Hidden Treasure Series XIX-The Science and Art of S E X

Folks,

I have been contemplating for long to write on this topic. What prompted me to write now is that on one hand the growing crimes against women and on the other do we not find Sexologists all over the place suddenly with serpentine queues witnessed in front of their clinics?

Going by recent history on crimes against both men and women, across the world, getting to hear live stories from sexologists and why even my astrologer friend  Sridhar – I suspect, IF, the dreaded 3 letter word   S E X has become a menace for mankind, some overdoing it, some wantonly starving, some avoiding, some blatantly misusing it. Shall we ‘walk the talk’ with our learned friend Shri. GRK and get to understand this topic, we seldom discuss? Shall we understand S E X from a 2-dimensional perspective  - namely Science and Art, instead of being Uni-dimensional-i.e. a mere ‘tool’ used for ‘reproduction’?

Ravi: It’s been a long time since we met. Glad to meet you again. This time, for a topic that few speak openly in this part of the world i.e. S E X?

GRK: That fundamental mistake is born out of colonial ramifications in India and so-called religious zealots across religions over ages.

Why men are ‘over-sexified’ these days? 

Ravi: Tell me straight, Why do you think SEX has become a problem ? Why adults/men are ‘over-sexified’ these days? Why are women perceived as objects of desire/release?

GRK: Look, earlier also man has misused/over-used SEX with his polygamist behavior! However, physiologically, according to a recent research by brain scientists, a man’s most dominant thought in a 24-hour time frame is a no brainer - It is “SEX”. Whereas, the women’s dominant thought isn’t sex. She is besotted by a host of other issues. We need to understand, think more deeply, without any theories - X or Y. We need to experience, observe, think, meditate to understand the TRUTH on WHAT IS WHAT and HOW is WHAT? Now, coming back to men, today, most are slaves-bound by authority with no intellectual freedom to do what they love to do, deprived of freedom-Outwardly, and most importantly, ‘inwardly’. Poor them. They are, if I may use your term ‘over-sexified’ because there is no ‘release’ for them elsewhere – creatively or intellectually or emotionally. The sexual ‘act’ is THE only release, which is uni-dimensional, isn’t it? That’s the fundamental issue with men, yesterday, today or tomorrow. Are you with me, Ravi?

Multi-dimensional ‘releases’ are required for both men and women

Ravi: Yes. Very much. So, do you recommend multi-dimensional ‘release’ for men and women for a healthier, joyful life?

GRK: Yes, for a healthier body, brain, mind and I say soul as well! A  brisk walk, reading a book we like, playing with children, helping the elderly, watching the stars, watching the movement of flowers(Without cruelly plucking), listening to the wind, observing the so-called rich or poor are some ‘releases’.

GRK: Now, tell me Ravi, you watch cricket and notably the IPL with such dedication and so are millions of others. Do you get any ‘release’ there as you are all glued to the ‘idiot box’ watching cricket, doing nothing?

Ravi: As regards cricket, I always like to ‘hear’ cricket with watching. In the 70’s and 80’s myself and Dad used to wake up at 4.30 AM to listen to Radio Australia if there’s a match between India-Australia in the Kangaroo land! We used to ‘mime’ shots that got batsman out. Dad would have cherished watching ‘live’ cricket thanks to breathtaking technology these days! Miss him badly!

Of late, I tend to prefer Badminton to sex if I were to choose one. What a ‘release’? In fact, my day depends on how I play in the morning– not from winning or losing, but the ‘effort’ and ‘movement’! It’s like a ‘symphony’, more so if you play doubles! I have done this experiment observing my day over a decade and hence this submission. Waiting for a partner to play mixed doubles which would still be awesome! So, playing Badminton, watching and hearing cricket are indeed great ‘releases’ for me. In fact our numerous ‘live’ and even imaginative ‘walk-the-talk’ sessions are indeed great ‘releases’.

Is there a science behind SEX?

Ravi: You walk around 5-10 km every day amidst your loaded schedule. Isn’t it one of the greatest form of ‘releases’ with the hormones happily getting secreted, both adrenalin and serotonin?  Or in other words, is there a science behind SEX?

GRK: You have already said it. For most, the very mention of the three letter S E X word pumps up Adrenalin, the ‘Energy hormone’, activates  Oxytocin, the ‘Love hormone’ thereby oozing liberal amounts of Testosterone/Oestrogen, the ‘Sexual hormone’. However, we can’t SEE anyone of these, (but we can quantify in a lab). But sure, we can FEEL if we have them in us. Our friends would know if we are high/low/medium on adrenalin depending on our actions and our spouses could FEEL the level of Love/Sex hormones.

Software and SEX

Ravi: Now, in the lighter vein, do you know the similarity between Software and Sex?

GRK: No clue. Tell me. Let me learn from you folks.

Ravi: “Software is like Sex: It’s better when it’s free” says Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux operating system and a champion of Free Software.

GRK: Hah Ha! Well said Linus and true to an extent from safety perspective. However, need not be so always, as SEX is NOT a one-sided activity. It takes two hands to clap, my boy!

Soul-Soul Sex?

Ravi: Is there anything like soul-soul sex?

GRK: Yes! We could become conscious, open hearted and totally present in our passionate ‘lovemaking’ act, we may experience orgasmic activation in every cell of our Being. Only some are blessed to find their soul-mates, most of the time we are searching for one in the cosmos.

Watching (y)our thoughts is the best way out

Ravi: What’s the way out? Can laws bring about change in mindset among mankind?

GRK: To an extent. The change or transformation has to be at the individual level. That is, understanding the ‘thought’ movement-in any pleasure seeking activity-be it sex or drugs or religion or music. It’s the ‘thought’ and the ‘images’ stored is reflected in our memory and thereby leading to ‘action’. So let’s, each one of us understand the movement of our thought(s). As regards SEX, as said earlier, since we don’t have real freedom because of our million years of conditioning, we are left with only one thing called SEX. for indulgence being the easiest thing! All others demand (y)our energy which can come when only when one attains real freedom.

And, when one’s indulgence in sex too much, which is only a part in the game called LIFE, gains tremendous importance, one is destroying oneself. Life is a WHOLE, not just a single time/act. Therefore if you give importance to the ‘whole’ of LIFE, then SEX does not overpower you.

Control works the opposite

Ravi: Hmmm. True. Have been observing about the movement of my thoughts towards SEX and still it’s still a Work In Progress! Tell me, whether ‘control’ is the best way like how monks or priests do?

GRK: Sorry, the monks and all those Swamiji’s who have denied sex, have turned their energy to God but the ‘thing’ is boiling inside; nature cannot be suppressed. So control isn’t the key. Observation of one’s thought, understanding SEX from a Science and Art perspective could possibly be a solution. (Especially for avoiding violent sex-like raping)

Ravi: Well, lot to take home from this session of ours. 

Folks, hope you enjoyed reading these Walk-the-Talk sessions with Dr.GRK and ‘Yours Truly’. Now let me work on the XIX part series so far on ‘LIFE and its Explorations’. Hopefully, we should come out with an e-book shortly for the benefit of humanity.

I end with wishes to each one of you for a fabulous 2014!

Kind Regards

Ravi

An 'open' letter to Obama!

My dear Barrack Obama Jr.,

Hope this missive finds you amidst spending more time in the war-room of the Pentagon rather than in the playing grounds of the White house with Sasha and Malia, a situation you are drawn to as your infamous predecessors drew. I’m Ravi from Chennai, India, the cradle of human race. I wish to share something useful and hope it gets to your eyes->brain quickly! Allow me to get angry sometimes.

Wouldn’t the Soul of Mahatma Gandhi weep in his grave if you were to strike @ Syria now?

I’ll get to the point straight. You, personally, seemed to stand at the cusp of a historical blunder- That of planning to start airstrikes against Syria. Even the common man has already dubbed it as a possible start of World-War III. Mahatma Gandhi, the person you admire most would weep in his grave if you even think of an airstrike in Syria which if proceeded would probably spiral into a catastrophe not only in Syria/West Asia, but in America as well! The peace and fun-loving Americans don’t seem to approve of this either. Only the American Power Center (APC), as usual, thinks - “So what, Might is RIGHT? “

WHY, WHY, time and again, APC willfully generates so much -Ve energy to America & Americans?

My dear, may we ask you and the infamous Bush’s-a fundamental Question? Well, internal strife of various kinds was/is there somewhere in the world - Be it India or Indonesia, Srilanka or Syria, Burma or Bangladesh. Well, America never bothered to intervene when Lady Aung San Suu Kyi, a champion of democracy in Burma against the military junta was languishing in forced solitude for over a decade (or) when supposedly 100,000 Tamils were butchered during the last days of the war in the killing fields of Mullaithivu in Srilanka. On the contrary, didn’t America screw up BIG time in Afghanistan or Iraq or Libya, over and over? Can you FEEL the sufferings of the people there? Their cries of despair? Of lost limbs and lives? LIFE turning topsy-turvy overnight for millions? People forced to live in a tinder-box like situation! As I key-stroke this, I develop goose-bumps, dear Obama as I FEEL for every single Iraqi or a Syrian or a Libyan or a Pathani in despair like we feel for an Indian or an American friend. Can’t you FEEL the humongous -Ve energy generated notably against America in/from all parts of the world?

NLP must have taught you that there is only ENERGY which exists- Which is +Ve,-Ve and Neutral (Peace). Can EVER America, live in peace, NOW and in the future-When APC, by its violent thoughts and actions, time and again, wantonly generated/generates humongous -Ve Energy for Americans? Can you discuss on this with Sasha and friends? With Agassi and Steffi together? Or with Shakira? Or with any ‘pure’ spiritual guru from India? Or with any pure NLP coach?

Greed Vs NEED

“Mr.President, WHY so much of special American ‘interest’ in West Asia, everyone is asking?” Even the kid on the street says that it’s FOR your ‘life-line’ Oil nay Energy. And maybe, you want to sell arms to shore up your screwed-up economy based on “credit culture”- On “Greed than Need”? Even a layman could SEE the TRUTH in this.

To capture 1 in-human person, do you have to wage a war against a country?

What we fail to understand what you did in Iraq or now planning to in Syria is simply one thing - Do you have to destroy a country, make them suffer in your quest to eliminate or capture 1 person who are supposedly in-human like Saddam or Bashar? Is your Pentagon, CIA, FBI, Home State Dept. and your billions of dollars SO inept that they couldn’t go near Saddam THEN or Bashar, NOW? Meanwhile, can you check with the lunatic(Sic) Bush’s what they gained by waging a war in Afghanistan and Iraq? Are they able to sleep properly without tablets or alcohol? I suspect they won’t die so easily. I strongly suspect that for their crimes against humanity, notably in Afg/Iraq that they may lose BOTH their physical and mental equilibrium, the latter to start with, if not already. Do you want to follow their path? I/V love you, dear Obama. THINK.

You know, even Satvic’s are violently perturbed seeing American violent one-upmanship!

“Dear Obama, do you know what happened this morning?” After our usual rigorous badminton session, otherwise a calm-and-composed, an erudite scholar friend of mine turned violent in his words against America when the topic turned to Syria. I made him understand that ‘America’ is a great concept screwed up BIG time by those in power, time and again by the APC, much akin to the great land Bharath a.k.a India, as many opine, looted BIG time by one family and their coterie post-1947! I also made him understand that Americans by nature are very friendly and fun loving. But my Question is “HOW your single thought of attacking Syria provokes a Satvic scholar behave violently???” This is no fiction, this is real. That Ravi getting angry is like saying sugar is sweet, thy very name is anger-personified. However, NOT my friend who was kind of forced to use violent words which is not his usual self! So, shall we say a million Osama’s born/thousands re-born for every single violent actions of the Obama’s?

Rigorous Focus on developing Renewable Energy is the NEED of the hour, isn‘t it?

May I suggest something useful, which is real? What you want from Middle East is stocking oil for the future, right? My dear, according to our eminent scientist Abdul Kalam, Oil, being a non-renewable energy, will be extinct in a couple of decades! “WHAT will you/we do then? Suck our thumbs?” So, instead of spending more time in the war-room(Sic) at Pentagon or White house, suggest spend more time more with Sasha, Malia and friends and also rigorously following up what the heck your scientists are doing after gobbling so many billions of dollars on research on renewable energy sources? Why don’t America lead the world on this? The wonder plant family of ‘Jatropha Curcas L’ is a case in point. If in doubt, please check with Reinhard K. Henning, regarded as ‘The Father of Jatropha’. That’s the way forward. That’s visionary, isn’t it? Of course, while most people will be benefitted, the gun-lobby or military lobby won’t be. So be it.

Do you know WHY you were given the Nobel Peace Prize when you know that you didn’t deserve?

My dear President, do you know WHY the wise counsel of Nobel foundation gave ‘Nobel Prize for Peace’ for you immediately when you were elected first time, when you did nothing worthwhile to receive that much-coveted prize? It was given to ‘reform’ the thought process of the APC. It is to make the Captain of America work for peace. Not to become war-mongers like your predecessors for all the WRONG reasons. Not to make innocent women and children, the aged suffer for no rhyme or reason. To make you ‘walk-the-talk’ that America often makes, seldom practice.

In the lighter vein, I plan to sell my Telly! You know WHY?

Obama, I couldn’t sleep or eat watching the gory scenes of Telly in Afg/Iraq wars. In the lighter vein, if you strike at Syria or anywhere, I intend to sell my Telly as I can’t watch humans destructing another, seeing science becoming an enemy to mankind and still BE sane. Science and Technology must always remain a friend to mankind, for the benefit of mankind, not to destroy one another! The souls of Alfred Nobel and Albert Einstein would weep seeing APC’s actions in Afg/Iraq in the recent memory and Syria in the pipeline now, thoroughly misusing technology!

And finally, some words of wisdom – “What a rat-race, for what?”

I/V citizens of this lovely place called ‘Mother Earth’, tied to a common umbilical cord, earnestly hope that better sense would prevail in you in the Syrian situation. There are numerous non-violent ways of capturing  in-human person(s) anywhere in the world, in whatever place/position he/she is. All I personally request is, please, let’s all of us learn a single thought from the lovely mountainous country of Bhutan where they measure nation’s growth by Gross Domestic Happiness(GDH) and not GDP what we stupidly and blindly follow! “What a rat-race, for what?” - I mean at the individual, family, race, national and global level? And you, Obama, since you are captain of not only America but supposedly of Mother Earth as well (as APC thinks), I thought it’s prudent to leave these thoughts with you enable to make the world a better place to live. Especially in the troubled Middle East and Africa. What do you say?

I fervently hope that in your remaining tenure you would work for global peace and disarmament, on renewable energy, starting with your country first. That way, the soul of Mahatma Gandhi or Alfred Nobel or our beloved Steve Jobs would bless you! Else…

My regards to Madame Michelle Obama and hugs to Sasha and Malia.

Look forward to hearing from you. Apologies for my anger, albeit a functional one!

With Love and Cheers!

Yours Truly,

Ravi

Festivals foster (Inter)national integration!

My dear friends across Mother Earth,

Let’s do a quick exercise. Am sure you like biscuits. Don’t you? Normally, it should not take more than a minute to eat a biscuit, right? For a change, we’ll eat the same single biscuit taking 5 minutes. Remember, you lose if you finish eating before that. Now the countdown starts..... 5,4,3,2,1...

Are you through? Did you notice a change in your thought process? What’s the change you FELT eating the single biscuit over 5 minutes when normally we eat the same biscuit quickly? Do share. Well, when I did this exercise for the first time, I was astonished. I started remembering and thanking the wheat growers, the baker, the company folks who mass produce them to the folks in supermarket or petty shops who market them! Normally what we do? We simply eat fast to fulfill our hunger pangs, right?

Pic courtesy: sulekha.com

Well, today is one such thanksgiving day! It’s the Harvest festival celebrated across India. In some other name, it’s celebrated across the world during their harvest season. Should we not spend atleast 5 minutes remembering and thanking the nameless souls who toil hard in the fields in order to give food for us?

Well, glad to reproduce an award-winning speech made by my 2nd biological daughter Shivani Chander,  Class IX on how festivals promotes national integration. It sums up the mood of the day and very rightly Indians can sport a little pride, having born in this great land!

Over to you Shivani!

My dear friends, respected Judges,

“India is, the cradle of the human race,

 The birthplace of human speech,

 The mother of history,

 The grandmother of legend,

AND the great-grandmother of festivals and tradition”

remarked Mark Twain.

Festivals are an important part of our life. Celebrating festivals reflects one’s culture and heritage and it’s a way of preserving them. By such get-togethers people get to know each other’s culture very much. It’s even a sort of refreshing our life with pleasure from the monotonous everyday life.

Festivals are important for the integration of our nation and to retain our culture for the next generations. During functions we are offering sweets and wishes to everyone because to make strong relationship with our neighbourhoods. Festivals bring us cheers and joy amidst the din of the competitive world. Offerings to god, prayer, helping the poor on those occasions give us satisfaction, isn’t it?

Friends, festivals have become the part and parcel of our normal life in India. They reflect our culture and traditions. They make us to live together in peace and harmony and keep us united amidst the diverse nature of society where there is a multitude of languages, religions, castes and traditions.

Festivals are meant to rejoice ourselves over a period of lot of hard work. Festivals spread a message of brotherhood, goodness and morality.

Festivals are mood elevators; they bring happiness and enthusiasm in life.

While looking at the Indian Festival Calendar we notice that most of the festivals have a theme that runs across the length and breadth of this great nation. Is there any other nation in world where amidst such diversity people living in harmony? It is Festivals that dons the prima donna role fostering national integration amidst this ‘Great Indian Diversity’.

Diwali brings about a feeling of integration among various sects of the society. Today, it is celebrated as ‘Festival of Lights’ across the globe where the lights signify victory of good over the evil within every human being. It is spreading to all parts of the world. I’m sure you witnessed President Obama celebrating Diwali!

From the lanes of Mathura and Vrindavan, the colours of Holi have spread all over the country. These colours also carry a message of love, brotherhood, and truth. So whenever you splash Holi colours on somebody, you give him a promise of being truthful towards him always, maintain brotherhood with him lifelong and shower him with all the possible love throughout your life – be it a Chennaiite or a Kolkatan, a Christian or a Mohamedan.

Teachers Day – Teacher’s day is not just a day for fun and change of roles. It is also a day to remember how much of hard work and time goes in, before a teacher, from any part of the nation, walks into that classroom and teaches you that chapter.

Well, the cultural festivals are not to be left behind. Film festivals and cultural events also unite the people of India. During the month of Margazhi, don’t we see people from all over the world, congregate at Thiruvaiyaru for the Music festival? If this is not a tool for national integration, what else is? Or the National film festival, Khujarao Dance Festivals, numerous cultural festivals that we witness.

Isn’t it a quite a sight seeing girls tying Rakhis to boys and men? Doesn’t it spread brotherliness? Is there a festival like Rakhi festival anywhere in the world?

And, our national days like Independence day and Republic Day are celebrated across Mother India with reverence. Isn’t it?

The ship that never fails is friendship! Doesn’t Friendship Day spread cheer and brotherhood, across Mother Earth?

Haven’t you observed our own school Anniversary celebrations nay Annual festival? Most of them have themes that run the length and breadth of this great land. Don’t those annual festivals of PSBB spread a message of national integration? If not, tell me what else would?

Friends, we know that apart from uniting people across India, festivals also propel economic activity, the vital cog in the wheel of LIFE.

On the contrary, well, can we all, for a moment, imagine a life without these festivals? Life would indeed be dull and monotonous without the colour, gaiety and laughter, isn’t it? It would be meaningless without the caring and sharing. And, a divided India. Like Europe or South America. Do we want that?

I’d like to end with a quote of Rabindranath Tagore:

“You are invited to the festival of this world and your life is blessed.”

Thank you.

Well, my dear Shivani, festivals does foster not only national integration but also international integration as the people are the same across Mother Earth.

On behalf of all of you, allow me to wish all the nameless souls on Mother Earth who toil hard in the fields or just anyone in the ‘food cycle’,a healthy life! You know, lot of them suffer, going without food, ONLY to feed us! What an irony!

Best Wishes

Ravi

Heaven is just a HTKS away, Isn’t it?

Dear friends,

Hope you all have had a sedate start to 2013!

Allow me to dedicate this blog to singer George Michael, actor Kamalhaasan, my friend Sridhar and to numerous souls who yearn for a Hug or a Touch, a Kiss  or atleast a Smile! ‘Heaven is a KISS and SMILE’ is one of the phrases in George’s ‘Father Figure’, a masterpiece with awesome meaning! The male cares so much for his soul-mate that he says he would care for her like a father! Wow! Kamal, an acting ‘avatar’, in this Thamizh movie ‘Vasool Raja‘, in a hilarious way, would stress the importance of “Kattipudi Vaidhyam”( Cure through a Hug!)

Today morning, Sridhar, my badminton buddy, a chanakya-like character who can read the stars and their movements just like how we would do simple maths was saying that the worst has started for the human kingdom! I thought we should take that conversation forward to some to other day to understand if there’s a science and maths behind this kind of unprecedented turmoil, in one form of the other, round the globe. Or, in other words, humans going through hell in some form or the other, in this ‘Kaliyug’, the last of the yuga. I observe that either, they kill themselves and others around them or someone else returns the compliment! Hah Ha! I don’t mean killing the body. I meant the brain, the soul!

Well, today morning conversation made me think deeper mixing with George and Kamal’s messages as to the Opposite – ie Heaven. How would it be? What we should do to be in a heaven like situation? Sridhar says mankind is worsening around the world(read hell) with the most affected being women, elderly and children! "Hold on Sridhar, we know that we die every day and are born everyday as well and that’s a biological phenomenon as well with old cells destroyed and new cells produced". And, most of us would have experienced heaven when we sucked milk from our mother’s breast! Isn’t it? Let’s ponder over the title now and see if we can create heaven like moments, from time to time, in a time when  STARS in the galaxy and we ourselves are creating more hell like situations, in varied degree, one after the other! If I ask each one of you-husband and wife, parents and children, elderly and young, Religion A, Religion B, East, West, pitted against each other, we would get Wow! A million or zillion hell-like situations! Sridhar is on-the-money! He has predicted by reading the stars and I say by watching/reading through (y)our brain!

There is this real-life story(One’s truth is story for others, isn’t it?) which goes like this. Summer of 1974. A young boy, 5 years of age,is the first maternal grandson of a big family and naturally was treated like a prince by all around. During one of his visits to his maternal grand father's home, during one of the evenings, he and his 80 year-old great-grandma were alone in that home in Kumbakonam, the temple town. The 5 year old prince found his bed-ridden grandma very uncomfortable and watched her kind of tossing in her bed, on the floor. The grandma pointed to the bed-pan and in a jiffy he rushed to get the bedpan and placed it at the correct place like a seasoned mid-wife! Hah Ha! And, he started massaging(Touch) grandma’s belly sub-consciously. He didn’t know that grandma has had a bad stomach and dysentery like situation. Well, those times they relied on 'nature cure' which would take some days, isn’t it? But the young boys’ TOUCH therapy probably worked. The great-grandma woke up the next morning fresh-as-a-fiddle,toiling in the kitchen, only to make mouth-watery delicious dishes to this stupid prince who has never seen a bedpan! It’s so happened the prince in this real life story is ‘yours truly’. I recall this instant as ‘Power of Touch’ in action! Kamal’s narration of giving life to a terminally ill patient through HT(K)S isn’t unscientific, isn’t it? It’s like the brain receiving the signals which we can’t see but can FEEL. What do you say?

Moving on, there is this a creative woman in the mid thirties, full of beans, is married to a lazy apathic 'couch potato'.They have been together for more than a decade now. Frustrated to the core, she was turning hysterical. She happens to have an angel-like person as her new neighbor who with her Touch and Smile without any expectations, has turned around this 'depressed damsel' over a span of  weeks, infusing her a new lease of life! Without any medication,  whatsoever! In fact, know this lady for a decade now and have never seen her smile! Today, the smile of the once hysterical woman is radiating and Heavenly! Wow! What a change? How did it happen? It's all due to the  Touch and Smile therapy of the angel, a home maker herself. Again here, T and S in HTKS were in action. All the four are not required at all times. However, for best results use combination according to the situation. May be a pat, may be a smile, a wink, a warm hug, a gentle touch, kiss on the cheek /hand, AND maybe a Lip-lock in case of soul-mates..... I leave you to fill the rest... Leave it to each one's creativity!

Let’s now click and Watch a video, a  beautiful way of explaining HTKS, posted by Keith Everett in FB. Thanks Keith for this marvelous video. What do you FEEL? Heavenly? Or something else? Please do share.

Brain scientists say only 7% of words we speak reaches the other person and the rest is body-physiology that  conveys communication. I guess applying H,T,K,S genuinely would do wonders in many hell or war-like situations- be it at Panchayat or Parliament, bedrooms or boardrooms! But I observe after watching animal and human behavior, we humans haven’t yet learnt the art of HTKS. Nothing wrong if we have to learn from animals. So what? As long as we get this basic consciousness of HTKS, which would not only help us  avoid hell like situations but help others get this heavenly feeling, everyday, some time of the other so that the so-called hell gets frightened AND runs away! What do you say?

Humans of all races and religions, sizes and shapes, RIGHT brained or LEFT brained, need to practice HTKS subconsciously enable have heavenly moments not only for them but for people around them as well. And you know, HTKS phenomenon is contagious! The world would be a better place to live in if we get this right. What do you say? Do share your HTKS situation so that a zillion heavenly situations are created to ward off the hell like situations!

Allow me to sign off wishing you all in the animal kingdom 'Heavenly 2013'! 

Love 

Ravi

Pic Courtesy:Oneness Tree

Apathy, Sympathy and Empathy

My dear friends on Mother Earth,

Am pained and disturbed. Deeply disturbed. By men and women. By their apathy (indifference) and lip-service sympathy (sic) to fellow human-beings. Without love and compassion; when Dogs and Elephants have high level of them! Folks, I strongly believe that the opposite of love is APATHY and NOT hate.

Will share couple of real-life scenarios to make understand the three terms better. Shall I?

Scenario 1

In 2010, I was on a thanks-giving visit to Sabarimala with a group of 17 including a 70 year-old woman whose 5 blood relatives were also part of the troupe. Well, to cut the long story short, all the 15(Except the old woman and ‘Yours Truly’) rushed to climb the hill leaving us. I was in a child-like bliss and started my walk very slowly, watching and enjoying the nature. I saw this old lady struggling to climb the hill. She was panting for breath. I was shocked to find none of her so-called blood relatives whom she fed were there to help her climb. Probably, they all were busy to mark their attendance to Lord Ayyappa before the closing time of 12 Noon!

I removed the heavy irumudi bag from her head and also two other bags which she was carrying. I put my arm around her shoulder and cared for her the same way I used to care  my biological mother during our spiritual trips, including that wonderful blissful trip to Vaishno Devi in 1996. With every  100m, we rested for a minute, gave her Glucose, Pine apple bites laced with salt etc, to shore up the energy. We reached abode the hill and it was half past 12 Noon. The ‘gang’ by then had finished marking the ‘attendance’, but then it must have stuck them that they have left back the old lady! Upon seeing us their palpable tension was relieved. The tired septuagenarian lady didn’t utter any word to them! Later, in the evening, when all had gathered in the room, I apologized to her that couldn’t make her see Ayyappa before noon. She shot back saying ”Ravi, why do you have to come all the way here to see Ayyappa?”(meaning when HE is already inside me!) Hearing that I was in a blissful state(which can’t be shared but can only be experienced!) Went to HIM and thanked HIM for having made me a ‘humane’ human being!

(Ps: Lesson learnt, her 5 blood relatives and others as well took utmost care of the old lady during the climb-down. I was not required! Hah Ha!)

Scenario 2

A highly ‘pure’ angel-like friend of mine has a child who is a dyslexic. She says that she is unable to take her child for social functions as the so called intelligent human beings are apathic. Some have sympathy but absolutely no empathy. Sometimes they laugh at the child for being unable to comprehend simple things. The mother is deeply disturbed. So are the mothers of children who are autistic, mentally retarded, spastic, physically/visually challenged etc. Are you with me? Can you feel how they all FEEL everyday, every single minute?

Scenario 3

A friend of mine and his friend, both visually challenged, were standing in a bus stand to take a bus to go to college. There was lot of people around. On seeing these two, some were apathic and some felt sympathy(In Thamizh, ‘Ayyo paavam’) and when their bus came they all left. No one was there to help these two wonderful souls to board the correct bus they are supposed to take. Can you please put yourself in those two people’s shoes and think? Wouldn’t you have waited to help these two souls?

Scenario 4

An intelligent woman holds a doctorate and who has two children hires a Kitchen Enabler(a.k.a cook).Even if she is late even for a few minutes in the morning or evening, she scolds her without realizing that the cook too has young children to be sent to school and she is a mother as well like this doctorate woman! Let’s spare a thought to those who help us. Shouldn’t we?

Folks, do you need any more scenarios to understand the concept of Apathy, Sympathy and Empathy? 

Now, please CTRL+ click and visit the blog on Values.

It’s lack of compassion, isn’t it?

Now, have you read that blog? I suspect lack of compassion is the reason for people lacking empathy which is the highest form of LOVE, wise opine. I suspect that Empathy cannot be taught using a PPT. It has to come from within and that experience is the best teacher. I say that empathy must be taught during childhood (Ideally by parents, notably mother) According to me, lack of empathy was/is a common symptom of narcissism. There are lots of them amidst us, isn’t it? What do you say? They have to be reformed, isn’t it?

Sympathy and Empathy  - There’s a thin wedge separating the two

Therefore, Sympathy is a socially generated emotion, and empathy is a spiritually generated emotion. I have learnt to have empathy even with the apathic people mentioned in the examples above as they do not ‘love’ and mostly those people weren’t loved either especially during childhood.

For better understanding of Sympathy and Empathy please click and watch this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pDpQXO7gklg

In other words, Empathy is the ability to mutually experience the thoughts, emotions, and direct experience of others. It goes beyond sympathy, which is a feeling of care and understanding for the suffering of others. Both words have similar usage but differ in their emotional meaning. Empathy is often characterized as the ability to "put oneself into another's shoes". So empathy is a deeper emotional experience. Empathy is known to increase pro-social (helping) behaviors. Empathic people make awesome leaders, artists, doctors etc. 

Folks, don’t you think IF humans beings, like Dogs and Elephants(Watch DC/AP channels) have loads of empathy- THEN wouldn’t the family, state, country and this beautiful world be a better place? What do you say? Do munch and share your FEELINGS on this. 

Friends, I apologise for the gap in writing. But somehow someone, known or unknown, gently tap my shoulder to make me write again. I thank them and God or God-particle for this intervention.

Allow me to end sharing loads of unconditional and undiluted love , compassion and empathy to all of you and your wonderful families and friends. Do share the LIFE JUICE in this blog with them. Wouldn't you?

Amen! Tashvidanya!

Love
Ravi

“You can, in a small way, gently shake the world” - Mahatma Gandhi

Hidden Treasure Series-Part XVIII- On TRUTH and THE MEANING OF LIFE

My dear friends,

As we progress to the last Part of the Hidden Treasure Series, am duty-bound to thank God and God-particle for making me atleast irregularly regular or sometimes regularly irregular as regards my key-stroking this Series. Thank you blogger. Thank you techies.

Many of us must have wondered at some point in time on the purpose of Life, isn’t it? Is Life is just a series of experiences? Is it a mere existence? It is not just a biological and physiological ‘dragging of feet’? Is LIFE a passage of time from one point of time to another point of time? Folks, time to walk-the-talk with Shri.GRK and get to meat of LIFE or the juice of LIFE.

Ravi: Sunny evening Shri. GRK. Today G&W turned 12 today and great to have you amidst us.

GRK: Congratulations Ravi. Kilo-Miles to go before you sleep.

Ravi: Ha Hah! Well, Shri.GRK, does LIFE have any purpose? Nay any meaning? What is its sumnum bonum? Is there any intrinsic value to life other than existence? Does it have any implication for itself and by itself? Is life something different from its roles, responsibilities, and attachments? Does it leave any mark or an impact, on the sands of time? These are the eternal questions agitating the human brain. Can you please enlighten us more on the meaning of LIFE?

GRK: Hi Ravi, before understanding about LIFE, we need to understand that TRUTH is the meaning of LIFE and existence.

Ravi: IS TRUTH a kind of reality?

GRK: Truth is that “exists” (sat). It is THE fundamental reality. It could be a fact, or a reality. Truth is much more than these, for, it is eternal and universal. The reality and the fact are passing phenomena. Truth could have regional variations and interpretation. But the core of truth, nay the essence of truth is the same for all the people and for all times.

Truth has to be perceived and experienced rather than argued and understood. Truth cannot be understood through argumentation. In an argumentation to win, truth becomes a casualty. The arguer with his ego cannot understand truth. The human ego and truth cannot co-exist.

Arguing about and understanding truth is not important. No, not even needed. Perceiving truth, nay, realizing truth and living it is most important. The very proof of somebody realizing the truth is his living it. The life of a seeker who has realized the truth, becomes a totally different experience. Then his life (life to him!) becomes a thrill, a joy and a creative and spontaneous experience. Then it permeates light, as well as love; that divine quality of compassion and forgiveness. Thus, the realization of truth makes life meaningful. In other words, truth is the meaning of life and creation.

Ravi: WOW! What a TRUTH!

Ravi: Shri. GRK, for some LIFE may be chasing of material career, and achievement. For some, it may be an exercise of power and fame and swaying over people. For some others, it may be an endless pursuit of pleasure and indulgence in instincts. Could this really and fully explain the meaning of life?

After life what? Could biological determinism justify life as a mere natural struggle-struggle for existence and survival of the fittest? Could economic determinism proclaim that man lives by bread alone? Could theories of repressionism, explain total life in terms of unfulfilled instincts and frustrated egos?

GRK: Listen carefully. The ideologues of free will argue that life is something different, something precious and something unique from mere existence. Is it true!? Does this free will exist in spite of and beyond life? Does this free will have an intrinsic existence for itself separately from life? We do not know. I do not know. Let us probe with fresh brains, non-prejudiced brains. For this we need a quest for understanding life.

Ravi: Do the great personalities like Buddha, Christ and Gandhi prove that their will is different from the will of others? Are they super human?

GRK: No. not at all. In fact, they proved that they are the part of all of us the ordinary mortals. They had their life cycle their attachments, their agonies, their roles and ultimately their passing off from this earth. But, still, what they proclaim about life? What they prove about it? They proclaim that life is what you wish it to be; it is what you want it to be. It is what you wish it ought to be. You are the architect of your own life. Fate is nothing but a reflection of yourself.

For them, life is a composition, a proportion, a harmony, (compromise!?) and a synthesis, while death is a de-composition. For them life is thrill, a duty (karma).A joy and a song and natural rhythm (dharma).  Nothing more than this, they do not have any message other than their life. All their lives reflect, proclaim and enunciate only one message: that life is compassion, a concern nay a great concern, after all, this concern is love-an unconditional love, and a sacred love- a love without attachments and expectations and values.  Thus, sumnum bonum of life is ‘love’ and forgiveness. The meaning of love, nay life, cannot be understood and talked about. It is to be and it has to be realized and lived. This love is real living and this living itself is life. Nothing beyond and nothing beside is LIFE.

Ravi: That’s awesome learning Shri. GRK.  Since the meaning of LIFE is love and forgiveness, hope my life-partner would forgive for all her agonies for the non-conformist life I was/am leading. She is the epitome of what you said of LIFE. She has great compassion and empathy towards others and ours maybe was a sacred love as it was without any expectations. Thank you again God and God-Particle for all these experiences in LIFE.

I sign off wishing you all an enlightened weekend.

Kind Regards

G&W Ravi

Hidden Treasure Series-Part XVII- On Senses

My dear friends,

For long I used to wonder if I have become a slave to sensual pleasures. I still wonder how to overcome. To some extent I have succeeded. Today am able to enjoy my morning Tea or Orange juice without sugar thereby relishing the original taste of the Tea or the Orange.

Ravi: Shri. GRK, what are senses?

GRK: Senses are the gateways of pleasure in life. They-eyes, ear, nose, tongue and body-are the means through which we derive all our pleasures. After all, pleasures are integral part of life. All pleasures seeing beauty, hearing music, smelling fragrance, tasting delicacies, and touching (through body) are the thrill of life.

Ravi: Abusing sensual pleasures have brought sorrows as well in my life, though I have realized it. Hope am not too late.

GRK: Better late than never, my boy. You see, unfortunately, the senses, instead of being the gateways of pleasure, have become the pathways of sorrow and misery in man’s life.

Ravi: Any particular reasoning?

GRK: Man does not only use his senses in a natural and spontaneous way for deriving pleasure. But also abuses them to indulge in the latter. Often he misuses, abuses and over uses all his senses including body to indulge in the so-called pleasure, which is not natural to him and which is also harmful to him. No other animal over eats as man does. Neither any animal indulges in over sex as man does. Perhaps man is the most wildest animal who violates all the natural laws of life and the rhythm of life.

Ravi: You sound harsh to human-kind. Why do we do that?

GRK: Sorry for sounding harsh. Look, we have built the civilization and the so-called culture, which glorifies indulgence in desires; this so-called civilization through its constant advertisement and propaganda (through mass media) creates and instigates the unlimited desires (for consumption) in man. They persuade him indulge in these desires through the gadgets and aids of mass production. In this consumerist society, many of us cannot differentiate between the essential needs, rather needs of survival, and the artificial needs or secondary needs, thus all of us are chasing over the satisfaction of wants and desires. Nobody has time to pause, look back and think.

Ravi: So, have not senses become sources of sorrow?

GRK: Yes. we abuse our senses to indulge in advertisement created needs. So, senses become the means of man’s sorrow and thus his enemies. In this pleasure-hunting life and gadget-based economy, we are lost in “living”. Hence no question of life and its joy nay the thrill. We are lost in information gathering, and no question of wisdom. We are lost in sensual gratification and no question of joy of life for us. Thus, senses have become enemies of mankind. Having been abused, they bring only sorrow for us.

Ravi: What’s the way out Guru?

GRK: Self-realisation is the only way, I guess. Till then…

Folks, as I said earlier, I have indeed abused my senses for pleasure and it was about to turn into sorrow. But self-introspection and self-realisation made me master the so called sensual pleasures. However I have a long way to go in not succumbing to other desires. After all, am human, right!

Love

Ravi

Hidden Treasure Series-Part XVI- On Prayer, meditation & Samadhi

My Dear friends,

Most of pray to God or some like me to God-particle, don’t we? Well what is prayer? Can it have a commercial or utilitarian motive? Well, let’s all walk-the-talk with the friendly sage we happen to know.

Ravi: Happy evening Shri. GRK. Kindly make us understand what is the meaning and essence of a ‘prayer’?

What is not a prayer?

GRK: Happy evening to you and to our friends. Well, Prayer is not a bargain. It does not have utilitarian purpose or commercial motive behind it.

Ravi: Awesome. But many of us pray to primarily seek favors from God or God-men/women!

Prayer is a song of sublimation

GRK: Ravi, Prayer is a communion with your higher self or nature or God. It is the consecration of yourself to the unknown, to the nature or to the God. Prayer is a song of sublimation. Unfortunately, many of us have made it so mechanical, so dry and so routine-like that the prayer lost its thrill, its joy and it’s ecstasy. Many of us carry our daily anxieties, care and cravings to the prayer hall. As a result, we fool ourselves that we are praying but actually we do not pray.

Ravi: Shouldn’t we surrender ourselves and self and society imposed image when we pray?

What is the meaning of a TRUE prayer and meditation?

GRK: Prayer is a reflection of our self, nay an introspection of our self. It is and unfolding, rather surrendering of oneself and one’s ego before the altar of the higher self. Prayer is a highest sacrifice, nay, a renouncing; it is a quest for identifying with, nay merging with universal spirit or cosmic soul.

Ravi: Many a time I try to pray, I get disturbed by external sounds. That’s why I don’t pray in an organized way.

GRK: Ravi, you need not have an organized set-up to pray. That’s a skewed notion.  A true prayer needs a ‘still’ brain. A ‘still’ brain is a vacuum state of brain or a zero frame of brain. A ‘still’ brain is a meditative mind. Highest form of meditation is prayer. This prayer itself is an ecstasy or bliss.

However, a chattering brain or a roaming brain like yours, full of strivings, desires and conflicts cannot pray. Nor does praying with a material purpose behind it. No prayer with a commercial or material longing, is a true a ‘holy’ prayer.

Ravi: The corpus collosum connects the RIGHT and the LEFT brain. If we want to still the brain, we do know that meditation helps keeps the corpus collosum ‘still’ so that both the brains are made ‘still’. How about this new-but-no-new understanding from brain scientists perspective?

GRK: Awesome understanding of understanding of meditation from the brain perspective. Neuro science is evolving and many of us cannot understand. However we can experience.

How did our elders pray,THEN?

GRK: Our elders prayed that “Sarve jana sukhino bhavanthu.“ “Let happiness and prosperity be to all”. That prayer reflected the highest concern and the greatest compassion to all, which made it a holy consecration. Thus, Summum-bonum or the substance of prayer is ‘peace’ and ‘bliss’.

What is samadhi state?

Ravi: What is Samadhi state, THEN. Is it something when we get to the grave?

GRK: Not at all. This perpetual ‘bliss’ through ‘stilling’ the brain is Samadhi.

Thank you for this understanding Shri. GRK. Shall endeavor to ‘still’ my brain to at-least 10 minutes to start with! My prayer would be “Let Universal Love and compassion to anyone and everyone engulf this beautiful world, to make it a better place”.

With Love and prayers for all.

Hidden Treasure Series-Part XV- On Discipline and Control

My Dear friends, young-and-not-so-young,

When I was in school, I used to skip classes on Saturdays( which was for Half-day) as apart from traveling 20Kms two-way, I normally found nothing useful taught Saturdays as everyone used to be in a holiday mood. At home, I used to plan that day to put to good use. Being born to be a rebel, I used to (and still) change some stupid man-made rules to suit my convenience. That practice continues even today. Also I didn’t have a set pattern of timing for anything. I just did/do what I like and I enjoyed what I did.

Shall we understand this term discipline as I find children in India being mentally and physically tortured under the name of discipline! Even my academician wife sometimes wishes that I were a little more disciplined! I often wonder what the hell is discipline?

Ravi: Welcome Shri.GRK. Today, we shall discuss the one word that has been haunting me for many years. Shall we understand what Discipline is all about? Indians, I bet, are still suffering from colonial ramifications, especially on regimented Discipline!

What is NOT Discipline?

GRK: Sure. Discipline does not mean merely a behavior pattern. It is not simply a set of ‘do’s and ‘don’ts; neither it is a code of timing, expectations, or values; nor a conformity to a set institutional functioning.

Ravi: You know am child-like, don’t conform to any institution. I seem to function spontaneously to activities and events and I tend to sleep well without alcohol. Is something wrong with me?

GRK: Hah Ha! Ravi, being child-like (Not childish) is a gift. So you don’t bother. Just continue the way you are.

Discipline is a natural and spontaneous way of functioning in LIFE

Ravi: Does discipline anything to do with social orientation, then?

GRK: Discipline implies a rhythm, a cycle, an order in life. It is a natural and spontaneous way of functioning in life. It is most informal; it does NOT have anything to do with social orientation nor with value expectations.

Ravi: Wow! Thank you. However, what about self-control? Earlier, I used to have dysfunctional anger and have lost self-control, many a time, in controlling my tongue.

GRK: I’m glad that you have gotten over that dysfunctional anger. However functional anger is very much required.

So, what is the TRUE meaning of Discipline?


Ravi: You shared what’s not discipline. Can you make me understand the true meaning of Discipline so that I shall be a better person? Still I’m succumbing to cigarettes, after a meal with no-self-control!

GRK: Ravi, Discipline means a restraint nay a control over one’s instincts and desires-biological economic, social and psychological. Thus self-discipline or self-control is the most natural and highest form of discipline. This is nothing to do with fear of any kind, of military, party or of government. Rational non-conformity and constructive dissent are inseparable and integral part of self-discipline.

The paradox today

Ravi: Awesome. But, we are witnessing a paradoxical situation in today’s world. We are living in a civilization which provokes, increases and glorifies the number of human wants which in turn ultimately leads to all types and forms of exploitation, biological, economic, social, political and psychological (ex: greed, injustice, violence, inequality, possessiveness, slavery, colonialism and imperialism).

GRK: This civilization provokes human instincts and desires in an endless way through powerful mass media, all under the name of sophisticated living and cultured existence. On the other hand, the so- called discipline, in traditional sense, prohibits fulfilling these provoked instincts and needs biological, economic, social and psychological conditioning. Could it be possible to have an instinct provoked and at the same time not satiating it. (Not fulfilling it?) This is a tremendous contradiction in our present day life.

Self-awareness and self-realisation is the key

GRK: Are we really concerned with imparting the true self-discipline to our children, not the imposed discipline? If so, we must understand, discipline as harnessing of one’s instincts by him/her and the taming of his/her ego by himself/herself. Then only, we can be truly disciplined people and nation. This discipline (not regimentation) does not curb rational non-conformity or stifle creative dissent.

Ravi: So self-awareness and self-realisation is the key and it should come from within. Thank you so much for this understanding. I guess this is what I wanted.

Folks, we are nearing the end of this Hidden Treasure series with the chapters on Senses, ‘Prayer, Meditation and Samadhi’, Science of Sex, TRUTH and LIFE still remaining. Hope to complete that in the coming weeks.

To all my Muslim friends from across the world, wishing you all in advance on the eve of Ramzan! It’s a great time of the year for the self to be tamed and time for self-introspection,self-control and self-discipline, though regimented. Look forward to delightful Biryani that you folks make!

Kind Regards

Ravi