make different; cause a transformation,Alter,become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature,Become different in some particular way, without permanently losing one's or its former characteristics or essence,Lay aside, abandon, or leave for another,

Noun#An event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another

2 sets of definitions that provide an insight into this word...

Why is it the most feared word by many people-young and old alike? Why do people stop thinking the moment something changes?

People....

People change very quickly.
A relation can suddenly change its meaning overnight… be it a child growing into its teens or a parent entering their 50s…

People change.

You may have had a buddy who you thought would understand you throughout your life. That person does understand you, but in a different vein.

You may have had friends who you thought understood why you are so… now, they are gone…

You may have had a perfect Father-son relationship with your dad when you were a kid.

However, some years down the line, now... you detest him, though you hate to.

You had friends… Now they are nowhere near.

Someone you loved all your life... now you don’t.

Some one who you thought you loved… Now you don’t…

People…do change.

Why you ask….why do people change at the drop of the hat?

Then some stupid voice in your head says “Ask yourself why you have changed!”

You then try to find out what made you say that…

Then what follows is a beautiful cycle of pure confusion…

You think that someone changed because they had an indifferent attitude towards you. You then change your own behaviour towards that person. That person, on the other hand, thinks you have changed and that person changes their behaviour towards you.

This goes on and on…

So who is really at fault…? Me?

Half Yes, Half No….

You try telling people your point of views, and somehow you may put off so badly that it hurts your self belief.

During times when you never understood what was going on, no one came to tell you what was..That's when you learn stuff the hard way .

So even if You say,’I don’t care what u think’ people will have something to bite-back with…

See…noticed the change?

Think why…

If you are already pissed off, then don’t read… you’ve done more harm to yourself already.

People change…

Those people…plus a few more…

But those that matter…

And the few that almost did….

Wrenches the heart…. Takes away all life…

I don’t want you to know…

Coz the people who are a part of this are the same people who will never read this…

And the people who read this are people who don’t know me yet…

So, I have come to the conclusion- Change is inevitable...

No matter what you do, you must learn to deal with change...

Coz the world doesn't care if you missed the bus... it only cares about taunting when you do...

And if You do miss the bus...

Rent a new one!

God Bless.

"You say you wander your own land
But when I think about it
I don't see how you can
You're aching, you're breaking
And I can see the pain in your eyes
Says everybody's changing
And I don't know why

So little time
Try to understand that I'm
Trying to make a move just to stay in the game
I try to stay awake and remember my name
But everybody's changing
And I don't feel the same

You're gone from here
And soon you will disappear
Fading into beautiful light
Cause everybody's changing
And I don't feel right

So little time
Try to understand that I'm
Trying to make a move just to stay in the game
I try to stay awake and remember my name
But everybody's changing
And I don't feel the same

So little time
Try to understand that I'm
Trying to make a move just to stay in the game
I try to stay awake and remember my name
But everybody's changing
And I don't feel the same"

-"Everybody's Changing"/Keane

Faith!

This came to me in an email forward... I feel I must share this with everyone...
An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty.

He asks one of his new students to stand and.....

Prof:So you believe in God?

Student: Absolutely, sir.

Prof: Is God good?

Student: Sure.

Prof: Is God all-powerful?

Student: Yes.

Prof:My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him.

Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?

(Student is silent.)

Prof:You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?

Student:Yes.

Prof:Is Satan good?

Student: No.

Prof:Where does Satan come from?

Student:From...God...

Prof:That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student:Yes.

Prof:Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?

Student: Yes.

Prof:So who created evil?

(Student does not answer.)

Prof:Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?

Student:Yes, sir.

Prof:So, who created them?

(Student has no answer.)

Prof:Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you.

Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?

Student:No, sir.

Prof:Tell us if you have ever heard your God?

Student:No, sir.

Prof:Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?

Student:No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Prof:Yet you still believe in Him?

Student:Yes.

Prof:According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist.What do you say to that, son?

Student:Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof:Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student:Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Prof:Yes.

Student: And is there such a thing as cold?

Prof:Yes.

Student:No sir. There isn't.

(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat.

But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that.

There is no such thing as cold . Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat

We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy . Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it .

(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student:What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?

Prof:Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?

Student :You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light....But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make
darkness darker, wouldn't you?

Prof:So what is the point you are making, young man?

Student:Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Prof:Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student:Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it.

Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof:If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student:Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)

Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher? (The class is in uproar.)

Student:Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?

(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir.

With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Prof:I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.

Student: That is it sir... The link between man & god is FAITH . That is all that keeps things moving & alive.


this is a true story, and the

student was none other than.........



APJ Abdul Kalam, the former president of India.

Redivivus

Credulous, I was, to fall into traps unknown….
Put myself in peril….
My soul’s dead long back…I feel
Dead the day I was born….
Naïve, stupid…. Avoirdupois…
Kind, Caring…..Gentle…
Lost battles, won battles…
Happiness evanescent…
Sadness lasting…
Jejune, my will was…
My nebulous life, now mondegreen…
Rambunctious my way of living…
Lassitude leading to things many…

Came a standstill…

Loved …and spirit broke of mine…
Nowhere to ask….now of me

Lied did I to myself…
To others….
A pseudoecho….

Avarice for happiness reverberates I,
Through valleys of concrete…
Not heard…

Gloom stays near…

The panacea,I realize, is me…

Let go…
Let go...
And I shall…

Peregrination … I must

Coz ‘people’ around me, I avaunt..

Ask me not why I wrote this…
People who know seek none…

Life’s too short to be dp’d;

Memento vivere
ad astra et ardua per aspera

Redivivus….

The Pianist and the Roads

The Pianist was running down the street...
He didn't know which road to take to cross the bridge....

He came to the 1st of the roads...
promised him a freedom...
said "Never"

He came to the 2nd...
promised him a hope
said he..."Never"

He came to the 3rd...
promised him a life immortal
said he..."Never"

He came to the 4th...
promised him an eternity
said he..."Never"

He came to the 5th...
promised him youth
said he..."Never"

He came to the 6th...
promised him all riches
said he..."Never"

At last,he came to road 7....
Asketh the road...
'Why decline so good their offers?"
Only then I promise u

Said the Pianist
"Ace:Freedom...from what?
My Music??
Never!"

"Deuce: New Hope?for what?
What I already hope??"
I'd rather Hope what I hope always...
We hope when we want things..
so craving and desires.... result in hope;credulous!

"Terzetto:Life immortal?
when death is so beautiful??
Never!!"

"Quatern:Eternity...of what??
Troubles...
Desires...
Life??...
You mock me...
Never"

"To Cinque:Youth....Ha!
So,essentially, I can't grow up....
I can't marry...
I can't drink beer....
I can't drive....
I can't do things i would want..
I'd have no feeling of what it is to be old...
so then,what is life???
hmmmph...never!"


"The 6th...the hexad...promised all riches
But what abt the poor....
whose riches i'll take?
free money.... without achievement!
amounts to stealing my conscience!
No...again!"

"Septet...You look wise...
Tell me Your promise...
If your offer is material....
I'd rather not cross you...."

"Septet says....
I promise you...
I will just let you cross"

The Pianist knew.....
The Pianist crossed...

The Pianist got what he wanted...

That is...

To cross a road across the bridge!

On the Paths-Part I

Walking down the lane of life...
Oh...so much strife....
One step I trod... the first time...
seemed to ask...why's there no rime...

Rime's nay coz it ain't the last....


Hearing the sounds of Gaia,
Echoin' against her terra firma....
pristine,her voice...so pure,
It was..her..great allure...

Trudging on its path....
travels endless...
existence existed...
Heard the nocturne....

I came to a tree...
Oh...was it free?
Roots take away its freedom...

I asked the tree..."why aren't you free?"
It looked in glee...It didn't answer me....

Glad question thy ask....
It said...
Roots aren't for me servitude....

I ask thee to know....
what would life be without them..
For Man,woman and child.... they are just 'roots'
For a sapling flora,
They are more than your worth....

Imagine.....
A day without support....
A day without legs...
A day with all weakness...

A day that most fear...

That,my friend, is what our roots are...

submerged,yet strong...
growing with us all day long...

They breathe life.... for us

....

I camped along on this night...near the tree...
the tree of so simple...yet full of wisdom....
against its warm barks i rested...
for another day the morning next....

As I lay,watching the owls on its hands...
thanking for a place to sleep....
slumbered too I did...
With lesson I know I need....

Roots.....

they do more ,than stay behind...

So for all the roots in my life....

Nik,Xau,Gary
Sam,Dumbo,,Ray,Fabe...
none in order...

A Deep thanks.....

Cheers!

I dunno what to write!

I don't know what to write today. I am completely blank today..
I thought I would write about the BSE Sensex going down and down...but then,It can always come up again tomorrow.

I thought I would write about the Indian cricket Team's pathetic performance at the Motera Test(76 all out!)...but then realised We can still square the series in the next match...

I thought of writing about the increasing inflation rate...but it can always come down tomorrow...

I thought of writing about f1 Racing,and how it is getting a tad boring.... but then thought of waiting for this season to get over....

I thought of writing about pessimism.... but realised I am a bit optimistic today....

Then...

I wrote all of this.

Shashi Tharoor-"Why some engineers become terrorists"

Hello...
Today in the Sunday Times of India, I came across a column by Shashi Tharoor "Why some engineers become terrorists",the link to read it online is given below:

Shashi Tharoor-Why some engineers become terrorists-The TOI 30.03.08

And here are my comments to it,which I have already posted to the editor online.

Dear Editor/Mr. Tharoor,
Your views on "Why some engineers become terrorists" made an interesting read. It also made me ponder.I am not an engineer,so I don't know the reason why...But,can this question also not be possible,that why some Terrorists go on to become engineers??
After all,by being a literature student,one can't possibly get access to the knowledge of how to make an effective bomb,right? So,as far as the study of the correlation between Engineers and terrorists goes,I don't agree with the conclusion.
As far as humanities in engineering is concerned,It seems a good idea.But it should not only be restricted to engineers alone..After all,not all 'terrorists' are engineers .Also,let's not make it too theoretical that it becomes 'just an other subject in the curriculum'.
Well written Mr Tharoor...
Regards,
Sudhir.

Cogitating...as always!

Why??
Why is it that when things aren't goin my way,I tend to get pissed off a lot?
I know these are just temporary things,but the fact that I get annoyed over them makes me think and ponder.... What actually goes on our minds when faced with such situations?
We talk about not fearing death... But don't we all?
I recount an incident sometime back...I was not afraid of death then,and now too.
But my perspective towards not fearing death changed!
I was in a Bus and it was just approaching its stop..when it stopped at the signal,just a few metres away from the stop.
I alighted from the bus from the rear,and no sooner I got down than another Bus whooshed past me nearly missing my toes....
I wouldn't count it as a near death experience,but the fear at that moment...the moment when the bus passed by me..my heart pulsating..anything cud've happened!
That's when I had a different perspective towards Death... -Don't fear it..But don't tempt it either... like Fate...

The reason I stressed on this fact(sorry for being a bit dark...but had to provide an example!) ,is because of our outlook towards some things... mine included..
We know we have a certain attitude towards something... but how effective is that?are you thinking about it the right way?
agreed,there can be no 'proper' way of thinking or even having a correct answer to a subjective question...but still.... Are we asking ourselves the wrong questions at times?

The reason why I am frustrated over somethings,even though I know they are not worth it,has got me thinking....
I approach things with the right intention,but with a different mindset or a different way...
Time for ringing in Changes eh??

The Best Song I've Heard while suffering from Chickenpox!!!

I lie awake on a long, dark night
I can't seem to tame my mind
Slings and arrows are killing me inside
Maybe I can't accept the life that's mine
No, maybe I can't accept the life that's mine

Simple living is my desperate cry
Been trading love with indifference
yeah it suits me just fine
I try to hold on but I'm calloused to the bone
Maybe that's why I feel alone yeah...
Maybe that's why I feel so alone

'Cause me…I'm rusted and weathered
Barely holding together
I'm covered with skin that peels and
it just won't heal
I am rusted and weathered
Barely holding together
I'm covered with skin that peels and
It just won't heal
No, it just won't heal no no no...

The sun shines and I can't avoid the light
I think I'm holding on to life too tight
Ashes to ashes and dust to dust
Sometimes I feel like giving up yeah...
I said, sometimes I feel like giving up

'Cause me…I'm rusted and weathered
Barely holding together
I'm covered with skin that peels and
it just won't heal
I am rusted and weathered
Barely holding together
I'm covered with skin that peels and
it just won't heal
It just won't heal

The day reminds me of you
The night hides your truth
The earth is a voice
Speaking to you
Take all this pride
And leave it behind
'Cause one day it ends
One day we die
Believe what you will
That is your right
But I choose to win
I choose to fight
To fight

'Cause me... I'm rusted and weathered
Barely holding together
I'm covered with skin that peels and
it just won't heal
I am rusted and weathered
Barely holding together
I'm covered with skin that peels and
It just won't...
Covered with skin that peels and
It just won't...
Covered with skin that peels and
It just won't heal


Weathered:Creed

You are the Hanged Man

Self-sacrifice, Sacrifice, Devotion, Bound.

With the Hanged man there is often a sense of fatalism, waiting for something to happen. Or a fear of
loss from a situation, rather than gain.

The Hanged Man is perhaps the most fascinating card in the deck. It reflects the story of Odin who offered himself as a sacrifice in order to gain knowledge. Hanging from the world tree, wounded by a spear, given no bread or mead, he hung for nine days. On the last day, he saw on the ground runes that had fallen from the tree, understood their meaning, and, coming down, scooped them up for his own. All knowledge is to be found in these runes.

The Hanged Man, in similar fashion, is a card about suspension, not life or death. It signifies selflessness, sacrifice and prophecy. You make yourself vulnerable and in doing so, gain illumination. You see the world differently, with almost mystical insights.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

The world is one freakin’ oxymoron!!

Why else would there be global warming, when in the end of it all, our world would go back to the ice age?

Why do some people who apply for a job online password protect their CVs???

Why do people say,”Act naturally?” I mean how can one ‘act’ naturally???

I read a line in some newspaper… “The BMC ...is organizing…” -BMC and organizing??? seriously!!!(Btw, the BMC is Mumbai’s Municipal Corporation)

I was discussing some finance with my friend, Xau… and I came across the term “Tax Returns”…. Returns?????

Some years back, I had gone to inquire about some computer courses. The lady counselor took us through a few courses…”This (course) is for beginners, while this course is for advanced beginners”…Advanced beginners!!! I mean, if you are still a beginner at the advanced level, you really are at the wrong place to learn…

How can one justify “expect the unexpected”? If you did so, it wouldn’t be ‘unexpected’ right?

I also read in the newspaper the other day that a Fashion designer was planning to launch his new range of clothes…

Clothes!!?? Are they really clothes…???
I mean some of them can’t even be classified as such!

Fashion Clothes!!yeesh!

Diet Coke anyone???

Geez… What an oxymoronic life!!

Motivation!

Hello there…

Motivation!

It’s really amazing to notice, in a person, that when he or she is given some encouragement that person’s performance increases. I know it’s a sorta clichéd statement, but hell ya its true….

Employees have to be treated well…no matter what position he’s in; be it a peon in an office or a colleague or even someone who irritates the hell outta you..

Understand what an employee wants… That, I feel is an important HR function…

Coz if an employee is not satisfied there’s gonna be lot of things a Manager would have to be worried about. Take away the employee and the boss is just left with a couple of machines in his office…

I know it’s the most over rated line, “Motivate your employees for better results”…But unfortunately that’s the action most under performed by many bosses!

So before you set out to motivate an employee, understand him/ her… Understand what makes him tick… what are his SWOTs…. And then proceed to motivate…

For eg-You can’t offer a pukka gujju a lifetime supply of non-veg food as a means to motivate him. And even if you do and he accepts it, there’s something definitely wrong in what’s going on!

So proceed with caution… every person is different, has different needs, customs, way of living, etc…

Cheers!

“Silence Violence”

My mind speaks a thousand words….

My heart speaks a million….

Yet, still, nothing is heard….Why,I ask???

I can hear what they say…. Why can’t everyone else?

Am I going mad….????

Am I going Insane…????

WTF’s goin’ on?

High decibel screams pierce my ears…. Yet you still hear nothing?

Then, after my moments I realize….

I’ve said nothing yet…..

And I was thus heard….

C & E

Hello...

I went through an article in some newspaper in the ‘raddi’ the other day….

It was about the bus carrying pilgrims that crashed over the ravine near Nashik…

The ones that survived and/or missed that ill-fated bus said that they were blessed by God…

Good on you, but…….does this mean that God betrayed those who died in that crash?

Shouldn’t he be blessing everyone especially since they were on a pilgrimage?

Does this mean he was playing with the people? Things like, “Whoever prayed more to me shall survive…the rest shall die!”

Personally, I don’t think God would work that way….

So, in retrospect, I believe that the real reason those people died was because the other people had to live. Karma including. They needed to survive to tell the world something or do something… what is it, even I don’t know… maybe they had to survive because God wanted me to write this article…

CAUSE AND EFFECT…

The rule which the universe works upon…

There’s no positive that arises if its negations aren’t felt…

If there’s no demand there’s no supply…as simple as that….

If there are no wars, there is no concept of ‘peace’….coz then the word peace would be just another word….

One more point; don’t fear death …. If you are scared to die, then it’s no point living….

Egads!!!

I used to have a nightmare... It was regarding a specific petrol pump at Tardeo...
I dreamt that while enroute to work , my bus would skittle and bang against the petrol pump engulfing everyone including me in flames... and somehow i used to see from the view of the 1st person,2nd person etc

Cut to today!

I was on my way home from work now... and I saw the petrol pump getting shut....

UPTO THIS POINT U MAY ALL BE SAYING "WTF IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN???"

and then I had this weird feeling saying ,"All is well"

Hope u understand what this means,....

Coz I have.... and its worth a million meanings....

The Second Coming....

I lost Round 1 at the age of 18....

I could lose Round 2 very quickly soon..

I didn't realise it the 1st time... but now I do...

I can lose...but I won't...

I died at 18...

But my soul refused to leave me...

Why??

Why...because,It still had life....

It refused to die...

Round 1 was over...Round 2 is heading to an end...

I died then...I can die now...

I die now...and that's it!

But I choose to win...

I choose to fight...

for my soul...

Who hung in there ...

when no one did...

when no one else cared...

when everyone else went away...It stayed....

I lose now,I dunno if it'll still stay...

May or may not...

don't think it has much strenght left...

Its my time now...

Redemption is a beautiful thing...

Don't make this ugly....

I know something that No one else does...

I know that...


"I WILL NOT DIE!!!"