Grown up debate

Posted on September 25, 2016 by Rajiv Kapoor

Image result for election cartoons 2016

On Monday we will hear the candidates for the Republican and Democratic parties face off in a critical debate. The country is ready for a Macho billionaire TV star personality, as he takes on the ex Senator from NY and the Secretary of State of the opposing party, in a head to head, eye to eye confrontation. Millions supporting each candidate will tune in and each one will have their own perception, of what they will see and hear coming out from the idiot tube. Expectations are high that these debates could be the turning point in this election, on who will be the next leader of the free world. There is a chasm of division between the two party favorites in ideology, policy, administrative capabilities, beliefs and perception. The wonder of it all is, that each of these viewers will hear or see, what he likes about his\her candidate, and ignore the other arguments. It are the undecided voters who are the prize outcome for each party, and as their messages are so different, we will have very different results.

We have a set of viewers who see a nationalist, strong, defender of white Christian values, who will Make America Great again. The young boy who was sent off to an academy and the treatment he received there, made him forever a fighter in his own right. Discipline was thrust on a young Donald as he was sent away from his protective mother, to the school where he was on his own. His privileged upbringing in one of the most lucrative real estate markets in our world of New York City, have made him a billionaire. Having gone through multiple bankruptcies of his Casino Empire in Atlantic City he has ridden the revival of NYC, into a thriving licensing business worldwide. From Fifth Avenue he has reestablished his reputation, and now has turned his desire for supremacy, into a bid for the presidency of the United States. He has demolished his many opponents in the previous debates and is now ready to crush, the opposition candidate in a winner takes all during the upcoming debates.

Madame Secretary to us mere mortals has tweeted that “Girls” will rule the world. Western civilization is going to have Clinton, May, Merkel leading the top European powers and facing up to the Middle East, China and Russia. America’s leading trade partners Canada and Mexico are worried about continuing our mutually beneficial NAFTA relationships. Angela has already been leading Germany and Europe through some tough times and keeping the economy and social justice growing. If Hillary becomes the first female President, she will have strong confident women to reach out to, across the ocean. Her deep knowledge of policy, global conditions and established relationships with world leaders, will serve her well, in getting the new administration quickly up to speed.

For the bulk of the dissatisfied white men seeking economic and racial security, Mr. Trump offers a vision of a different world, where their America will rule supreme again. He will use the words and the gestures that they understand, and they will cheer him on. For the young millennials with Bernie out and Obama leaving, a new leader is hard to find and which way they go, is uncertain. If they become disenchanted with politics and withdraw and if the blacks and other minorities do not come out to vote, then Trump will be our next president. It is getting harder for Hillary to raise the enthusiasm levels in her larger base, and get the excitement flowing, which will drive the ordinary people to come out in droves, and vote for her.

The fate of the senate and the house depends on the wow factor. How well do these two candidates wow their audience and what tone will the debates take. If either of them can make the common people engaged to come out to vote, it will change the composition of congress. Republicans are pouring money into the Senate and Congress races to keep their majority. Democrats do not have their best candidate and are struggling to get a simple message across, which will cause millions to vote for them, in difficult races. The house is divided and it should change to become more efficient, but this election sadly has no such leader, who can bring it all together. We are in for Partisan policies and Gerry meandering will carry the day in the end, as seats secured by years of careful redistricting, will yield the desired but stagnant results.

The economic and political leadership of the rest of the world look up at America, as a beacon of hope for better things to come in the future. Unfortunately neither candidate has a visionary approach to the economy, or to social change. One is expected to largely carry on the current policies and bring on more of the same, leading to stability and steady but underwhelming growth. The other is an unknown and more rhetoric, than capability of actual implementation. So one will competently implement progressive policies, while the other will bombastically issue dictates, which others will have to struggle to meet. Either way we are in for a ride, as there is an element of surprise in either house, as we know the Presidency changes the one who enters the White House. America will continue to prosper and its people will develop new models for future happiness.

Our best hope is that we have a clear winner. That way the populace can decide who they will get, and start the adjustment process of being governed by their chosen leader. Good bad or ugly, this is our choice at the end of the day. Life is complicated enough, that we need some time to ensure, we are progressing towards a better tomorrow. Each candidate has his\her faults and strengths and there are more grey areas, than black and white, in politics. Our pursuit of happiness lies in how we traverse these grey areas. Are we more inclusive, individualistic, freedom loving, compassionate and caring towards others that are less fortunate than us, will be the defining goals? We live in an abundant universe and can we continue to reach for the stars, or will be bound down by the stripes to go down a lesser road? Our fate hangs by a thread in these debates, and we must engage to demand a better future, or become permanent second class citizens of tomorrow.

My only question to Mr. Trump is “Would the boy you were be proud of the man you are?” -Laurence J. Peter, educator and author (16 Sep 1919-1990)

Last photo shoot

Posted on September 4, 2016 by Rajiv Kapoor

Came across this photo of the Beatles during a random search and realized what a great journey their life must have been, up to that point in their lives. They had seen so much together and experienced so much success and celebration, by this time in their lives. An end of an era was coming and all our lives were changed, by this group of musicians, in some way or form. They wrote and sang the anthems of a global generation and their poetry and music lives on in our memories and hearts. John, Paul, George and Ringo lived our dreams for us and sang our words and played our music, and many moments of our lives were lived, listening to them on the radio, in our homes or with friends in public venues celebrating life.

Even today my internet password is a song from them and the ultimate tribute I paid was when I danced the father daughter dance at my daughter’s wedding, to the Beatles singing “In my life,” and I have loved her and them more. It was a magical time when the British invasion was successful in the US and a culture of Rock and Roll, Blues and Jazz all came together into a new era of love and peace. We the fans loved them and hated their lifestyle and wondered how happy they must be in their success, and wondered why our lives were so ordinary. They inspired us to find our own dreams of love and happiness. Drugs, counter culture, revolution, peace , love, compassion, charity became new symbols that we proudly carried into our hearts and homes. There are so many details of our lives being intertwined with theirs, that I could write a book but will restrain myself.

Their albums were legendary and I listened and learnt from each one of them, and they became the tunes and words that made me happy, or made me cry. I strove with them for their desires, and lived my life with their morals. In a world of few heroes they represented a new breed of ordinary guys, who were capable of attaining the greatest heights. Knighted they stood tall in their love of life, and we learned much from them, on how to live it ourselves. We left our homes and entered a new world and in our moments of despair they consoled us, or cudgeled us into the next step. I see them in this photo as the fools on the hill, who saw the world turn around. My world still turns around with them, when I am down, I reach out to Alexa and ask her to play…

Butterfly wings and Louisiana

Posted on August 21, 2016 by Rajiv Kapoor

Fig 1: Global map
NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies shows anomalies in current temperature data from our historical data, and if you are feeling hot under your collar, it is truly the hottest July in history. We have also just gone through the hottest months of Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun for any living human being. 2016 is shaping up to be the hottest year on record, since we started recording world temperatures. So I did a little more research and discovered that as a corollary to rise in our temperatures, many other effects take place. One of them states that for a one degree rise in atmospheric temperature, our skies are able to retain 7% more moisture.
Since atmospheric temperature does not vary much over decades, we have had steady seasonal patterns. Now I would say that all bets are off, as increase of 1 to 2 degrees would make a quantum jump, in the power of future storms, that deviate from normal rain patterns. We are about to learn the true meaning of the term “when it rains, it pours,” as witnessed in almost a half meter of rain; in Louisiana recently over a week, which is more than the annual rain of most of tropical India. Flood prone areas are likely to get more floods as a result. Mass destruction and storm surges will happen, as water can be very destructive, just like any of nature’s great forces, when unleashed on an unprecedented scale.
The effect of the polar ice melting, compounded by the lack of huge mass of snow cover means less reflection of the sun’s rays back into space, causing even more warming in a vicious cycle. The addition of huge amounts of fresh water will dilute the salty oceans leading to unintended consequences. Majority of our earth is the oceans, and when unchecked the rise in water temperatures or fall in them, will have dramatic consequences to our weather systems. The rise in oceans will cause the drowning of many low lying nations amongst other things.
The many raging forest fires will get worse as weather patterns change, and huge forest swaths become dry tinder, ready to burn at the first lightning strike. We are seeing the burning fires in California and will see these in other areas, if weather pattern become erratic due to the rise in world temperatures. Also as waterways dry up due to lower snowfall and rain, agriculture and human survival will become increasingly at stake. We need nature to grow our food and sustain us in its natural cycles, and if we disrupt them our food supplies will dwindle, and the differences between the have and have nots will become stark. The rich will need giant tankers to ferry their drinking water, much like they ferry oil today, as fresh water sources dry up, in the megacities of the future.
So next time when you are out with your loved one, be careful and do not call her or him hot, as he may be sweating from this heat already, and not be in an amorous mood. My advise is to be and act cool instead.Will we be confined to artificial domes of air conditioned metros, and the world as we know it, become a dream? Double and triple rainbows will start to appear on our rainy horizon, and the rivers and streams will become torrents of flows in some areas, and dry up in others. The flora and fauna will change, as evolution will kick in, and the plants and creatures we have today, may not be there tomorrow. Everything changes over time and we will have to change with the times.
My first recommendation is that we get rid of the politicians and leaders, who do not see the change coming, and are not ready to take action. The second recommendation is that we research and study the facts, and not dance around them hoping that they will go away naturally. Our oversized carbon diet, has caused our earth to change, and greening gasses like methane and carbon dioxide levels have risen, and we can use scientific methods to reduce them. Industrial, transportation, lifestyle changes will have to be enforced, not to harm, but to protect ourselves. Just like we moved from wood burning to coal, and then to oil, we now need to move to solar, wind, tidal, biomass, nuclear or any other new renewable sources of energy.
The entrenched interest need to be broken and new interests created. Ingenuity and newer methods of production and consumption are called for, and the sooner we start on this new road, the better off we will be. It has taken us centuries of modernization, to reach the state we are at today. We need to spend the next few centuries correcting our past mistakes, and moving towards a brighter future. I am not angry, and do not blame anybody, that we have come to this sorry pass, as we have done what we needed to survive, and prosper as a species. I am just sad at the state of things, and feel helpless that the problems is far more complex, than our current understanding of our earth and how it functions. It is with profound uneasiness that I write this, as there are no easy solutions, or glib sentences I can write to gloss things over.
We are at an impasse in human survival and the actions we take today, will define our future generations. We have an accord to reduce the rise in temperatures to less than 2 degrees, and now only our will to act is lacking. First we have to look into ourselves and understand and accept the reality, and only then can we act on it. To our earth mother I can only say, you are a hot one now, but I will find a way to help cool you down. Do not unfriend me now, as we will make all out efforts to sustain a long relationship between us yet. What I give to you, I know you return to me many times over, I sow a seed and you grow a tree, I have a child and you make it a human adult. We are one mother, and there is nothing more I can say, as you are my cocoon and I am your caterpillar. My children and grandchildren’s life is at stake, and I have become deathly serious in my old age; as I hope to laugh and play with them, for many more years!.

Independence (Refugee) Day

Posted on August 2, 2016 by Rajiv Kapoor

Beware the Ides of August I say to you, just like the soothsayer cried to Caesar, and I shudder at the bad omens that arise in my brain, at this time of the year. It bring memories of the partition of a homeland, on religious lines, in what was called the Independence for Pakistan and India. 10 million refugees migrated between secular India and Muslim Pakistan in the partition, and what is worse, a million died during the largest migration recorded in modern times. They were burnt, looted or killed at home or in the course of their forced migration. It is recorded that four and a half million Hindus and Sikhs left their homes in Pakistan and six million Muslims left their homes in India, and were forced to move, and actual displacement was still higher. Nehru and Jinnah carved out their homelands at a great cost, to the ordinary citizens of their country. What are nine members of my family, amongst such vast numbers, I often wonder. In the face of such huge carnage, rape, looting, pillage and crimes against humanity, what is this little guilt I carry, that somehow I am not equal and have been left incomplete? My life is stable and yet the trauma of separation of my people, from their ancestral homes lives on, even though I was born after the fact.

It is in our psyche learnt from the tear in a mother’s eyes at a memory, or the words of a father who never complained, yet was always incomplete somehow, no matter how successful he became. Who will complete my story, when I myself have been left incomplete as in this chasm of human suffering, I seek solace from a land, which is no longer mine? I have moved on in this world, but my DNA remembers a land of five rivers, where the wheat grew tall, and the city life was elegant, and we had a culture of enlightenment. That time has passed into history, and now the day has come to move on, but yet the heart still mourns those values that died in that partition. We are all refugees now in this world, and yet the story must not be told, as it may hurt someone’s feeling. Turn our heads and do not see, as what is another orphan in the chaos of our life, as humanity is lessened every day. I hope to see a time in the future when all of this will matter, and we will be aware of the tragedy, and rise to find our lost humanity, and finally be at peace.

Today new refugees are being created as homelands are being destroyed all over the world, and people turn their eyes from these strangers. Humanity dies a little more every day, as orphans and widows, fill refugee camps, and men raise war cries and mayhem. Sunni fights Shia and the Jews and Christians rise to protect their own, Hindus rise to Hindutva and Buddhists seek vengeance upon non-believers, and no place is safe. Mothers fear when their sons and daughters step out of the home, and fathers are silent in mourning, as their children die an untimely death. I am lost in this vengeance, as who could be right, when everyone is wrong? I meditate on sending waves of compassion out to all, but who is feeling the love? I pray for the best in humanity, and fear the worst. My vessel has been emptied of love, and there is no one who will part with even a drop of kindness, as I am only a refugee in this world. Woe be on this humanity as incomplete strangers roam the earth now, and whoever claims to be true in thought, is false in action.
‘The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny.’ -Wole Soyinka, playwright, poet, Nobel laureate (b. 13 Jul 1934)

Comparison between the number of refugees and IDPs (Internally displaced people) who are supported by the UNHCR between 2014 and 1998.^[71]
End-year	1998	2000	2002	2004	2006	2008	2010	2012	2014
Refugees	11,480,900	12,129,600	10,594,100	9,574,800	9,877,700	10,489,800	10,549,700	10,498,000	14,385,300
IDPs	5,063,900	5,998,500	4,646,600	5,426,500	12,794,300	14,442,200	14,697,900	17,670,400	32,274,600

Our inner beauty

Posted on July 9, 2016 by Rajiv Kapoor

Am astounded by the events unfolding from the disgusting mowing down of our Policemen in Dallas with Assault guns; to the killing of a black man reaching for his wallet and ID, after telling the officer about it. The wars in the Middle East get worse every day with innocents dying and civilian refugees streaming out with no country ready to take them. Great Britain has voted to become Little England as Scotland and Ireland voted against leaving the EU, and misguided people are cheering their surprised leaders, who brought them to this sorry pass. The hurried summoning of the FBI Director for cross examination for purely political gain, while refusing to even conduct a hearing for the appointment of a Supreme Court Nominee, is partisan politics to an extreme. Is the USA in this election cycle, going to become the Disunited States of America, as the rift between the two sides, is fast becoming a chasm of mistrust? Is it only me, that I see more ugliness around me, in our day to day life? Every day that goes by I feel that there is no inner peace or beauty, to guide our daily existence in this age of reason.

In my recent posts I have seen a hatred for race, religion, LGBT, immigration, become increasingly vitriol and threatening. I hear hardening stands and positions on both sides, instead of our fellow citizens, engaging in an open debate. The fear mongers and supremacists seem to be leading the weak, and bent on silencing all others, with hate and bigotry agendas. There is no room for a reasoned argument anymore it seems, as the liberal are an anathema to the conservatives. How can we meet in the middle when there is no middle ground to discuss, as every topic has become an absolute truth? There is no give and take here; and the spirit of do onto others, as you would wish them to do onto you, is fast vanishing in the rush to judgement. Everything is now Red or Blue, and White or Black, and Male or Female with no shades of grey in between.

If God loves all his children, then why this hatred of those who look, behave, love, eat, drink and pray in a different way than us? We need more transparency and open dialog, or the whole of our existence will be wasted. If we do not open ourselves to humanity and the universe, we will only shrink and die. Give me the Spiritual leader who is transparent, or the Idealist who shines with an inner light any day, as the need grows stronger in these dark and troubled times. My rallying cry for compassion, love, peace, human progress and inner light continues, so please join me if you can. There is still hope for a better world and humanity has just started on its tryst with destiny, and all of us are in this together!

“People are like stained glass windows: they sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within.” -Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, psychiatrist and author (8 Jul 1926-2004)

Happy Independence Day!

Posted on July 2, 2016 by Rajiv Kapoor

US IRS data shows that the super-wealthy, the top 0.1 percent of households continue to pull ahead as their incomes climbed nearly 9 percent to an average of $6.75 million. For the top 1 percent of households, income surged 7.7 percent to $1.36 million. While in the great recession for the average Joe we saw income declines, now finally in the last years of Obama’s presidency, income rose 3.9 percent last year to $48,768. This only shows that inequality continues to grow and the middle class continues to be squeezed out of a more equitable share of work and pay.

The concentration of wealth in the top 1 % is growing and the rest of the 99% continue to fall behind, even in the good years of a growing economy. I agree with Bill Gates and Warren Buffett that the greatest accumulation of wealth in human history, must be put to good use. The fortunate ones must in their wisdom, share the fruits of nature’s bounty, as their horn of cornucopia runneth over. The time has come where the modern nonprofit and charitable organizations, can finally make a difference, in our human condition. Never before have we had the means to provide housing, water, food, energy, education and healthcare to the poorest of the poor. We also know enough about our earth and global warming and environment, to be able to do this through green energy and smarter cities. We have destroyed so many species in the struggle for our own survival, that it is time now to reverse the trend and build for the survival of all creatures. Let evolution take its course and let man not be the destroyer of countless fauna and flora, in our quest for world dominance. We have the means and the intelligence now, to be smarter and more evolved, in how we approach life and nature around us. Our brightest are engaged in research and development in scientific fields at a pace not known before, and we have a great future; if we just pivot our vision and outlook, towards peace and development.

On this day when in the Battle of Somme a million men were killed or wounded in World War 1, we must never forget, what ruin human divisions and war can bring. Let us learn to be compassionate, caring and kind, as all this talk of bigotry and decisiveness, will only bring war and ruin on all of us. Call me an idealistic liberal with no understanding of our human nature, but I still want to take that first step towards Independence of thought and action, on our Independence Day weekend. As we celebrate our Independence let us remember the words that all men are created equal and we must pursue happiness for all and not just the ones we identify with through religion, race, gender, culture or social standing. We are and will remain in this together to our dying day, as our forefathers learned in their great wisdom. It is time now for us to learn anew from them, how to live with each other, and pursue happiness together for the greater good.

What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness? -Jean Jacques Rousseau, philosopher and author (28 Jun 1712-1778)

Receding glaciers in our high mountains

Posted on June 20, 2016 by Rajiv Kapoor

According to a report from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), 35% of the glaciers in the Himalayan region will disappear in the next 20 years, even as temperatures across the Himalayas would rise by 2.5 degrees Celsius by 2050. In a warming region, the iceman’s invention may be a useful adaptive tool. “Glaciers have been receding rapidly for the last four-to-five decades,” said Chewang Norphel, 74 known popularly as the ‘Ice Man’. Eighty percent of the farmers in Leh district in northern India, he said, depend on glacier-melt to irrigate agricultural land and grow vegetables, barley and wheat. In a largely Buddhist region large stupas of Ice and the diversion of water sources into shaded valleys to seed artificial glaciers, is becoming the only source of reliable water in an increasingly arid region. Norphel has been leading these efforts with the help of the local authorities for the past decades bringing much needed relief.

The Ice Man’s methods as he detailed to world leaders at the Kyoto climate summit in 1997, may be the last saving grace, for the fading glaciers in mountain ranges across the world. From the Alps, Andes, Rockies, Caspian mountain ranges we will see devastating effects, as these are the source of major life giving rivers like the Danube, Po, Rhine and Rhone in Europe, the Colorado in the Rockies, Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra and many others in Asia. Climate change and receding glaciers continues to dry up California, European plains, the Indo Gangetic plain and other major croplands on earth and major glaciers have been on the retreat, across all the nations. Ground water levels are falling precariously, as we continue to pump out more water for irrigation and human needs from dwindling aquifers. We need the ability to use these high mountains to create the large glaciers, needed to store and release huge bodies of fresh water, and aid nature to do it, in the race against global warming.

The worries of these receding glaciers were dramatically shown by California Governor Jerry Brown this year when he stood in a barren land where glaciers had traditionally covered the land in recent memory. The Swiss and other experts have been proposing huge Dams to store the water at a great cost. China has been looking for water for its arid regions to feed its growing population. South Asia probably has the most at stake as the Monsoons have been erratic and its river flows and water reservoirs in precarious conditions with substantial hardships for its farmers. Increasing suicides from desperate farmers, are becoming a seasonal reality of life in these regions.

These methods are known to work at very low cost, and with simple engineering changes. We just have to divert existing water systems, and reduce their velocity, and divert them to shaded valleys, where the seasons and nature will do the rest. The Indian army and the government’s engineering bodies, have started work on these efforts, but much more can be done worldwide. We have to make efforts to build these natural stores of waters in the winter months, so they can be used in the spring to seed and grow crops without rains. These can also help to replenish the ground water levels before we hit disaster levels, and human existence in these areas becomes impossible. Climate change is not going away any time soon, and the sooner we take action to preserve life giving fresh water supplies, the better for us.These have lower environmental effects, than the giant Dams being proposed, and can be implemented at far lower cost of resources, with a minimal environmental footprint.

Floating consciousness

Posted on June 14, 2016 by Rajiv Kapoor

Standing at the water’s edge I saw the strange calm, and wondered how in our violent universe; the winds could be so still, and the surface of our lake so wave less. It seemed so solid, and the reflection of the clouds above and the cliff face across the water so clear, as if it was a photograph. To all appearances the scenery was a reflection, of nature’s beauty and wonder and a strange joy engulfed me. I felt that I could reach out and touch it and it would be like a wall, and maybe I could even walk across it and reach the other side. My soul seemed to merge into the waters and become one with its peace, or maybe it is because I am at peace, that I have allowed the lake to become still, like my thoughtless mind. I stand at the edge with no past and no future, and just am this moment, and the lake and I are one. This reality is ours together and the only truth, and all else is just a figment of our imagination.

Do you often come to the edge, and are you so agitated with your worries and your hopes and dreams, and entangled in your thoughts, that you do not see this world’s truth. Are you lost in the shadows of your mind and see only that which you wish to shape, into your own reality, and feel threatened by all, which you cannot shape. Is your imagination so warped by your thoughts and desires, that all you see is what you want to see, and how you wish your world to be, that you forget to see what is out there, in front of you? Do not worry as I was like you too, always busy and always becoming, and never pausing, but striving for all that was mine, or would be mine. I was out to shape this universe to my will, and my life force was strong, and nobody would stop me from reaching my goal, just like you.

I throw a pebble and watch the ripples grow, and it is as if the aura of my consciousness is spreading all around me, mirroring the ever expanding ripples. I am of this universe and life is consciousness and who can put limits on consciousness? I am not bound by my sense organs or my mind, as my consciousness is so ancient, that it reaches beyond time itself. Space time does not confine consciousness, as it flows and ebbs in eons of time, and galaxies of space. Thought itself is useless, as it is not the mind that defines me, but my life force, and that is more than this life itself. How can you trap this consciousness in a body, and expect the senses or the mind to even try tocomprehend, its existence. The only thing inside us is what we cannot hear or feel, we can feel an ant walk on our skin but not the blood flowing in our veins.

Human history like the story of evolution is violent and the survival of the fittest, not of the strongest, but those most adaptable to change. These killings, genocides, wars, rapes, murders and crimes have been there from our beginning, and will continue till our end. We cannot deny our animal nature, nor our existence as social tribal beings, who belong to clans and have belief systems, which have developed over centuries. Our religions, customs, music, culture, language, food define us, and we are uncomfortable outside our immediate fellow creatures. We fight wars to preserve our way of life, and minor belief differences can expand, to pitch Protestants against Catholics, Muslims against Jews, Hindus against Buddhists and so on. The barbarity we dish out to fellow humans, is unrivalled in the animal kingdom, where we kill for pleasure or revenge, and not for food.

So I stand on the edge marveling at this peace of life, that I have brought around myself. Having been reborn it is now my time to attain the highest enlightenment as per our beliefs. We do not shy away from identifying with this universe or Brahman and we do not fear the unknown as death has no meaning to the consciousness. Consciousness is and it will be, so I still the lake again, and bid it to reflect the universe, just like me. There is no duality here and what others see as a solid body, I see as the cosmic dust, which has come together from all around the universe, and will go back into it when I am done with this body. I am a mere wave at the quantum level and all this permanence is just an illusion. I float across the lake, and it welcomes me in its warm embrace, and we are one. I am thoughtless, yet I am life itself.

Clear the dams in our rivers and minds

Posted on June 6, 2016 by Rajiv Kapoor

For over a 100 years in the State of Washington, we kept two huge Dams standing on the Elwha River, and it trapped the free flow of the river; and a lot of precious trout and salmon, which may have used the waters to cohabitate, slowly came on the Federal Endangered Species list. In a strange reversal of mother nature, scientist are studying, what the demolition of large tall dams built for controlling the river, and providing ample hydroelectric power; which allowed major corporations, to come up in the State. Now the dams have been dismantled and the sediments built over a century, have been allowed to flow downriver, along with dead wood, and other natural material flows. This has reversed a dying river into a living river, as both flora and fauna, are coming back to life, from these newly released nutrients, it appears. For the thousands of acres of fresh water, and salt water mixtures, which have evolved a complex ecosystem, in the near shore flows down the plain, from the suddenly free Elwha river, flowing into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
For the first time we are seeing huge engineering constructions being dismantled to take care of our fellow living creatures. Nature has developed over billions of years and humans are in their very early years of evolution. We have a lot to learn on how to live in harmony with mother earth and to ensure we allow others to live and prosper. The waters of the Elwha River flow crystal clear and pristine once again and so many varieties of fish, crabs, vegetation, birds are growing their next generations in the fresh waters. From the high mountains of Snowfinger, the river flows into the ocean, and the whole ecosystem that the estuaries and the delta created, is alive again. A miracle of rebirth is happening right before our eyes, as nature leads the way.
This is a lesson that we must share, as when man takes one step to be more in harmony with nature, it is nature that wraps us in its embrace again; and lets us live peacefully, and prosperously. Having abundance for humans does not mean destroying other lifestyles around us, but instead we must nurture and grow them. Our growth depends on the growth of those around us, as we are all parts of the same existence. Inclusion of others is nothing new, as it goes on, with, or without our acknowledgement. We just have to remain aware, and the greatest natural rule is, that if it does not feel right in our consciousness, then it probably is not. I am not against dams and new technology and it must be harnessed, where needed. It is only that in our ambition, we do not overleap ourselves, and lay everything around us to ruin. We must balance a green path carefully for renewal energy and do what is right for our fellow creatures. Global warming and host of other measures are proving catastrophic and we must do everything in our power to move beyond them and closer to nature.
The sun, the wind, the oceans, the rivers are all there for us to harness their energy, for our own needs. This free renewable energy, is available in greater abundance than our humanity’s needs. The winds will not cease to blow, or the currents to flow, we only have to learn how to harness their strength, we live amidst a bountiful nature, and the sun will rise and set each day, and the tides will rise and fall, and she gives these all to us, to live and prosper. Nature while vengeful in evolution, can also be very magnanimous in her giving, to those who survive in life. We are born of her largess, and as such can always avail of a mother’s gift and use it for our pleasure. I only say treat this gift with respect, and let us live in harmony, and enjoy the wonder, which is our life. We must get together in harmony, and explore the meaning of our beautiful existence, and the pure joy of life itself!

Age, culture and friendship

Posted on June 4, 2016 by Rajiv Kapoor

So ten years, a whole decade had passed since we had last met. Our Life was not meant to be together, and our friendship is just a passing shadow, not real between us. We were surprised to discover each other, after all these years, and find we had some things, still in common between us. The times we have lived in the past few years, have seen a lot of change, in how we live, but we have also made deep friendships. There are people more engaged with their smart phone, and Apple world now, that they do not communicate very well, with humans around them. Meals have become a chore, and more patrons at restaurants are dissatisfied with their servings, as they spend too much time on their communication devices; and letting the presentation wilt, and the food becomes cold and insipid.
So I did not miss you, as life had me in its grip, but now it is different. We actually look up from our iPhones and talk to each other. The meetings of eyes, the sly smiles, the hearty laugh seem so strange, as who had heard of laughter; in the time, of cell phones? We have become slaves, of our devices, and we are more taken up in their care, rather than enjoying the time of life; given to each one of us. With each passing moment we lose a little, but instead with you around; I gain a lot. We are friends after all, and friendship, has its own songs. It has its own verse, language and when appropriate; music, from a common culture. We are so much alike, that I could be looking in a mirror of minds, a common consciousness of the universe; in, and around us. We speak and see as one, and all around us is in harmony, as love flows; where friendship lays, its foundation.
So over Thirty years of my life has passed with you besides me, and everything I am now, is because of you. We have made a life out of nothing, and the credit goes; mainly to you. It is as if, our times, are meant for improving. We make everything look so easy as circumstances and fortune made its own paths, around us. We had enough, as we had each other; and the children made it easier. Life is so busy, and we are so engrossed in living it; that time just passes, as if it’s a river. You and me sat and we watched the river of life flow from its banks, and raised our kids and made our friends. All of ours, has floated down the river of time, and yet we are still stronger, than before. This is a time and a place, that we can rightfully call our own. We have arrived in our place, and we have peace, as we are who we are; and there is no duplicity here.
As we grow older, we have to learn to be more forgiving, and also kinder; to those dear ones, who are around us. The fury and anger, of getting one’s own way, is no longer as strong, as one starts to mellow down. Life is no longer a war with others, for one’s survival, but a time for relaxation, and enjoyment. Play games, read books, enjoy card games, take long walks, be closer to nature as soon nature is going to be, closer to us than. we will ever want it to be. Enjoy the time on this earth, as it is a song, which our life sings in happiness. Will we be the choir? or will our words ring out? clear and loud, for all to hear? Will they stand and cheer for the way we lived, when we are no longer here?
Life is full of surprises, but the greatest surprise I discovered, is the one, I played on myself. When I was young, I had a future; and some, rosy dreams, and the whole world was at my feet. Time passed, in dreams of tomorrow; and the brave new world, and the brotherhood of men; where everyone is successful. In an Ayn Rand way giant industries grow around us and the world progresses and everyone is rich or at least living well. What I could have been, and what I have become; is a strange difference, of my perception and your reality. Sometimes it is me, and then it is the one I am becoming, so now I know, that I just am. It has become too hard, to be trying to change, as I have already become. As thirty years together, have not changed me, so also has life not made me bitter. Even a twisted Pretzel is nothing, compared to the round about ways; that my life turned and on so many different planes, that to feel the wholeness of this moment, is very uncanny. I sit, I meditate,Being Here, I am, yet it is strange to love another, more than oneself. We are all born, and we will all feel love and spread love and joy We should arrive bringing gifts of love and compassion, and reduce human hatred all around us, We will all pass on, leaving our shared culture, to our daughters, sons, family, friends and this universe.

Image: “Friendships in adulthood” JLS Media on flicker.

@rajivtheauthor

The Peacock Throne Wars

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