Faith - Yours, Mine, Today & Tomorrow

G, O and D are three letters placed one after the other. Human being have associated a sound and meaning to this composition, if you like. Then  a variety of images and tales were intertwined to represent this in various forms and shapes. This however, is not language specific, we find it resonate in almost all languages or dialects that exist or ever existed. Conflicts apart, we have the right to have our own meaning and understanding of what GOD represents in whichever language and that’s our FAITH. A very personal realization.

Looking at the creation of life with all its complexities and our attempt to replicate bits or pieces of  this complex life through engineering projects  have proved beyond doubt that there is someone out there with much superior know-how. Know-how, knowledge, wisdom or power whatever way we choose to define. Whether they constantly monitor us or listens to our prayers will probably remain a mystery to be solved at the aftermath of this lifetime if realization does exist in that zone. Therefore let our own conscience monitor our thoughts and action to make this world worth dwelling.

We, having biodegradable physical characteristics will become dust in no time and those dust shall continue to be part of a new entity till the eternity…..but the spirit if there is one, will remain as a form of energy and that is my faith. I will not argue if you think this is a pagan philosophy! Because that's yours faith.

My cousin and I were once going through a particularly rough spell in our lives. One night having dined and wined along with lot of complain about HIM and HIS justice, we stepped down into the Kolkata footpath. Walking towards the car, I observed a lady saying her goodnight prayer outside her shanty home. It was width of the footpath and so low that she could not stand up once inside. She was saying her good night prayer….probably thanking the Almighty for his blessings and wishing for a brighter tomorrow.

That’s her faith and by far is the most beautiful albeit blind. But blind Faith is the force that will keep human being going. Because we know so little about our existence!

‘This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.’ 

The intemperate Bot

We had a holiday in Varanasi … Banaras during the first week of July 2017. It was an enjoyable family holiday as we saw one of the oldest cities in the world getting a face-lift. We stayed at the Taj, had some splendid boat rides on Ganges and got the opportunity to get connected to Samrat Ashoka the great via his Stambha (the lion pillar).

While we were planning the trip we had looked up on booking dot com among other websites for hotel accommodation.….. and now the intemperate bot that works for that website is psyching me out of my wits!

I am aware of the “Event based marketing” (also called trigger marketing and event initiated marketing) as a form of marketing that identifies key events in the customer and business life-cycle. When an event occurs a customer specific marketing activity is undertaken.

But I had the event took place in 2017 and two years on I still receiving last minute deals on a regular basis.

Leave me alone, Please!

A Shower From The Sky-High

This Friday the 18^th of January 2019, a Japanese satellite blasted off into space carrying 400 tiny balls whose chemical formula is a closely-guarded secret.  The mission is to deliver the world's first artificial meteor shower. The agency reports that this should be adequate for 20-30 events, as one shower will involve up to 20 stars.

The satellite shall be released at about 500 km above the Earth and will gradually descend to 400 km over the coming year. The target is to deliver the first out-of-this-world show over Hiroshima in the spring of 2020. 

Hiroshima! Does this name ring a bell?

Japan seems to be quite focused “Stocking Up” those secret balls and in this case stocking those quite High Up above our head.

The news was distributed by AFP and picked  up by all major news outlets worldwide. Read Here

For the optimist and the naive, mankind may now have their meteor shower “On Demand” but the reality could not be further off than that. The space above our head will soon be cramped with various weapons of choice loaded by the superior and not so superior powers of the world. When those meteors will shower on us it wont be by our choice but because we failed to “give in” to someone else’s demand.

Space warfare may not be a new phenomenon. The contesting superpowers are thought to have developed weapons that can attack space systems in orbit such as satellite or disable missiles travelling through space. But his small step seems to bring the militarization of the space much closer to the reality.

Wishing Peace & Lasting Life to the "yet to be born"!

Doodling For the Spring

Armed with the pen and highlighter while at the office desk, I dream of spring. Clear sky, green meadows with trees blooming with flowers while a little bird approaches the fresh flowers enthusiastically and cautiously.

We love spring as every living entity in this world are happy and full of life. Hibernating animals wake up or return from warmer climates and often with newborns – The ultimate sign of life.

The world today is going through difficult times. It’s so severe that we need to look high and low for one good news in our daily newspapers. Understandably life for some is tougher than others and even the toughs’ stumbles as they keep going.

As we eagerly wait for the advent of spring, I believe it is our responsibility to instill good values in our children for them to confront such challenges in the future.

Change, we need to understand essentially happens only when we are part of that change. Teach them to adjust the sails when the direction of the wind changes. And if situation demands, lowers the sails while the storms weathers away.

If we want our children to be polite and have discipline, we better live by example. Preaching something that we do not practice will be of little value.

The earth revolves continuously while remember to rotate along its own axis making certain that every side gets a fair share of the sun. The earth can continue its generosity without even pausing for a New Year celebration. But we are mere mortals and we need punctuation to be able to recoup and regroup.

The New Year’s Day is a perfect opportunity to pause and make a fresh start. A new chapter to be written, new questions to be asked, new relations to be made, new dreams to be realized.

Let’s dream for a new future and this time let’s do it with a pen in hand.

‘This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.’ 

Rite of Passage

 

Today is Mahalaya, a very auspicious for people who follow the Hindu way of life and philosophy. The Pitru Pakhsha, whose literal translation from Sanskrit means “fortnight of the ancestors” ends on this day and is marked as a day when men perform a rite called “tarpan”. I remember from my childhood when offerings were made to our deceased ancestors by my father. I always interpreted this as an opportunity to remember and express our gratitude to those who have left this world.

I, not having a lot of trust on purity of the Ganges and faith on the mantras chanted by today’s priests, prefer to remember my father in solitude…..within the confine of my home……..inside me. I do not believe much in the pomp & show and would love to stick to the basics in most occasions but there are many who would beg to differ!!

Extravagant celebrations when children are born, their birthdays and weddings are not uncommon these days but the new motto of life for many seems to be “live lavishly, go out extravagantly”. 

Many among the rich, powerful and famous are considering the “rite of passage” as the final opportunity to flaunt their immense wealth. Their rite of passage are competing with weddings and birthdays. People are opting for gold plated coffins, Rolls-Royce hearses and at times flying guests to exotic locales for destination funerals.

This article might shake your foundation while giving a new meaning for life and maybe a new goal for Death….

A Message From A Setting Sun

It would be nice to be at a sunset point while the day ends but beauty they say is in the eyes of the beholder. We do not always have to look high and low to find something beautiful, we just need to look around.

This is exactly what happened to me this week as I was driving home from work, thinking about the Durga Pujo in the land of six seasons. All of a sudden it appeared as if the day was cracking opening like an egg and the yolk melting all around me. 

I moved beyond the hard shoulder of the road to stop the car. Then took a deep breath, rolled down the window and armed myself with the phone camera. It’s almost impossible not to dream watching such scene.

How many of us could end a routine activity with so much love and intensity knowing with certainty that the entire drill has to be repeated the next day and the next….

No accomplishment is not worth celebrating!!!

Surya Namaskar - An Holistic Approach

It was a great experience to stand in front of this installation named “Surya Namaskara” at “Terminal 3 Indira Gandhi International Airport”, New Delhi, India. 

The human figures have been created by Sculptor/Artist by the name of Nikhil Bhandari and was installed in 2011. These are 12 individual human figures which have been sculpted to represent 12 yoga poses which collectively depict the Surya Namaskar or the Sun Salutation. The spiral base of the installation provides the most apt transition to the reach the climax. 

Each pose is the culmination of an asanas and when done early in the morning along with the recitation of the correct chant gives a perfect workout for the entire body.

The airport might not be the place to practice these asanas but without any doubt an appropriate place for showcasing our ancient tradition and instill a thirst to know more about it. Let’s start our day with humility saluting the mighty power that makes our entire world revolve around it.

Simply put, why not pick up some knowledge on the go, particularly as it has the potential to unleash holistic improvement for our body & soul….. Pagan or not pagan.