Who is a vegetarian?

 One of the many products of 'Ahimsa' or non violence is vegetarianism. It is to abstain from killing. Vegetarianism is a 'conscious way of eating...' refer wiki for the rest. To me it is a subset of a virtue Ahimsa ' is a term meaning to do no harm'. Am I still a vegetarian if I eat only vegetables, fruits, nuts, yada yada and drank 6,37,240 liters of powerade for that extra energy in a month ? I am not killing any animals! I am a vegetarian! Wait a minute what is this carbon footprint, what are these depleting resources? All those global warming activists are just jobless and just seeking attention.I paid my bills, I paid the premium.

Ok I just gave an obvious example hoping to drive across a point. Nothing personal.'I consume because I can' applies to each one of us in various degrees, so lets leave the poor man(!) alone and get back to discussing  'I can' through an example -vegetarianism.

I know its just making a choice of what I eat and making a choice of how I live. One might contend its a bad example. Let me try again.  I am very conscious of what I eat and eat organic vegetables, oh no not local markets, they are not certified you see, bring them tomatoes with those stickers.I don't care about local produce I want them shipped from New Zealand. In the same line there is another side of me that would choose what animals I get to call as 'pets' and what animals I will factory farm and slaughter to munch on.I need my protein you see! Hey my 'pet' dog loves me! He licks my face every time I come from office! May be he is scared and doesn't want to get licked like I lick those chicken wings! May be he is just making sure he is in my good books and remain in my 'pet' list and not 'hit' list.

Hmm, tricky situation I have, I need to teach my kid compassion and kindness while having our dinner with McNuggets on the table and my pet dog under it.  Show kindness to an animal when you are petting it and have no such thoughts when you are eating it! Ya that makes sense. You see kindness and compassion are not universal rules, they are bound by what best benefits my wants,comfort and indulgence. Same would apply to people- switch on good behavior if you see people of a certain race, color, religion or social strata, ya dad will give u the list, like my 'pet' list. For the rest of people switch it off. I set a great example, I am sure.


I neither want to eat meat daily justifying that I have canine teeth nor want to sit in a fishing village and starve insisting on getting my organic vegetable imported. This is why one set of rule for all in all situation fails, this is where fanatic blind adherence to an 'ism' turns into only one thing -extremism.  'Idam, porul, eval' so they say in Tamil.I would like to interpret it as "sound judgment in situations purely by attention to 'what is' and not judgment that is done by the conditioned mind (read sticking, holding tight to a 'ism')".  Following the rules blindly without 'under the hood' wisdom of why we follow, over a period of time only leads to bending the rules so it fits our own comfort, nothing else. We are happy as long as we belong to a majority that does the same and very happy to  live in a state of denial.

Vegetarianism like other 'isms' cannot have a yes or no Boolean answer anymore. Its a percentage. It needs a new definition. Ahimsa has an even more broader meaning in the current world. Advances we have made in science and technology has made us even more interdependent but makes us believe we can do whatever we want! It has made us insensitive to our surroundings. Sky is the limit, yes I have my own helipad! 

 People indulge. I do. What am I doing about it? Only temperance, moderation  in life can make us adhere(if one wants to ofcourse!) to Ahimsa. How do I inculcate this moderation and become a 'minimalist' with my indulgence.  The more 'aware' I get, the more 'conscious' I get of myself and my surroundings, my tendency to indulge reduces. How? With awareness we not only see 'fellow humans'(to start with!) we start seeing our 'fellow animals' and 'fellow plants' and much more and start appreciating their relevance in our lives and beauty of their existence. This awareness leads to compassion. With compassion comes an inherent tendency and sensitivity in us to make minimal damage -taking advantage of our 'fellow earthlings' through our actions.

I know only a few who stumble into this blog would understand or acknowledge what I just said. Its very hard to cut across our behaviors and actions on an every day basis and acknowledge its relation to our inner being or the state of consciousness/awareness we are in. Awareness is inversely proportional to insensitively and apathy. Sensitivity isn't popular as it isn't acknowledged, doesn't get its due and bears no tangible fruits to people habituated to what is external.The more obsessed we get in painting our picture in this external world, the farther we move away from our inner being, the less aware we are and more insensitive we get! A silent prayer for a dear friend has no brownie points in a world where husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, neighbors and friends with physical proximity and living under the same roof wish each other on a special day on facebook. Its the picture we paint of ourselves visible to the external world that matters, Its all about how many people 'like' my thinking :-) 

 Either one is preparing for 'day of judgment'  or is conscious of his  karma, the net effect of our thoughts and actions has its effects on our own lives and that of others. Only returning to the source, or making a conscious attempt to stay close to the source or God can make us aware and with awareness comes the strength for us to do what is right, not out of fear, not out of compulsion, not for the bloated ego. No more 'going through the motion' or unconscious reactions to situations. The awareness results in our conscious action to 'what is' that 'enriches the soul', takes us close to God.

We are blessed with this life, lets celebrate and let all earthlings have a fair share of this celebration.

A cockroach spoke to me...

4:20 am half asleep, half awake...entered the restroom and saw this cockroach. It ran past me and went under the wash basin and shoved its head between 'Mr Muscle' floor cleaner and  a slender, long can of 'Baygon' 'Roaches Ants'. It felt safe there!

I laughed at it and then laughed at myself. We the 'intelligent' human do the same! Running from one pillar of ignorance to another, seeking shelter with things that we build and gift wrap to kill our own selves -the body and mind.

 And no, I didn't kill the rascal, how could I?  He taught me something so early in the morning.

Welcoming a new life...

A colleague and good friend of mine told me about it. Proud father of three boys and a great human, he asked me to be with my wife through the labour pain and delivery. I listened to his advice.I did. Didn't bat an eyelid, literally. I witnessed the arrival of our baby girl. It was an experience that has left me more prayerful/meditative.

Oh yes the family, the near and dear. It got them closer to their chosen 'Godheads'. The vibes couldn't be more synchronous, just outside the labour room. Like what you feel when you enter a temple, mosque, church or a dhamma hall. Nobody moved, nobody spoke a word. I was told later after delivery, quite a few in the family including my wife's little brother( well not really little, he is 25+) cried because he couldn't digest the screams of his sister. The lady, my wife is not known in the family for her screams or cries, she being a blessed child in her family. So it was all new - her cries and screams. Same for me. The last time I saw blood and a little bit of flesh was when I was holding my grandma's arms while she got stitches. She fell in the bathroom and got a deep cut in the arms. I rushed her to the hospital and the dear doc asked me to hold her arms while he stitched. No exaggeration here, I fainted, I was 14- 15 then.

It was a different situation here. I am more than twice the age since the last close encounter with hospital, blood flesh stitch etc...Past few months I was preparing mentally for this day - to be with my wife during the delivery. In India, its not a norm for the husband to be in the labour room, I had to get an 'exception' way ahead of time. Anyways back in the labour room, here I was talking to my wife repeating and coaxing her with whatever the doctor was advising. My wife was trying to read my face so as to assure herself all was well. After 5 hours of humbling time, the baby arrived. My wife had passed through stages of pain, pain and more pain to a state of indifference to the pain. The doctor asked the Pediatrician to show to kid to my wife. My wife is too subtle and restrained in expressing affection and love, I saw her take the baby's hand and kiss.  I knew this was a totally different relation. To me it just reiterated what I am told. That morning not one but two lives were born..I do have to mention I did see God that day, it was the doctor,though to her it was just another day/night in office, as she was 'wrapping up' - stitching the cuts, she was giving instructions to the nurses for her next 'case'. It was beautiful to see her take time to pray with the newborn in her hand standing close to my wife pleading and thanking God for His blessings. She reminded me who the boss was, it was not her, she was just the messenger.

When I call near and dear to pass on the good news I am asked 'Was it normal delivery?' 'Yes, it was' I reply with a thousand images flashing in my head that constituted  the 'normal' delivery. I smiled to myself and the smile had pain and gratitude.

I also sit and reflect on all the events upto the day of Satvika's arrival. Trying to lead a life of dhamma and remaining equanimous 'here and now' I have the greatest of challenge, every householder has. This one way love - the ''holy indifference' comes easy when I dont think of 'my' child as mine and sit with a heart filled with gratitude and think of all things around us that were conducive to welcome a new life. Satvika, as I write this is 6 days old and already she has so many people in her. She is indebted to so many people already. I could make a long list of all things that went right for her to arrive as a healthy, crying, smiling baby. I am not just referring to the doctors, nurses and the people near and dear. Its much, much more than that constitutes what Satvika is, that she needs to be grateful of.. and she is just 6 days old. The insight is enormous, for me to sit and contemplate. Living a life of detachment isn't easy for a householder but once we have the feeling of gratitude and humility, it sure gets easy.

Friendship

I am not sure of where, how and why Friendship's Day originated. Its just another day. I can relate the bonding in friendship to a deep state of meditation. We see our friends as they are, accept them as they are, isn't that what we strive for in meditation- see things as they are and accept the reality?  In the bond between 2 individuals there is clarity, purity, love, empathy and compassion, genuineness in intent and selflessness. There is no deceit, no pretensions. Like most 'younger lot' put it 'I can just be myself with my friend'. Its got a profound meaning, if we could pause and think.

Being selfless in friendship is so underrated. It teaches you a way of life! If only we expand our horizon and look at this world as full of friends.Being selfless dissolves the ego, when we find ourselves in situations where a person needs help, their needs takes precedence over the 'I'. That's what friendship could teach and that's when we have the wisdom from friendship, connect the dots and see the bigger picture!

Friendship involves as much effort, attention and time as being a good son, brother, father etc..Think about this, a stranger is someone else's friend, he has his own innate good qualities and flaws too. So while we see our friend 'as they are' and 'accept them as they are'  why cant we do the same with a stranger? We can ! That's why I think a being a good friend leaves us being a good human.

Haven't we had a situation when we honk at the person for some mistake he did and later realize the car and the person within? It turns out to be a friend of yours? I have. I could see my reactions, and impulses change right there from anger to a silly laugh. Why? If you are a good friend you know why! Question is, why cant I do that with all? Sure we can.

Let us not exploit the relation for our own convenience, 'indulgence'. The bond is sacred, like in all relations so when we commit to it let's mean it!

Should I say Happy Friendship's day? Never mind..yes, its just another day...

Freedom through Wisdom

The fabric of society has a complex mixture of people belonging to various cultures, ages, races in pursuit of different stages of freedom -Physical, Social, Emotional and Intellectual. So one set of rules to control, streamline or educate fails. Everyone has their own set of theories, ideas and attitudes that they swear by depending on their own stage of personal growth they are in. Mostly the one group of majority with  affluence, might and power that has 'like views', and that likes to listen to only the 'like views' prevail, sadly.

We all, well most of us believe bigger, faster and complex systems are better.Corporates and businesses have successfully  used their marketing skills to turn unnecessary things into necessities. Economics is all about meeting man's WANTS and NEEDS and the line between the two seems to be fading fast, least the ability to see the difference by the common masses is not too bright. Anything that cannot be measured or proved has no place in the 'System'. Most don't even relate to such ideas. Even the education system fails in making the kids understand bigger, faster and complex is not always good rather creates a fascination for it. Dig their grave and talk about their freedom!

No talk on freedom can be complete without discussing happiness. Happiness we look for externally through satisfaction of our senses via sight, sound, smell, taste,touch and not to mention thought. Consumerism is the brain child of man's own failure to understand what is and quest for happiness through the external stimuli. Happiness from within? Oh please no more of these abstract ideas. Can I buy it? If I can't and if its not out in the market, such thing don't exist. Right?

Pursuing any innovation,even  an idea or a technological advancement IN ISOLATION has most times been disastrous, has it not?  All things in this world are interrelated with one another, said the Enlightened One. Who Einstein?

When we arrive at a day when the competition in business is not amongst the 'like' producers,between politicians, and when its with the intellectual might of the consumers, the common masses we will have real freedom. Such intellectual might cannot be achieved in schools or the environment around. It comes from within, nowhere else.

"Modern man does not experience himself as a part of nature but as an outside force destined to dominate and conquer it" E. F. Schumacher. What Schumacher?

P.S: Influenced (ofcourse!) by P.A Payutto's works on Buddhism and Economics.

Dedicated to people living between week days

Saturday morning equivalent this part of the world as I write this.  Mind so happy cld come up with this..

Sane day, Mourn day, Twist day, (M)adness day, Toast day, Fry day, Sorted day.

Love the Sorted day morning and laziness that comes with it.

Attachments to narrow views

One of the 4 traps the One asks us to be wary of. Or should I stop being attached to what he said and evaluate this objectively. Let me try.

Stumbled into this through a good friend of mine. And then I saw this and then this where a young girl starts the video abusing people as she 'stands' for PETA' where she cant get the 'long form' right. In turn a whole bunch abuse her returning her favors. Let me pause and make it clear, I am not starting for or against PETA argument. I don't even want to get into it. Good sense and judgment should prevail.

I can see only one thing common in both groups. Their obsession to their views. It blinds the bigger picture, the bigger problem. This is just 1 example. So much energy and effort is wasted as people want to be directed, shown the way and always stand for a cause or an organization and in size and sheer volume. Then there are groups that gather valid arguments against, and build in size n volume.  The groups might grow but they are getting smaller and smaller due to their hard n fast ideologies, views and rules they create and stick to.

 Its a shame we need associations these days to teach us humans, compassion. In the same line its a shame we are forced to castrate animals to solve what we assume is a problem,  for a noble cause. Who are we to decide if the animals want to live after getting castrated? Who are we to decide what's best for them?

 Should people be fighting for compassion (against slaughter houses) and for righteous living (against corruption) in silos? Let me try and make a list of general  'anti' groups for every letter in English -anti abortion, anti bullying, anti corruption, anti death penalty, anti dowry, anti establishment, anti feminism, anti globalization,  anti harassment ..ok if I try hard I am sure I can complete.  Do we have the time and resource to afford the luxury of working /fighting for change in isolation? The rate at which the damage has been done is so huge and drastic, shouldn't the anti dote too be drastic? Shouldn't the change be complete?Can it not be pro human, pro animals pro plants pro dependent coexistence?

The change should come from within which cascades into all human actions. This change will make them responsible with their actions towards their fellow human, animals, plants and Mother Earth. This is the only need of the hour. Then we will need no associations to be the moral police and the hate groups to keep each other engaged with arguments and counter arguments.

The One said 'Know that the world is woven of interconnected threads. This is because that is. This is not, because that is not. This is born, because that is born. This dies because that dies.' He continues 'The birth and death of any Dharma are connected to the birth and death of all other Dharmas. The one contains the many and the many contains the one. Without the one, there cannot be many. Without the many , there cannot be the one.This is the marvelous truth of dependent co-arising.'

Few words by JK on conversion, you can treat one joining a 'cause' or an association as conversion too.

'Conversion is change from one belief or dogma to another, from one ceremony to a more gratifying one, and it does not open the door to reality. On the contrary, gratification is a hindrance to reality. And yet that is what organized religions and religious groups are attempting to do: to convert you to a more reasonable or a less reasonable dogma, superstition or hope. They offer you a better cage. It may or may not be comfortable, depending on your temperament, but in any case it is a prison.'

Saudi hospitality love etc

Been a while since I stopped blogging on events in every day life. Today has to be an exception. Last night my mom traveled from Chennai to Jeddah via Riyadh. There was a transit and there was a situation- a flight delay by 2 hours. While she was looking for help to communicate with me a kind hearted middle aged gentleman helped her with making a phone call. He directed her to the right place for transit and even woke her up while she dozed off waiting for the delayed flight.. just in time to make it! Generally made her feel welcome and safe talking to her. From what I understand from my mother he was a local, traveling with his little kids and his mother in a wheelchair to meet his sister. Even with his loved ones around- 2 kids and mother in wheelchair to take care of, he still had time to help someone in need.

The man's heart had just love, love that's not blinded by the needy 's race, religion or color or sex. Through his eyes he just could see an elderly lady that needed help, it was not his relation, and he had nothing to gain.I messaged him today thanking him and he replied 'You welcome anytime sir'!

Just reiterates my observation in my earlier post, there can only be love in our heart or no love not love that's bound by 'factors' and the 'I' where it becomes matter of convenience, and 'interest' on our objects of possession, glorified and 'treasured'. My beloved, my love, my sweetheart... right.

My mom had a first great first impression in this land, hopefully it continues..Amen to that.

Rich and the Poor...

The greater the outward show, the greater the inward poverty. To renounce the world of wealth, comfort and position is a comparatively simple matter; but to put aside the craving to be, to become, demands great intelligence and understanding - Jiddu Krishnamurthy.

The four traps- as told by the One

• Attachment to sensual desires
• Attachments to narrow views
• Doubt and suspicion
• False view of self

I love you

Isn't it the most sought after, abused set of words? Can there be 'I love you soo much' and 'I love you not as much'. The love we have for animate and inanimate objects, are they true love? I love my wife, my mom, sis, brother, my country, my religion, my culture..the list goes on..Isn't this normal. It is, so is there a problem?

Can love and hate ever coexist. Can I hate Pakistan and love India. Do I really love India? To start with do I know to love? The audience or objects we have as the 'beneficiary' of our love follows a pattern here. It revolves around 'I' and 'my'. It creates too many 'isms'. Love for my country creates 'nationalism', and it creates army, navy and air force to 'protect' it. The soldiers are actually taught and strongly believe that its ok to kill. For the love of God one is taught to kill the non believer and attain martyrdom and it is ok too. What is going wrong here? If in both examples if the love was not abused with a certain belief or an 'ism' and the love was for mankind could there be conflict?

The truth of the matter is I dont know how to love. Love is a matter of convenience, security and objects of indulgence. How far your love goes is just reflective of how far you have shed your narcissism. We all are narcissists of various degree. Some are 'pure' cant see beyond their nose tip, for some its 'I and my family', for some its 'I, my family, my community' so on and so forth...

With the word love there is one more word used in tandem, most times - unconditional. When one can actually love unconditionally , it dissolves the 'I' then love is true love and then there is clarity and no contradiction in action. There is no way I can hate people of Pakistan to express my love for people of my country. I either have love in my heart or i don't. Everything else is only 'I' convincing 'I' that I can love. Its a shield I use to nurture my 'I' and 'I's short sighted interests and protect it.

The obsessions of 'I' is the root cause of all conflicts in this world. I loves I*, nothing else. Period.

* I loves I is a leaf out if is S.N Goenka's discourse. Most blogs will have huge influence of my interpretation of Dhamma and Jiddu's thinking.

"Kalavum Katru Mara"

Meaning 'Learn the Art of Thievery and forget'. Its a saying in Tamil..from the old days..

The world took it too serious and we have b schools. Schools that churn our suave, articulate, well groomed, well dressed 'beings' that knows only one way of operation.. in line with famed 'Have breakfast or be breakfast'.

Be innovative to 'crush competition' , we are told. Innovation is the famed jargon used to shield progress made to meet man's needs and wants alike, more so to feed on man's boredom, vice and sloth.

Right livelihood, ethics etc are studied and looked upon as obsolete and topics for summer casual reading. We might have our future generations reading them as topics of history.

Belief

Pity, we believe in what we believe based on what makes us feel secure. Secure from fear of known knowns and known unknowns and not by merit of the inherent value that belief holds.

Whats more, we fight to protect those beliefs, the essence of which is fear, then where is the freedom?

Escapism

Those who don't want the reality and face world - facebook :)

Charity begins at home...

Define home.

If only...

Money could find its level, like the liquid does, fill in all the voids, the small 'gallis', before raising into sky scrapers...

Could we design a system for this?

Here is whats on my mind

Here is an excerpt from a very popular book on Economics and its definition on 'Efficiency' - Efficiency denotes the most effective use of society's resources in satisfying peoples wants and needs. Wants and Needs?

We consume because we can. We set the rules for all the other animate and inanimate 'things' around the globe cos we can? In this world of information overload we are just a few clicks away from being 'knowledgeable' in any topic. No big deal! The challenge comes in getting insight from that knowledge and applying it to your life, there lies the wisdom. The mankind lacks the application of insight or rather the insight all together in many 'efficient' things done around the world.

Can we not sit back, take a snapshot of what we do in a day's time and segregate our activities that meets our:

Needs vs Wants
Sustenance vs Indulgence

Can we continue with our habits and let others take control of our lives due to our conflicting thoughts and actions?

We need to go back to our roots, go back to our religion, go back to our chosen spiritual path and see if we can align our life- thought and action to whats told.

If one is neither religious nor spiritual, its ok, cos one can still think.

"The universe is sacred, You can't change it.

If you try to improve it, you will ruin it.

If you try to hold it, you will lose it."

Lao Tsu

Expressing oneself!

Well since the last blog, lots have changed. I am married, waiting for a new arrival and the lady of my life has greatly simplified my thinking and is showing me life is much more simple than what I thought it to be.

I am back to simply express myself, not necessarily to tell the world 'whats on my mind' by the passing minute and hour..

As I grow old I realize this -Silence is golden. Not a discovery. Also being knowledgeable doesn't make one a person of wisdom. Again being old (as I grow old) don't mean one is full of wisdom. I say this cos we exactly know what we need to do and what we cannot afford to continue doing, still we do what we do.

I only realize there is too much mental rattle, mind loves it! All these twitter, facebook and this new found ways of 'staying connected' are manifestation of this mental rattle. Really, do we really need to stay connected? How connected are we? Aren't we still oblivious to the people who are trying to reach us? The ones that really need us. I think.