5 years 2 months and 1 week!

That's how long, or short, that I've been blogging now!

I began at a time when blogging in India was yet to catch up and in very nascent stages! Intended primarily to record happenings and places visited during my treks, I created Oblivion Redefined on Wednesday, July 21, 2004!

My first post, on the same date, wasn't very different to what I continue to echo here!

Titled 'All that is Human', it contained a thought of mine, rather a series of thoughts, that read, "I've always been a simple man, except for the fact of having been robbed of the idea of being simple. It is then that I understood that life is more to do with living and living well. And that is all that matters. The rest follows suit with natural precision and in a timely orchestrated fashion.

Why do we always seem to want another chance? Is it because of our gross inability to coordinate our own actions and their sometimes perilous outcomes, or is it because that we have taken for granted the gazillion human limitations thrust upon us?

Life is once, and once is enough if we can figure out how to go about it."

I'm sure you understand the unparalleled sense of pleasure involved in creating an online journal and even more of it when acknowledged by co-bloggers and other folks!

Today, a little more than 5 years and 4 blogs later, I look back on a wonderful and rewarding journey, one that has helped me see places, far and wide, understand people and communities, communicate within and across borders and realize the true spirit and value of cultural interchange - all at the instance of a technological marvel!

We Blog, Web Blog and therefore the blog!

Republic of rudeness

Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram's comments on the people of New Delhi being rude and ill mannered, comes a little late and certainly very mild in expression!

Utterly poor in manners and etiquettes, I have come to experience this malady in person during my stay there for an extended period of 3 years!

It is a shame, a national one at that, to be known for the manner in which a people collectively behave so offensively, particularly at a time when race, nationalities, international borders and such nuances matter very little!

So, where lies the problem? Lack of education and civility? Faulty upbringing? Boorishness equated to manliness, as a result of a deep rooted sense of inferiority?

Or is it as a result of what most Delhiites are best at being - a recalcitrant hoi polloi?

The Pièce de résistance

Presently reading the acclaimed 'Autobiography of a Yogi' by Paramahansa Yogananda, I find myself in uncharted territory with a drawn feeling of how much more I need to strive in order to attain a level of self-realization which is a quart of what is talked about in this magnificent book!

It is a work of art like never before that I have ever encountered and is constantly helping me understand the deepest nuances of my life better than before with a singular view of how much life is a part of the whole exercise of evolving into a higher state of being and realm, which most of us ardently seek and yet fail to attain owing to focus on intellectual appeal and sensory judgements alone!

What strikes me most, even as I border close to just a half of the book, are the striking similarities that this book elucidates in it, also largely mentioned in the works of Dr. Brian Weiss, with respect to life itself and those of Carl Sagan with respect to his thoughts and deductions of the ever intriguing cosmos!

As if that wasn't already enough to stir my ordinary mind, beyond words and expression, the magical experiences detailed as a result of the author's process of attaining self-realization shook me off, challenging the earthly concepts of time, gravity, instances, all of which are a certainly delightful treat to any reader, food for thought, in the clichéd sense to say!

And as for my new-found realization that I have been toying for quite sometime now, I'd better best describe it with the aide of the famous words of the Greek philosopher Socrates which read that "True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing!"

Footnotes:

The Self Realization Fellowship - The Website

The online version of Yogananda's autobiography and the e-book on Project Gutenberg (under copyright)

Awarded

Fellow bloggers Shravan Raghunath and Rahul Sharma have given me the Awesome Blogger and Blog Buddies awards respectively, for which I express my sincere thanks! As always, I dedicate these awards to all of my fellow-bloggers, in my belief that this world, the virtual world of blogging, is one of instant intellectual connect, bridging gaps of culture, race, religion, borders and time. Therefore in celebration of a togetherness that I experience here in the blog-world, I extend these awards to all of you, the wonderful people who make this world happen!

My Connection

No, this is not about that splendid little icon featured by the predecessors of Windows XP that allowed you and me to connect to the Internet!

Rather, I'm attempting to understand what is it that is each of our most sought connect, the feeling that renders a sense of joy, togetherness, or oneness, that is experienced when the mind engages with that avenue, person or passion!

For instance, I experience a strong yet unspeakable and indescribable connection while looking up at the night sky, something that I can be sure of spending a few hours doing, comfortably away from the maddening chatter of daily chores and the constant hum of cell phones, which I have slowly but steadily and clearly come to detest!

So then, purely for the sake of understanding, what really is your connect? Do write to me about it!

Monday, upcoming, is the festival of Eid and is also the International Day of Peace! I take this opportunity to wish all my Muslim brethren a very happy Eid, one that furthers the common ideology of peace and brotherhood above all else!

Most importantly, for me, it is a day off work! You can imagine my state of bliss already! :)

Have a good weekend all.

Remembering Patrick Swayze

"If I leave this Earth, I want to leave this Earth just knowing I've tried to give something back and tried to do something worthwhile with myself."

-- Patrick Swayze (August 18, 1952 - September 14, 2009)

Now I've had the time of my life
No I never felt like this before
Yes I swear it's the truth
and I owe it all to you

-- Time of my Life (Dirty Dancing), 1987

As a child, I first saw him in the movie Dirty Dancing, which took the world by a storm! Years later, his equally magnificient performance in the movie Ghost, with co-starrer Demi Moore, was among the finest I'd come to see!

The iconic Swayze attained his heavenly abode yesterday, after a long drawn, painful battle with pancreatic cancer! This post pays tribute to a wonderful soul, who immortalized himself in the minds of millions by his performances and charm!

Rest in peace sailor!

Footnotes:

Image Courtesy - Google

Time and I

I'm waiting for the starlight, seeking solace in the warm depths of the evening sky, while glossing over the bygones of the day. My mind is overwhelmed with voluminous memories that have been!

A silent breeze swishes the leaves of a peach tree parting them to reveal the fruits that are now intensely yellow. Birds begin their roosting call, chirping in plentiful monotones, while moths seek the last vestiges of light, unknown to themselves, if they'd last another day!

The cold melancholic air has a certain charm and brings forth dusk with its golden hued twilight. With it comes a sense of calm that has to be savoured in all its elements, slow and steady - pretty much a feeling that has to be invited to slowly sink in.

The elegance of nature is truly unparalleled and the mind is racing in exuberant bliss while the body is composed and still. Some contradictions, it seems can never be comprehended.

Gone too soon, I'm left with the feeling that dusky twilights are akin to eclipses, arriving in much fanfare and departing in obscured quiet - unannounced! Dotted twinkles of a few stars in the horizon assure more scenic demonstrations in the offing. Pleasant aromas of freshly brewed tea fill the air, in random staccato bouts, leaving the mind to decide upon the wanton cravings of the tongue.

But silence is even more addictive and impresses upon me to stand by, and relish the proceeding of time to savour some of the finest moments in life - those, if once lost, would never heed a call to turn back in time!

Some of the most blissful things in life, I've realized, are elementary!

Turning 30 today!

Tintin, Campco, Rock Shock, Caran D'Ache, Calvin & Hobbes, Dollops, Shinkows, Misha, Superman, National Panasonic, Asterix, Big Fun, Milk Bikis, Leo, Glo Friends, Fusen, GW Basic, Kites, Macmillan, Hercule Poirot, Crazy Balls, Great Expectations, Marbles, Soccer, Ludo, Marshmallows, Carrom, MTV, Nimmy, Danny & Tinku (RIP), Kipling, 5 1/4" floppies, Tennyson, Duckback, Frost, Peppermint, Blake, Phantom Sweet Cigarettes, O'Henry ..................

All of this in 10950 days!

I feel I've lived over a hundred years now! Exciting, eventful and exhilarating! I'd like to thank my family, the most wonderful people I've ever known, for the unconditional support that they have given me, at all times, along with my friends and associates for being the magnificent people that they are!

And heres a lil tid-bit from the birthday boi! Remember my post titled What will you do? Yes, the same write-up that sought to understand what ticks us to go forward in life? Now, here's something that will perhaps be an answer to some of us! Do check out Kickstarter and be sure to read its blog!

Thank you folks! I love you all!

Composed upon Westminster Bridge

Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by

A sight so touching in its majesty:
This city now doth, like a garment wear

The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres and temples lie
Open unto the fields and to the sky,
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.

Never did the sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendor, valley, rock or hill;

Ne'er saw I, never felt a calm so deep!
The river glideth at his own sweet will:

Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!

William Wordsworth's sonnet, "Composed upon Westminster Bridge" was written, a little over two hundred years ago, on this day!

Footnotes:

Image Courtesy - Wikipedia

Image Description - A view of the River Thames drawn by Augustus Pugin and Thomas Rowlandson for Ackermann's Microcosm of London (1808-11). Somerset House, St. Paul's Cathedral and London Bridge are shown.

Onam wishes

Satjugi tai manio chalio bali bavan bhaio
(In Satyayuga, you sported the incarnation of the dwarf, and fooled Bali)

-- Excerpts from the Guru Granth Sahib wherein Vamana is mentioned as the "enticer" of Mahabali

I received a dinner invite from a very unexpected quarter last week! When the matriarch of a very poor family, that stays in my landlord's property and watches over it, asked me if I would honour them by having dinner with their family, I readily and wholeheartedly agreed with an immense sense of happiness, a kind that had not prevailed on me even while wining and dining in the finest of bistros.

Amidst hot and sumptuous Bhakris, Subji and Modak, I made efforts to understand the suffering these wonderful people endured in their daily lives, while yet remaining resolute and cheerful in carrying themselves forward in the battle to win another day!

Their gesture to invite me to dinner touched me a great deal, and also served as a crude reminder, once again, of how fortunate I have been, being me! Humane gestures know no human divisions, don't you agree?

It is Onam now, the festival of harvest, in Kerala, a time of the year when the golden era of prosperity during the reign of King Mahabali is fondly remembered and celebrated in awe, happiness and oneness!

I'd like to wish my country-cousins, folks and all my friends a very happy and prosperous Onam and more importantly, urge every one of you to envision a sense of prosperity in your lives, in all that you do and reaffirm your commitment towards the spirit of solidarity and oneness, which is all that matters in the end!

What will you do?

This is very different from all of my previous posts, every single one of them!

Here, unlike before, I'm seeking your opinion, rather your ideas which will be invaluable to me as I attempt to shape my future, some kind of a gauging the pulse activity! So, considering the nature of this post, it is my request that you spend sometime in thought and be sure to give me your thoughts, no matter what.

Take a good look at your résumé, which I'm sure elucidates your accolades and testimonials of the number of years that you've been working. Now, take a good look at yourself.

Does ambition drive you? What is that you truly want to do? I'm asking this question in consideration of your jobs, those that help you sustain a livelihood, more importantly, those which appeal to your intellect and further it a great deal.

What would you want to do? Be a visionary entrepreneur and lay the foundations for a world class organization that is highly process oriented? For instance Indiblogger, which was founded by Renie?

Or, do you aspire to be a highly successful leader in a corporate entity and equal the ranks of prominences such as Sushim Mukul Dutta, Jack Welsh, Larry Page and the likes?

Maybe some of you are driven and motivated by eminent people in politics and bureaucracy, such as Dr. Manmohan Singh, Hillary Clinton, Edward Kennedy, Angela Merkel and so on, and would like to see yourselves in similar positions in the coming times.

For some others, musicians, sports persons, artists or actors may serve as a guiding light in inspiring themselves to be what they want to!

Tell me, every single one of you, what is it that you want to be? What is the vision that drives you forward?

Cliched still, but relevant, I ask, where do you see yourselves in the coming years?

Footnotes:

And as they say, no idea or suggestion is bad, so do not hold yourself back due to an assumption that what you intend to say is trivial and thus worthless. I can assure you that it will not be so!

Please ensure that you leave me with your thoughts, no matter however inconsequential they may seem to you. Should you feel uncomfortable leaving an opinion in the comments section, do send me an email and I'll be sure to respond!

A day in my life

Have you ever experienced weightlessness? Why? No? Hasn't your boss stayed out of office? Now, doesn't that equal weightlessness? Bosslessness = Weightlessness? Some other choices that can be used, could range from boundlessness, blamelessness and a host of other bright, but not-so-long-lasting possibilities!

Thank God for India being a practicing democracy, else I'd be bitterly clobbered for my seemingly spiteful vocals about co-existing with a Black-tailed, wide-eyed Racoon, a pink Polar Bear, a thoroughly perverted Jerry Mouse, a quick flashy Blue Fox, a photochromatic-eyed Crocodile, a lousy Crow, two Rabbits and a Bush Baby!

Point made for a Monday morning, it seems! Now, can you even remotely imagine how difficult it is to be me?

I'm sure a number of you, being good natured, fun loving comrades, will appreciate me for my wry sense of comparison and humorous spontaneity here. For those of you who may not, I suggest empathy! Condolences are welcome too! ;)

Jokes apart, I'm not sure if I told you how stressed I am lately! It is not often, after all, that your folks make you a marketable product for advertisement on a matrimonial site, is it? Has anyone of you been on display lately?

Never mind the state of stressfulness, I made sure that my worst picture (ever) was sent out to the webmaster for display on the site! And, I've made a mental note to send the same picture to many more, webmasters and compatible products - both!

Now, that doesn't end the story there, especially if Lion King (call sign for His Excellency the Pop) calls up with a few dozen folio numbers, (IDs of prospective suitors; pardon the poor man, whose life has been submerged in business for over 4 decades now, as a result of which he may not appear to articulate much distinction between products and people), and calmly insists that I 'check them out and report back!'

Mumsical (meaning Mother's whimsical) murmurs of me 'not-being-up-to-it to find someone', is an apparent contradiction of parent hood, for if I were to oddly surprise her with an emphatic yes, I'd be sure of meeting up with more oohs and aahs in a single conversation, than what I've been subjected to in a lifetime, collectively! So, avoiding misadventures is prudence!

And, as if all that wasn't already enough, my team - the most wonderful people that I've ever known, (that's a gross exaggeration people, the worst ever, I can assure), suggested an epitaph phrase for me (when occasion comes) to read "Thank You Dear God," to which, Nimmu, my other brother, was quick to add "At last."

If not for good natured humor, our lives would've been hideously dreary and uninteresting, don't you agree?

Now, as we embark upon a journey of sorts (that's precisely what a working week is, right?), I'll leave you some interesting information that, I'm sure, will bring cheer and insight. Firstly, its been ten years since the first Blogger blogs appeared. Read more about it here and also here. Secondly, fellow-blogger Sumit Singla has made perhaps one of the most interesting presentations that I've seen lately! Do take a look here and make sure you vote for it too!

Have a great week ahead, all of you!

Footnotes:

Blogger Buzz - The Official Buzz from Blogger

The Alphabets Tag

Of late, my posts, many of you may have noticed, have been intense, heavy and subject to a certain trajectory path and hence, when Vee (a.k.a. Vivek) tagged me, I thought it apt for a deviation and saw a welcome change from the profound themes that certainly needed a short break.

So here we go.........

A – Available/Single?
Unavailable, Available, Unavailable, Available, Single ........... Currently Available, Single and ready to mingle ;)

B – Best friend?
A handful to count, by the grace of God!

C – Cake or Pie?
Neither! Not the sweet guy, errr, I meant the sweets guy!

D – Drink of choice?
Single malt scotch, mild beer and sometimes (rarely) Stolichnaya.

E – Essential item you use every day?
My PC and net enabled phone! A lot of my day is spent with the PC and the phone helps me catch up with a few dozen RSS feeds, emails and news feeds, while on the move. Can't imagine a life without technology!

F – Favorite colour?
Blue

G – Gummy Bears or Worms?
How about worms cooked in black sauce and served with peppered mayo? ;)

H – Hometown(s)
Ooty, Tamil Nadu and Kannur, Kerala.

I – Indulgence?
Of what kind? ;)

J – Jealous or Benign?
Benign, most certainly!

K – Kids & their names?
No kids, yet! Am scared when Mum repeatedly says "May you have kids just like you." Not sure if that's a blessing or a curse, though its reasonable to assume the latter, given my doings!

L – Life is incomplete without?
Folks, books, buddies and blogs!

M – Marriage date?
Good question! I read a facebook status message that said "I remember when I got married. I remember where I got married. But for the life of me, I can't remember why I got married."

N – Name? Your real name!
Rakesh and their derivatives Raku, Rak, Rock, Rocky and Raks...... all of which are real too!

O – Oranges or Apples?
Oh, this is about eating! I thought........

P – Phobias/Fears?
None! But ask my friends and they'd be sure to tell you about Rakesh-phobia!

Q – Quote for today?
Never do something unless you are sure of yourself, but never relinquish doing something because somebody is not sure of you!

R – Reason to smile?
As elementary as a bright sunny day, a Friday, the weekend and a lot more! The same cannot be said about a monday morning though!

S – Season?
Winter

T – Tag 3 People?
I'll leave this open

U – Unknown fact about me?
My alter ego and its demented thought process!

V – Vegetable you don’t like?
Perhaps this question should have been "Vegetables you like," for it would have been easier to answer "none"

W – Worst habit?
Hmmmm.., Should I risk stating that here? ;)

X – X-rays?
On eye glasses? ;)

Y – Your favorite food?
Nothing beats Dal & Chawal!

Z – Zodiac sign?
Virgo

Awarded

Destiny Infinity has been very kind to give me the Addicting blog award, which I'm very thankful for! I'd like to pass this on to all of you, who are each, such wonderful sources of encouragement and support, and also sincerely thank you for being so! Without friends such as you, it would have been very easy for me to have lost steam and direction. Thank you!

Envisioning the future

The Earth has truly evolved along with all its inhabitants! It is lush green and more fertile than what it used to be! The environment is well balanced and free of any threats to it! It is truly a home, worth living in! There are no instances of pollution in any form.

The number of inhabitants, however, has drastically reduced with very few people and animals. They live in groups, at peace with one another, with a very high regard for the environment around them. They live in harmony, free from anger, hatred, confusion, disease, despair and sorrow! No traces of any negative energy exist!

People are in constant interaction with one another and live very content lives. Their focus is on intellectual development, education, arts, culture, heritage and the likes. In essence, there is a lot of emphasis on development, intellectual and spiritual. Strangely, physical attributes are not accorded much significance. This is a different realm, a higher level of consciousness altogether!

Most importantly, there is infinite peace and harmony like never before and a strong sense of contentment prevails.

This, my friends, is a vision of reality in the not so distant future of our planet and most importantly, our own lives!

It appears difficult to comprehend, but the possibility is very real! Take a few moments to envision in picture what you have read and experience the warmth that is associated with the thoughts!

Having said that, I'd like to draw your attention to the present, which is without doubt the most important aspect of our lives. How we live out our present will define the future that we desire and thus it is important to focus on the present more than the past and the future, which, in effect, have bygone and will emerge sooner in time, respectively!

Footnotes:

This is a reference to an original vision mentioned in one of the works of Dr. Brian L. Weiss, of whom I have written in the immediately preceding post! I have deliberately not included the subjects here or for that matter, the title of the book itself! Also, this post is not a verbatim replica of that mentioned in the book. I have read the contents of the book extensively and reproduced it here with the help of my cognitive imagination, purely for the sake of representation and visualization, since it greatly comforted me to do so, and was reasonably sure it would be of the same effect to many of you!

Back to the future

Reading up Dr. Weiss, has perhaps been the most pleasurable experience I've had in many lifetimes! I'm embarking upon a journey, like never before, a journey into the past to reason out with the real me and understand, possibly, the purpose behind the raison d'etre!

I don't really bother, if all this has been branded as the fanciful extractions of a mad hatter psychiatrist, but for me, I seem to have found an instant connect, which is irrefutable!

Have you, not once wondered if there were something beyond the realms of proven science that cannot be quantified, yet so overwhelmingly ubiquitous?

The future is born from the past!

Don't you think so? Aren't actions done in the past, definite of consequences to come in the future?

The idea of a past, rather many pasts, may certainly sound radical and gibberish to many, but one cannot refute the wisdom of many cultures, that state with certainty, instances of a higher consciousness, multiple planes and so on, all in such striking commonness!

The ability to prove the existence of a certain phenomenon should not always be regarded as a conclusive measure for deciding its existence in the first place! For instance, the universe being such a hugely extended realm, stretching across billions of light years, makes it certainly possible for life forms far away, never to come in contact with its counterparts on Earth. Would it therefore be wise to conclude, merely as a result of non-established contact, that life does not exist outside of Earth?

Quite similarly, the duration of our lives, I believe is not entirely conclusive to a certain time, place or person, rather it is, I must say, many short windows in time before we embark into timelessness!

I recommend you read the works of Dr. Brian L. Wiess, not with the aim of acquainting yourself with a definitive understanding of the past or the future, but with an open mind that welcomes the knowledge of a certain subject and its deep intricacies, by which one can establish a certain sense of deep connect to oneself and the world around!

On an ending note, I must thank my colleague for having introduced me to a series of masterpieces, which even before conclusion in reading, are enjoyable to me and will continue to be so!

Footnotes:

Dr. Brian L. Weiss - The Website

This post, I'm sure many of you have noticed, has been written in a very characteristic abstractness, one that does not really outline the subject as it ought to. This is intentional, and done so to let the reader's mind not form many perceptions before beginning to read books written by Dr. Weiss.

I will, in the forthcoming post, take you through an elaborate vision, of the future and how important, rather joyous, it is to be a part of it. Stand by!

Pune under Swine Flu attack

Pune is under an electric grip of swine flu, and one can see people swathed in masks, milling around while doing the chores and running errands. There is a certain sense of fear that is understandable. To add to the panic, fresh instances of positive tested cases are being reported every day.

My organization has issued strict travel advisories and warnings and I'm taking them very seriously, restricting my movements to a bare minimum and putting off all non-essential travel within the city!

News is just in that a doctor in Pune and a boy in Chennai are the most recent casualties to have succumbed to the epidemic. The number of critical patients is going up!

Health Minister Gulab Nabi Azad's statements over the weekend have done more harm than good. Now, with nearly 800 cases so far, across the country, the Prime Minister's Office has stepped in to take stock of the situation, amidst raging fears that the rate of contagion could be higher!

However, panic should be the last act, and people should focus on maintaining sanitation, avoiding public places and strictly effect necessary precautions to avoid contraction of the flu!

Although, it is difficult for me to say this, I must urge that all non-essential travel to Pune and other affected areas be postponed indefinitely. I also hope that this scourge subsides soon and that normalcy is returned in the lives of people, especially those who have been proximately affected by the outbreak.

For now, it is wait and watch, perhaps, the most excruciating part!

Remembering Hiroshima

64 years have come to pass since the devastating bombing of Hiroshima by the United States. It was today in 1945 that the "Little Boy" was dropped over the Japanese city that resulted in the instantaneous loss of 70,000 lives and the many thousands that followed as a result of radiation positioning!

Untold horrors, as a result of the nuclear attack continued for several decades and this day serves as a grim reminder to one of history's darkest moments ever.

This post pays homage to the Japanese people who suffered colossal loss of lives and unspeakable humanitarian damage that ensued as a result of the bombings of Hiroshima and subsequently Nagasaki.

I pray in sincere earnestness that such a moment shall never come to be witnessed, ever, in future and that all nations, particularly nuclear powers, understand the ill effects of nuclear engagement which has only one sure end result, that being Mutually Assured Destruction!

Footnotes:

Image Courtesy - Flickr (Under Original Copyright)

Image Description - Floating candles in Töölönlahti Bay, on the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, 2007

The Wikipedia Page

Where am I going?

The pace of my life upsets me! Days repeating themselves all over with no marked differences, routines that are dreary and dragging with seemingly no purpose and all that time that gets away quicker than it ought to!

What has life come to be? Monotonous, mechanical, distasteful large shades of gray and monosyllabic instances that, it seems, are intended to leave me to to wear out in a fate unknown and unfathomable. There is a certain missing connect though all is well, which is perhaps as a result of the inhuman pace of events that have been occurring, taxing the mind to concur to everything that it comes across and assimilate happenings, a task which seems to be more of a cruel exploitation than continuance of a regular schedule!

Part of me, rather my whole self, wants to break free and head to the mountains, liberated from the evil clutches of technology and information, both of which have saturated my poor self and committed it to irreparable ruin. I want to go away, not once ever to think of returning, to what the mass calls mainstream! I wish to feel traces of comforting warmth in the cold yet scintillating expanses of large sky hugging lush green blue like mountains, walk along the broken bubbling creeks, let the slow paced afternoon brush of air swathe my face and listen intently to what the ravens are talking to themselves about the wilderness!

I want to be a child, again, and live life on my own terms......

Am I a rebel, or person who loves to take cognizance of the splendor of life and emphasize on living well rather than be part of an excruciatingly maddening rat race?

Honestly, I believe its a lot of both!

IPhrase begins

Shravan Raghunath, blogger, poet, student, photographer, friend and country cousin, invited me, the day before, to be a part of his new blog IPhrase!

Dedicated primarily to showcase posts on inspirational quotes and snippets, this blog will be a combined effort and aims at featuring short yet powerful posts that have a meaningful takeaway for its patrons.

Kick-starting my account, yesterday, I posted 'Of Life and Hope' with an iconic picture taken, in 1969, during the People's Park Riot in Berkeley, California. Taken by Ted Streshinsky, this picture became a classic representation of the voice of the people and still evokes strong memories in those who have been witness to the incident.

I will, however, post in this space, using the identity Almost Sunday, which, I believe, is a more ideal character for this enterprise, as I have earlier titled it as "not a person, but a state of being which was chanced upon by me during my endless quest for meaning and purpose."

I wish to express my thanks to Shravan for giving me this wonderful opportunity, something that I have long contemplated doing.

On behalf of team IPhrase, I invite you to this new space, to visit it and sample its contents and hopefully relish them.

Sunday's wisdom

A great human revolution in just a single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a nation, and further, will enable a change in the destiny of all humankind

-- Daisaku Ikeda

On invitation from a friend and former colleague, Rahul Guharoy, I spent yesterday morning with a group of very dedicated and enthusiastic people whose purpose in life is to come together as a united body in combating life's uncertainties and help one another in times of need. They are collectively known as the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) which is a "Buddhist network that actively promotes peace, culture and education through personal change and social contribution." In India, they are known as the Bharat Soka Gakkai (BSG), which is an affiliate of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI). Their life values are heavily based on "the humanistic life philosophy of the Japanese Buddhist sage, Nichiren Daishonin."

Among the first things I noticed on arrival was the elevated level of enthusiasm each one of them carried within themselves at all times. Cordial, warm and eager, the very presence of a member was difficult to miss! During my conversations, I realized that these were people who had taken upon themselves to train themselves to inculcate and nurture a change from within, much akin to the philosophy of their 'Sensei' which they follow in very close coordinates!

After a round of introductions, some of them came forward to narrate real life incidents, struggles and victories that ensued. They also highlighted how, as active members of the SGI movement, they have been able to, with conviction, commitment and discipline, make their lives and those of others better and continue to do so with a remarkable sense of passion and unity.

Finally, the floor was thrown open to a hearty discussion on the topic "Human Revolution - The contribution of a single individual to bring about change." Many interesting thoughts flowed through as fellow members and guests nodded as each one spoke. I gave my two cents too, speaking on the need to be cognizant of the world around oneself and to effect change from within, quoting Socrates and Plato! Rewarded with a very patient hearing, and a round of loud applause, I felt greatly appreciated, the like of which I have not felt in a very long time.

I recalled my 1998 meeting with His Holiness Guru Nitya Chaintanya Yati, the erstwhile Head of the Narayana Gurukula Foundation at Fernhill in Ooty. The connect was easy and remarkably similar, talks on oneness, encouragement, positivism and more importantly world citizenship meaning a state of being, free from race, religion and other varied discrimination.

Couldn't have had a more eventful Sunday!

Rock On

In this post, I'm paying homage to some of the most inspiring rock marvels and their creators that have been a significant part of our times and before and will remain so long after! Check out the emboldened portions of the lyrics and stop for a moment before it occurs to you that they do reflect parts of your life!

There you go.........

Lay beside me, under wicked sky
Through black of day, dark of night, we share this pair of lives
The door cracks open, but there's no sun shining through
Black heart scarring darker still, but there's no sun shining through

-- Unforgiven II, Metallica, 1998

You were caught on the crossfire of childhood and stardom,
blown on the steel breeze.
Come on you target for faraway laughter,
come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine!

-- Shine on you crazy diamond, Pink Floyd, 1975

Many times I've been a traveller, I looked for something new
In days of old, When nights were cold
I wandered without you, But those days I thought my eyes
Had seen you standing near, Though blindness is confusing
It shows that you're not here

-- Soldier of Fortune, Deep Purple, 1974

Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us
To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side
Steps taken forwards but sleepwalking back again
Dragged by the force of some inner tide
At a higher altitude with flag unfurled
We reached the dizzy heights of that dreamed up world

-- High Hopes, Pink Floyd, 1994

There's a sign on the wall, But she wants to be sure
cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook, There's a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.

-- Stairway to Heaven, Led Zepplin, 1971

Now the suns gone to hell, And the moons riding high
Let me bid you farewell, Every man has to die
But its written in the starlight, And every line on your palm
Were fools to make war, On our brothers in arms

-- Brothers in Arms, Dire Straits, 1985

I awake to find no peace of mind.
I said how do you live, As a fugitive?
Down here, where I cannot see so clear
I said what do I know? Show me the right way to go.

-- Spies, Coldplay, 2000

The world is closing in, Did you ever think
That we could be so close, like brothers
The future's in the air, I can feel it everywhere
Blowing with the wind of change

-- Wind of Change, Scorpions, 1990

Sometimes I need some time...on my
own Sometimes I need some time...all alone
Everybody needs some time...on their own
Don't you know you need some time...all alone

-- November Rain, Guns N Roses, 1992

Then fly away from here, Anywhere
Yeah, I don't care, We'll just fly away from here
Our hopes and dreams are out there somewhere
Won't let time pass us by, We'll just fly

-- Fly away from here, Aerosmith, 2001

I laughed and shook his hand, I made my way back home,
I searched for form and land, Years and years I roamed,
I gazed a gazely stare, We walked a million hills -- I must have died alone,
A long long time ago.

-- The Man who sold the World, Nirvana, 1993

I take a walk outside, I'm surrounded by some kids at play
I can feel their laughter, so why do I sear?
Oh, and twisted thoughts that spin round my head
I'm spinning, oh, I'm spinning, How quick the sun can drop away

-- Black, Pearl Jam, 1991

Footnotes:

The aforesaid list is certainly not exhaustive and more inputs are welcome via comments