It wasn’t the beginning, it was happiness. it was a moment right then………a sense of possibility and purpose to life without which we all are so meaningless and like rudderless ships passing each other in the ocean.
This is how we define our humanity………..our decisions to our way of life…….quietness or noise,colour or darkness, love or fetid hate…and at all times horrible and claustrophobic stagnation.
Have understood that one can never find peace and release by avoiding life itself one has to live the moments and define them as they go. moments of love moments of truth moments of gratitude and in all that all I think the most important thing is to look behind you and see with a certainty a shadow and a presence behind you…….the real you…..with a purpose you have….a purpose that defines you and makes your existence worthwhile……..
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
LUXURY.......ARE WE GEARED UP TO SEE OURSELVES FOR REAL......WE PAY FOR TIME AND EFFORT...
Hi I am back again!!!! This time with a question that I am addressing to all you people in that big void………..
Is it true that in this age that things we do have become redundant with the numerous machines and gadgets that perform for us with a six sigma accuracy…………3.4 defects per million I am told……..incredibly accurate……….
I’m told Swiss watches are famous for their millionth of a second’s accuracy. All want perfection and yet in such a space I see big examples of how people still cherish things made by loving care and craftsmanship….even though they don’t typify a impossible level of accuracy.which brings me to an ongoing debate.why is it that if we desire perfection and accuracy so much that we are ready to pay the earth for things that are hand made.
Why people are ready to buy Art at exorbitant and insane prices? Well maybe either because the artist is either dead……..or maybe because he couldn’t make the same picture with six sigma perfection….
Why are we ready to pay more for handmade paper when the paper mills paper is better in quality and fineness? We find pleasure in that semi rough surface….and appreciate the beauty and not the unevenness. I often wonder if we are celebrating human ingenuity or are we celebrating human folly and inadequacies.
Why on earth will we pay the earth for Venetian glass jewellery when we get Gold in the same bracket? Or why we will be ready to pay just a “little extra “($1500) for a special fragrance that’s “just so me”, when the others go around the place being just regular Joe’s.
I finally come to the final conclusion luxury is all about craftsmanship, without compromise. Karl Marx once wrote that luxury is not in the thing itself, but in the amount of time and effort that went into making it.Thats what we pay for. What an insight!
TIME, probably the most precious commodity one can have and seldom has.
I guess I would pay just a “little extra” ($1500) for that perfume “that’s so me” rather than try go and make my own fragrance for I have neither the time, nor inclination of going and learning the delicate job of a perfumer.
I feel three things define perfect luxury.
One – it acts upon the body, giving sensual pleasure but offering the intellectual dimension of really good design; both come together to make you both happy and satisfied.
Two- it lays claim to authenticity by virtue of either traditional practice or a connection with the land………..wow! I just love French perfumes…….they are so …CHIC!
Three- it requires skilled people to work very hard to produce it and to responsibility of every part of your experience of it-every touch, bite or sip.
Ummmm! I just love Godiva chocolates. Perfectly sinful!!!
What could be better and more human? And aren’t we all craving that personal touch….gets me back to the eternal cause of every human action …NEED.
Is it true that in this age that things we do have become redundant with the numerous machines and gadgets that perform for us with a six sigma accuracy…………3.4 defects per million I am told……..incredibly accurate……….
I’m told Swiss watches are famous for their millionth of a second’s accuracy. All want perfection and yet in such a space I see big examples of how people still cherish things made by loving care and craftsmanship….even though they don’t typify a impossible level of accuracy.which brings me to an ongoing debate.why is it that if we desire perfection and accuracy so much that we are ready to pay the earth for things that are hand made.
Why people are ready to buy Art at exorbitant and insane prices? Well maybe either because the artist is either dead……..or maybe because he couldn’t make the same picture with six sigma perfection….
Why are we ready to pay more for handmade paper when the paper mills paper is better in quality and fineness? We find pleasure in that semi rough surface….and appreciate the beauty and not the unevenness. I often wonder if we are celebrating human ingenuity or are we celebrating human folly and inadequacies.
Why on earth will we pay the earth for Venetian glass jewellery when we get Gold in the same bracket? Or why we will be ready to pay just a “little extra “($1500) for a special fragrance that’s “just so me”, when the others go around the place being just regular Joe’s.
I finally come to the final conclusion luxury is all about craftsmanship, without compromise. Karl Marx once wrote that luxury is not in the thing itself, but in the amount of time and effort that went into making it.Thats what we pay for. What an insight!
TIME, probably the most precious commodity one can have and seldom has.
I guess I would pay just a “little extra” ($1500) for that perfume “that’s so me” rather than try go and make my own fragrance for I have neither the time, nor inclination of going and learning the delicate job of a perfumer.
I feel three things define perfect luxury.
One – it acts upon the body, giving sensual pleasure but offering the intellectual dimension of really good design; both come together to make you both happy and satisfied.
Two- it lays claim to authenticity by virtue of either traditional practice or a connection with the land………..wow! I just love French perfumes…….they are so …CHIC!
Three- it requires skilled people to work very hard to produce it and to responsibility of every part of your experience of it-every touch, bite or sip.
Ummmm! I just love Godiva chocolates. Perfectly sinful!!!
What could be better and more human? And aren’t we all craving that personal touch….gets me back to the eternal cause of every human action …NEED.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
MY OWN THERAPY
Once again i am back with a contemplative note on something that took my fancy suddenly yesterday. Being the lazy person i am, i didn't have the energy nor the inclination of getting out of my cozy cocoon of a bed and typing the whole thing out. So here i am doing the need felt at a more humanly hour.
I was just marveling at the works of the Almighty as usual and how he makes different people so different that even though we all seem to have some basic tastes similar like...liking the same movies and liking outdoor activities or cute Labrador puppies ...or dreaming of sky diving or exploring Venice ......we are all essentially still different.........
I read this excellent quotation on the internet at a DNA identification site........trace your genealogy kind of thing....which said that humans have really grown so smart as they have been able to identify the basic building blocks of the DNA structure......but even though we have been able to do that we haven't been able to explain how totally dissimilar people of different origin find similarity in that difference.
The dissonance of colour,race and looks is in fact a veneer covering up more cogent issues......rather the biggest issue of them all.The issue of NEED....have mentioned it somewhere in one of my previous posts.......we need to bond, we need to stick together and no matter how many Ancestry.coms we explore for the fun of it...the basic reason why we do it is to explore and celebrate kinship.
Getting back to the topic at hand...(gosh!!! i have this horrible habit of digressing from the main issue....which leads me into a totally different realm from the one i am in)----my idiosyncrasy i suppose....something in my genes ;-)
What is my therapy......i love walking.......so take off for hours on my own or in company....but one thing is constant.........i am always in monosyllable mode when i am on a walk.......a conversation at the same time inside......the truth be known walk and exercise helps me beat stress and a lot of that nervous energy i am always bubbling with...to the normal person i might seem a lackluster and lethargic person but my mind works at the speed of sound at all times and if i let it then even my body.......there have been times when i've tested my strengths and marveled at my resilience....
Now this isn't a self praise trip......just that there is a lot the human body or brain can go through.which is probably why we are at the top of the pyramid.
Then there are other times when i like meditating and praying.But then one seldom gets the luxury of a quiet room with no disturbance in a hostel.However the times i spend with my God are the best(....call him my God because he feels so MY.....like a best friend a buddy my all i guess......tis true and a confession in fact that i love God the most......more than anyone in this world.........strange.......but so true....might get branded an eccentric person for that but thats the truth)..
Sketching,painting,gardening are interesting too.......and so peaceful.....i get special kicks out of cooking for others and watching them scrape the late bite from their plates with relish..........i guess thats a different kind of appetite....again related to need...........
And then i see others around me.............there have been people who find their release in music.........i have a head banging friend who likes rock.......and rocks to it....an amazing guitarist......
Then there is another who likes contemplating and finds her release in thinking about various scenarios.......and dreaming about food.....since the hostel isn't a very great place for food.......
Then there is the eccentric one ......who just likes going off into a dreamworld of his own.....from where no one can pull him back unless he wants to come back......sometimes....or if i am candid most of these "fits" are within the classroom...and professors find his ...er....VACANT look very ......inspiring.......
such different people.............i am just lost for words.......each person crafted with his own peculiarities.....
there was a time when i questioned the existence of God .....looked for answers all over.......was a skeptic.Tried looking for answers for in past lives and regression therapy....psychology...paranormal activity.......read up on stuff and tried to fit round pegs in square ones........all to no avail....till finally tired i understood......that i was resisting something so much more powerful than me..........my existence.....how can something so inconsequential as an intellect question existence........finally the storm was at rest.....and now i know my goal..........and in times when i am miles away from it.....and when i get worried,jittery and plagued by insecurities......i turn back to my tried and tested therapies.......
i guess they will help me till i need them no more and find my final solutions....
I was just marveling at the works of the Almighty as usual and how he makes different people so different that even though we all seem to have some basic tastes similar like...liking the same movies and liking outdoor activities or cute Labrador puppies ...or dreaming of sky diving or exploring Venice ......we are all essentially still different.........
I read this excellent quotation on the internet at a DNA identification site........trace your genealogy kind of thing....which said that humans have really grown so smart as they have been able to identify the basic building blocks of the DNA structure......but even though we have been able to do that we haven't been able to explain how totally dissimilar people of different origin find similarity in that difference.
The dissonance of colour,race and looks is in fact a veneer covering up more cogent issues......rather the biggest issue of them all.The issue of NEED....have mentioned it somewhere in one of my previous posts.......we need to bond, we need to stick together and no matter how many Ancestry.coms we explore for the fun of it...the basic reason why we do it is to explore and celebrate kinship.
Getting back to the topic at hand...(gosh!!! i have this horrible habit of digressing from the main issue....which leads me into a totally different realm from the one i am in)----my idiosyncrasy i suppose....something in my genes ;-)
What is my therapy......i love walking.......so take off for hours on my own or in company....but one thing is constant.........i am always in monosyllable mode when i am on a walk.......a conversation at the same time inside......the truth be known walk and exercise helps me beat stress and a lot of that nervous energy i am always bubbling with...to the normal person i might seem a lackluster and lethargic person but my mind works at the speed of sound at all times and if i let it then even my body.......there have been times when i've tested my strengths and marveled at my resilience....
Now this isn't a self praise trip......just that there is a lot the human body or brain can go through.which is probably why we are at the top of the pyramid.
Then there are other times when i like meditating and praying.But then one seldom gets the luxury of a quiet room with no disturbance in a hostel.However the times i spend with my God are the best(....call him my God because he feels so MY.....like a best friend a buddy my all i guess......tis true and a confession in fact that i love God the most......more than anyone in this world.........strange.......but so true....might get branded an eccentric person for that but thats the truth)..
Sketching,painting,gardening are interesting too.......and so peaceful.....i get special kicks out of cooking for others and watching them scrape the late bite from their plates with relish..........i guess thats a different kind of appetite....again related to need...........
And then i see others around me.............there have been people who find their release in music.........i have a head banging friend who likes rock.......and rocks to it....an amazing guitarist......
Then there is another who likes contemplating and finds her release in thinking about various scenarios.......and dreaming about food.....since the hostel isn't a very great place for food.......
Then there is the eccentric one ......who just likes going off into a dreamworld of his own.....from where no one can pull him back unless he wants to come back......sometimes....or if i am candid most of these "fits" are within the classroom...and professors find his ...er....VACANT look very ......inspiring.......
such different people.............i am just lost for words.......each person crafted with his own peculiarities.....
there was a time when i questioned the existence of God .....looked for answers all over.......was a skeptic.Tried looking for answers for in past lives and regression therapy....psychology...paranormal activity.......read up on stuff and tried to fit round pegs in square ones........all to no avail....till finally tired i understood......that i was resisting something so much more powerful than me..........my existence.....how can something so inconsequential as an intellect question existence........finally the storm was at rest.....and now i know my goal..........and in times when i am miles away from it.....and when i get worried,jittery and plagued by insecurities......i turn back to my tried and tested therapies.......
i guess they will help me till i need them no more and find my final solutions....
Friday, January 25, 2008
CHOICES
I was watching a movie today...Manorama 6 feet under. A convoluted plot, with an air of impending doom over the whole two and a half hours I spent watching the flick. There was one thing which struck a strong chord in me and which prompted me to write here.
The whole movie was dominated by one thing which was pretty overwhelming. people make decisions ,strong decisions only when they are faced with tough choices. till then they wait till they are cornered.
Isn't that a similar thing which dominates all the choices we make. make decisions when we are challenged by something more alien and stronger than us? Or make a decision under duress or when coerced into a situation we wish we were never into.
I have many decisions in my life attributed to this same helpless feeling of being manipulated by forces stronger than me. And it is at such times I feel that the decision taken couldn't be otherwise. that that was the ultimate decision to be taken. But that is not the whole truth. our choices are own. Only we don't have the strength or sometimes integrity to take them when we should. Waiting for the “correct” moment often takes the decision out of our hands. one must be a ,master of their own destiny...
something I heard form an old friend...a person who didn't believe in the existence of God and said our choices are our own and the responsibilities which come with it. and yet in that knowledge he wasn't perfect. Because even though we know of this great truth...how many of us follow it and believe it.how many of us wait for divine intervention and how many of us feel that “its gods will”.
I am a devout believer. make no mistake! I would never for any reason negate his presence in my life. infact I only have Him in my life thats correct and so comforting. its His presence that will lead me guide me and love me like no one else could ever hope to or could possibly.
I only regret my inability to make those choices when its my turn to move the pieces. someday I will learn how to do it.the day when I shall stop thinking of the future and of consequences and stuff that makes my life fuzzy.all those little pieces which float about and deflect me from my main mission. one day I will learn.to let go and love with a love which needs no reciprocation. That will be the day I can take those tiny decisions before they are made for me. MY CHOICE.
The whole movie was dominated by one thing which was pretty overwhelming. people make decisions ,strong decisions only when they are faced with tough choices. till then they wait till they are cornered.
Isn't that a similar thing which dominates all the choices we make. make decisions when we are challenged by something more alien and stronger than us? Or make a decision under duress or when coerced into a situation we wish we were never into.
I have many decisions in my life attributed to this same helpless feeling of being manipulated by forces stronger than me. And it is at such times I feel that the decision taken couldn't be otherwise. that that was the ultimate decision to be taken. But that is not the whole truth. our choices are own. Only we don't have the strength or sometimes integrity to take them when we should. Waiting for the “correct” moment often takes the decision out of our hands. one must be a ,master of their own destiny...
something I heard form an old friend...a person who didn't believe in the existence of God and said our choices are our own and the responsibilities which come with it. and yet in that knowledge he wasn't perfect. Because even though we know of this great truth...how many of us follow it and believe it.how many of us wait for divine intervention and how many of us feel that “its gods will”.
I am a devout believer. make no mistake! I would never for any reason negate his presence in my life. infact I only have Him in my life thats correct and so comforting. its His presence that will lead me guide me and love me like no one else could ever hope to or could possibly.
I only regret my inability to make those choices when its my turn to move the pieces. someday I will learn how to do it.the day when I shall stop thinking of the future and of consequences and stuff that makes my life fuzzy.all those little pieces which float about and deflect me from my main mission. one day I will learn.to let go and love with a love which needs no reciprocation. That will be the day I can take those tiny decisions before they are made for me. MY CHOICE.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
MONOTONY
Time flies for some and stands still for others
Standing at this juncture
I feel like a person standing still while things evolve ,fade and move around me
A beautiful kaleidoscope of colours
An ever changing picture painted by the most beautiful of them Masters
My Master the one and only one
The creator,the destroyer and guardian
The father ,son and the holy ghost
Ever-constant and one with my soul
And still I feel the monotony of this life oppressive
The continuity of it all
Ceaseless drudgery
The time has come for me to break free
To cease to be and at the same time pass into eternity
An eternity that knows no feeling
No beginning no end
Being just there...
And yet I wonder that this beautiful desired coveted state
Is it the end or the beginning
Or just a phase to move onto
To carry onto from this life to another
A stop gap ?
Or the ultimate goal I've been craving for eternities
The only thing I have known in all these lives
These countless immeasurable minutes I've been passing
Biding my time till the moment comes
Is the certainty that you exist and are a part of me
Much like the child that is a part of a mothers womb
Her flesh and blood, hers from eternity to eternity
And yet a free soul she held just like a vessel
Beyond all selfishness and duty
And still bearing traces of a love that has no explanation
Which knows no logic
Explained just by being there
And knowing no beginning nor end.
In this monotony of life
I know my Lord thy ever constant presence is what I crave
What I cherish and guard like a sentinel
And yet certain I stand
In the faith that thou shalt never desert me
For it was only you who loved me with a love that cannot be
Greater than the greatest love I've felt
And lived to know
It flows like the blood in my veins
That life giving manna from the heavens
My only sustainance in this drudgery
The answer to my prayers
and the final prayer itself
My freedom is after all my Lord your Love.
Therein lies the answer to all the questions in this universe.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)