Emotional intelligence

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Came across this very interesting article in the NY Times by Jennifer Kahn of Berkeley “Can emotional intelligence be taught?” and it got me thinking. Could it be true that teaching our children how to have a better SEI or social and emotional intelligence may lead to more fulfilled lives? It seems that academic achievements (IQ) are not the only measures that show how successful a child will be when he\she grows up. Their ability to handle stressful situations and the ability to empathize with others may be strong points leading to a better rounded and more fulfilling life. I look at the four quadrants of blue (malaise, indifferent), yellow (excited), red (angry), green (peaceful) to simplify the theory and wonder how we react to social situation, and why it affects our lives in certain ways. If we can teach our children to understand their own emotions and then to further be aware of their reactions to external stimuli; it would help remove a lot of angst, emotional pain and suffering.
We live in a land of the walking wounded; where many of us are socially and emotionally spent, from what life has served up to us. Even Charles Darwin recognized that emotional intelligence is important for groups to survive and evolve. From the deprived inner city single family kid to the special privileged child living in the world of plenty, we are slowly being drained of social and emotional skills. TV and computers may be great to pass our lives but human interaction is strangely lacking, for a lot of these children. No longer are the long dinners followed by storytelling on an almost daily or weekly basis; or the large family gatherings where the elders weave magical tales, which define the clan’s identities and social backgrounds, practiced as rituals or rites of passage. Both the working parents (if the kid is lucky to have them) are often too busy coping with their own lives; and their teachers too busy coping with the standardized tests, that the job of teaching social and emotional skills ends up on the TV in sesame street like programs, or at worse daytime soaps. War games on game consoles are more popular with boys and young men than the social interaction with peers and adults and girls. We are always connected with phone messaging, Facebook, Twitter and the internet but do we connect physically or emotionally with each other?
It is no wonder that our loved ones are walking around with grievances, perceived insults and hurts from a long period ago; that just will not go away. We do not question why we feel this way; or wonder why the other person did or said, what we thought they did. It is better in our narcissist behavior (I am special) and neurotic feelings (nobody understands me) to remain cocooned in our righteousness (his duty to take care of me) and hang on to our obsessions, for the rest of our lives. How can I walk without my crutch that I have built my life around, and if I give it up why would anyone look up to me, once they realize that all this was only an act to get their attention. As nobody can understand me; then why do I need to empathize and understand them, why does the burden always lie on me, while all these hateful persons just walk away Scot free, after all the hurts they have given me? So on it goes and often life is spent; and you are about to pass on to your maker and then you want to reach out and say something, and realize it is too late and it does not matter as that person has already moved on.
I look at the red square and understand its attraction as if we are showing anger then we are showing that our life is important, if you do not do things my way then I will shout and hit and do whatever it takes to make you do what I want (right or wrong). The blue square is also very tempting as I can pass the poor and the needy; in ignorance of my responsibility, and leave them to their fate. This is a misguided philosophy as if do become emotionally and socially involved, all of us will benefit. The yellow square is exciting and all of us should try to feel its power within us. It is the first rumblings of life and even the creator must have seen this; as we equate yellow with light and life, and all it bestows. The green is the final stage when life has come its full circle, when we look up at the green of the mighty trees or the endless expanse of the grasses swaying in the spring breeze and peace is within and without us. We raise our self-esteem and are comfortable with who we are, and are better able to emotionally connect with those around us. This is when we are at first peace with ourselves and then share empathy, love, compassion and peace with all around us.
It seems that the SEI people may be on to something after all and emotional intelligence may indeed be a factor in how we live life. We all have our crutches and our pet grievances or low self-esteem, which we carry around like the rock of Sisyphus up and down the hill of life. All our life we push it up hill and then the next day we start again; as somehow it always ends up back downhill, and we love the labor, as if we were born to do just this. We will not give up our neurotic behavior and it defines our personality and our spouses, children and dear and near ones step around them on tip toe avoiding the eruptions that will ensue; if the volcano simmering inside is stirred. When will we learn to throw away the crutch and remove our shoulder from this emotional boulder that we have attached ourselves to. To stand upright and realize that the other person was fair in his treatment of us, and we were the ones who did not understand what they did. When will we let bygones be bygones and get on with our lives; to make a better today, and love those we need to love and cherish? Spring again into the yellow square and feel that excitement; that you have let your emotions remove, and get ready to work to move into the green of universal peace. It reminds me of our clan’s havans and the Hindu prayers always ending with the mantra that goes Om shanti, shanti, shanti Om. Oh God bring us to the stage where even peace itself may be at peace.

Mega clusters

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There is a slight wrinkle in the time space continuum it seems; as Google is going to build its new Moto X phone, right here in the US. Flextronics the colossus in worldwide logistics and manufacturing; will be using Motorola’s 500,000 square feet manufacturing facility in Fort Worth TX, and 2,000 workers will be assembling custom designed phones for the US market. This will allow better collaboration between the innovative designers in the US; and the factory to incorporate the latest designs and allow customers to enjoy the flexibility, of making their own phone. This is in contrast to Apple’s policy of making its phones abroad, and bringing them in standard configurations. The latest cheap iPhone announced at $ 99 is not so cheap it appears; as Apple knock offs in China are available for $ 40, and will the brand help them to bridge that gap, is still up in the air. The Moto X will have 70% of its components made here, and only the processors will come from Taiwan and the displays from South Korea. This may change in the future as U S manufacturers will be able to work with designers and come up with alternatives; just as Taiwan and Korea have been working with the designers, for the past decades.
In a sign of the times even Apple is going to produce its high tech Macs here in the US. Those who have given up on the US as a manufacturer; should not give up hope, as the times they are a changing. Whirlpool just announced appliances that will have iPhone like exteriors; and the stainless steel kitchens appliances in upscale homes, are about to change. These will be built in the US, and the use of latest materials and designs and it may be a broader new trend about to happen. The auto industry is making a comeback and while it is not roaring; it is still growing, and Obama’s bailout has left them standing, and they will soon be running. As more processors end up in the latest cars and high end music systems like Bose and others made in the US are added, the innovations will continue. Everything is going to become smarter and use less energy and for that the latest materials and designs have to be incorporated. The new muscle cars will be made not of metal alloys but of synthetic composites to lighten weight and increase strength. The greatest fear for people buying electric cars is that they will run out of juice and get stranded. This will change as they become more energy efficient; and run longer on a single charge, with improved storage. These cars will not break down and last much longer; than the inefficient internal combustible engines, which also pollute a lot more and add to greenhouse gasses.
With the revival in housing markets the new homes will use more items manufactured right here; as high end consumers, will seek the latest designs. These will then trickle down to the masses; in mass production methods adopted from the USA or its NAFTA partners. Energy production is going to grow right here in the US with abundant gas, oil, solar, bio mass, wind, nuclear and it will feed the cities of tomorrow. The building boom for the next millennium has not even started as the millennials, still have to decide where they will live and work. Having grown up in suburbs and small towns they will increasingly opt for city living; as that is where the action, will be. You cannot import a city; and modern life will change how and where we live, and how we communicate and spend our leisure. Hot spots of high speed communications and public transportation will be concentrated into mega clusters, as they are easy to maintain and support. The national parks are not going away any time soon and nature will be better husbanded; without encroachment, from human sprawl. Giant sports arenas, concert halls, exhibition grounds, theme parks and convention centers will incorporate the latest technologies and the wonders will continue endlessly in these mega structures, where the future generations will play and entertain themselves.

So as I said it seems a wrinkle is appearing in the space time continuum of human existence. It will change the path of development and allow better coordination between design and high end products and new technologies. The developed world will continue to pull ahead and the developing will be hard pressed to follow. There will still be the ones who want to adopt a Thoreau or Gandhian philosophy or the religious right; of living closer to nature, and minimizing our needs and imprint on this earth and avoidance of big government and societal ills, born of ever increasing desires and consumption. The struggle for the modern soul will continue, as we evolve and seek out new frontiers and the extremists will do anything to stop our progress. Will the rising spiral of innovation’s bounties; satisfy our physical and social needs, or will society breakdown into clusters of the have and havenots, is still to be seen. We cannot turn back the clock as these messiahs of hate and bigotry would have us believe, and change will come; and we just have to be better prepared to ensure we ride the next Tsunami of desires from the teeming billions, with resources that can satisfy them. The design of a new world order is taking shape right here and now, and we better jump onto this band wagon for a better tomorrow, before it leaves us in the dust. From the ashes of hate will rise the phoenix of a better world; as the human spirit is magnanimous, loving and compassionate, at its very core.

Dow changes

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There is a change in the 30 components of Dow Jones Industrial index as Bank of America, Hewitt Packard and Alcoa come off and Goldman, Nike and Visa are the new blue chips crowned in all their new glory. It is a change that represents our time and how we live. Alcoa the mighty producer of aluminum was always the first to report and represented the coming of age of the American Industrial power, earlier in the last century. From Carnegie’s huge new furnaces that first introduced the world to mass produced steel at an economical rate, that gave rise to the modern vertical city; to the likes of Alcoa that showed that human ingenuity can convert earth’s abundant resources for the use and upliftment of the masses, America was in ascendance and by the end of the second world war; was an industrial power house producing more that 50% of the world’s output of steel, oil, aluminum and other goods. We say goodbye to an era of industrial production and the age of the greatest generation that built it, which changed the way we live forever.
Goldman and Bank of America were on the two sides of the last crisis. BoFA had made a huge bet by acquiring Countrywide Financial at the peak of the mortgage boom, looking at its huge profits and growing revenues. Goldman however correctly analyzed that this was a house of cards; that would soon come tumbling down and bet heavily against the boom to continue foreve,r and may have even been the bad wolf who helped blow it down. There are always two sides to a trade and BoFA with its long history suddenly found itself at the wrong end of the calculation and lost. Greed and wealth know no limits and the big financial institutions continue to grow, and without the constraints of equality and a sense of fairness; will continue to increase the gap between the top 1% and the bottom 80%. The poor home owner got no respite, and billions went to feather penthouses of the billionaires; who did not really need it. The working families will continue to strive to carry the burden of over inflated houses from the bubble for their life; and the Goldman’s will make their storied bets on their ability to do so, in interest rate swaps and derivatives and instruments so complex, that a sane man would be hard put to understand the jargon. Suffice it to say the Goldman will continue to make huge bets for and against its customer base for the benefit of itself and its millionaire’s club. Welcome the latest member to this exclusive club as it has brought panache and refinement to this august institution. I am sad to say that in this case us poor piggys have lost the American dream, and the big bad wolf has been crowned a prince of the castle.
The replacement of Alcoa by Nike is a true changing of the guard. While Alcoa invested heavily in America and heavy industry and remains an industrial power house till this day; in the case of Nike it is the new globalization, and innovation that made it a leader. They have harnessed all the modern forces of production worldwide, and become a leader in their field. Their advertisements with the simple swoosh; have been iconic and with the birth of a super star in basketball Nike Air and Michael Jordan, rose to new heights. I remember seeing the huge modern factories in China; where the shoes were rolled out to the millions. The best brains designed the footwear in America and then developed the best assembly line processes invented by Henry Ford and refined it, into the modern consumer goods built by cheap labor, flooding the coastal cities of emergent China. Super power America brought the latest technology and methods of production; to an old and communist China, and our world changed for the better. Inner city kids killed each other for the expensive designs and the hype from the modern advertising machines. After all America does spend more on advertising than on education and many other human services. For inner city kids struggling without role models; and with the breakdown in their education system and society at large, the high top air from Nike was the ultimate status symbol and Jordan was a star, who they could all strive to be.
The saddest perhaps is the turning away of the company that started in the iconic garage and which later grew, into the new world known today as Silicon Valley. This was the ultimate representation of the pioneering spirit and the innovation that America has represented to the world. Here two young kids got together and started an entrepreneurship that truly revolutionized the world at large like nothing before them. The information age was transformed forever by their tinkering around; and the modern age that we take for granted, would not have been possible today without their efforts. With the demise of the personal computer they are off the prestigious list; but what a ride it was and how many modern marvels have come about, because of this one single company. We owe them a great debt for while the giant corporations plodded on in their set ways; it was HP that opened up the West into a new gold rush and drew the best and the brightest, from around the globe to become pioneers in new fields. Here the wildest ideas were tried out and venture capitalist’s funded bizarre schemes and who cared if you failed, as you could always move on to the next great idea. It goes to show that opportunity and hope are still the wild horses that the cowboys of old rode, and we should never give up on change. Even today while the world may has many divisions; it is still an open range for ideas and innovation to spread like wildfire, toppling age old regimes and loosening fanatical societies, with the tiny message from the air of common men, sharing new age ideals. Change is coming and the Dow and all else are only reflecting, what our spirit has brought about, in the continued pursuit of happiness.
The rise of Visa is a new chapter in modern commerce of catering to individual customers across a large geography; probably started with a railway clerk discovering that the new railroads were ideal for distributing goods, across the vast growing lands. Sears Roebuck catalogs became the prized possession of many people; across the Wild West, as their only connection to goods being produced in the huge factories, rising in the new cities. No longer did you have to wait for a wagon trail to come by and barter and trade for goods and tools, and could select an item from a vast catalog and then just wait for it to be delivered like magic through the railroads. The only credit that existed before that was the local merchant extending it to you; as he knew where you lived, and what you did. It was a cash economy and you worked hard and saved and paid for goods or service, up front.
With the return of the greatest generation from the second world war; there were suddenly fifty million people building homes, townships, suburbs and consumption shot up as the war machines turned to become purveyors of Fridges, air conditioners, TVs, and of course the love of the open road in the automobile. Where just 50 years ago the credit card was issued only to the rich; it soon became ubiquitous, and within a few decades trillions of dollars are being spent using plastic card with a strip of information. The baby boomers exploded into an era of unprecedented wealth building and development, which has never before been witnessed on this earth. The credit simplification has allowed the growth of modern commerce, and Visa has been at the forefront of this new revolution. Today it is such an acceptable way of paying for goods and services that the growing eCommerce new world; would not have been possible, without it. Now faceless consumers buy from faceless suppliers; and a few bits exchanged over the internet, allow any consumer to live like a king. The growth of Visa and credit fuel the largest economic engines ever built; and globalization itself would not be possible, without it. I am; so I consume, and hence my credit goes up. This little plastic has truly become my visa to the whole world; to enjoy with all my senses, anything that is available, for my consumption and pay for it later. Dante’s inferno beckons us and we romp happily in Sodom and Gomorrah, as if there is no tomorrow!

Democratic franchise

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Watching the TV series ‘America the story of us’ on this hot Indian summer weekend in Arkansas I finally got through the episode on the bloodiest war; where brother fought brother and the ideals of the Union finally prevailed, over the beliefs of the Confederacy. Ten sentences uttered at Gettysburg PA by President Lincoln have stood through history and they summarized the many years of the divide caused by cessation;and the struggles of the civil war and ended with the immortal words, “that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Modern warfare had killed almost two percent of the US population; which would amount to six million today, and the end was not in sight. The President was a visionary in so many ways besides the abolition of slavery, as the modern nation was being born. Railroads spread across the land and the telegraph became the new internet of instant messages. The first land grant colleges appeared and education got its great boost. Westwards the nation grew at a pace unimaginable before; and a whole continent was opened up, as one of the greatest migration from the old world to the new started. The Indian nations declined into reservations and the African Americans fought shoulder to shoulder for equality and the opportunity to be free.
Today we have a black President whose family in the White House is an inspiration to many other inner city kids; who may have a renewed faith of what can be achieved in this land. There are no excuses any longer; and while the road is still long, and the hidden prejudices still there below the surface, driving the descendants of slaves into pockets of ignorance, without opportunity or franchise, the hope will not perish, of a better world to come. Those who continue to divide humanity by playing the race card or morally superior beliefs of caste or religion should be banished from the public stage. We need to remember the words of the famous philosopher at the dawn of modern Democracy that “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors” – Plato. This is even truer in the developing world and the Middle East and Africa where nascent democracies are struggling; in the same way the soul of America was raked through the fires, of the great civil war. Great achievements require great sacrifices; and we are still at a delicate balance in our history, all over the world.

How can these ignorant, filthy, downtrodden millions know any better; than what they have. They deserve what they get; as they are not ready to lead the disciplined lives, that would let them rise out of their poverty and ignorance. Their leaders are often dynastic rulers cheered on by sycophants and those who benefit from their largess. They cater to a band of loyalists or thugs that project their power; and are often immersed in personal gain or misguided philosophies, at the cost of their larger constituents. The means of production and capital are often controlled by a few; and the masses struggle on, eking out a living at a couple of dollars a day or less. They are chattel and fodder for the great game of politics, that are played across their own lands. Vested interests take a toll on resources and hold back the ingenuity of millions, in the twin reins of power and corruption. They are allowed to live and die in darkness; bereft of basic human needs of energy, sanitation, food and health.
We should again become the beacon on the hill as that is our manifest destiny. There is no longer room for the despots to hold back their huddled masses; and subject them to conditions, that should have been removed by the industrial revolution and modern science. As the last super power we do not need to wage war and invade, to put things right. There are more enlightened ways to take this war on ignorance, disease and poverty to the masses. We have eradicated small pox (which was one of the enemies that George Washington battled in that cruel cold winter in Valley Forge PA, during the revolutionary war) and there are still many more milestones to conquer. Overwhelming force and shock and awe as shown by General Sherman on his march to Atlanta; and then on to the sea in to Savannah Georgia were the final straw that broke the proud South’s back, in the civil war. We do not have to use the scorched earth policy across the globe; to bring bad regimes down, but need a better way.
Visionaries like Bill Gates and other philanthropists like Carnegie, Rockefeller and Ford before have shown that along with great wealth comes a great responsibility to do the most good. One cannot bring democracy to the masses but one can aid in bringing education, health care and better nutrition to the poor. The forces of good can overcome the draconian policies of these regimes by taking steps to provide opportunity and knowledge to the people. Then it will be up to the people to bring about the change they so desperately need. We can be the agents of the change; but cannot force it, as it is the people who have to decide what they need or want. They themselves will create the society that will benefit them and their belief systems; will have to evolve to come, into the modern era. This process cannot be forced and will take its own time; depending on the the ability for a region or people, to accept change. All change will not be for the better, so we cannot foresee what the future will bring. The forces of good and evil have fought for millenniums and will continue to do so in the future. We can only chose our leaders well; and then make sure that they do the right things, and if not make a change. Throw the bums out; but use the force of law, and not the capricious whims of the moment. The pursuit for a more perfect union; must first be carried out at home, as there is a lot of work still ahead of us. The war on ignorance, superstition, bias, poverty and bad faith has just begun. Democratic franchise is the greatest choice the founding fathers made for us; and we must continue to strive, to help to perpetuate their legacy.

Wrist watch

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The new thing is going to be watches that let us view messages enjoy stereophonic Bluetooth connections and wireless talking as Samsung, Sony, Apple and Qualcomm and numerous others introduce the latest versions of this new product. We are about to give new meaning to the word wrist watch and a whole new era is about to be born. Google glasses are the other new toy about to come to a store near you and so we are headed to the age of seamless always connected era in a rush. Miniature screens with high resolution will bring the world to us; no matter where we are, long as the internet can support us. We will be talking to these devices, as if they were an extension of our personality; and eventually they will become our personality as they will know more about our preferences and with algorithms built in, and become the purveyors of all that is available out there and offer up the results of searches on things we may like. . The build out of the core infrastructure like power plants, transmission capabilities memory and storage, miniaturization and display capabilities are about to take a gigantic leap forward.
That brings us to the question as to whose data warehouses will provide the content for all these always connected millions. In cloud computing Amazon leads the way with Google, Microsoft and numerous others continuing to build out the huge server farms that house the increasing data needed by each of us. The TV industry and the deliverer of news and entertainment as known today will continue to deliver content over the airways and cable to residents but the mobile consumer may well choose another path. Netflix, You Tube, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook are all vying for our online time; and content creation, storage and delivery are the next big thing. From MIT videos on education, to the sluttiest porn; it will all be there at our voice command, and we will pick and choose at our leisure. A digital smart grid will provide energy, content, connectivity, social media and countless other things, in ways we cannot imagine today. We will be limited only by our imagination; on what to do with those free minutes, we have at our disposal.
Today the cost of these build outs are being paid out in the developed world and the digital divide continues to grow. The citizens of the developing world are not to be left behind and are demanding the same delivery and the rush to reduce costs and improve the devices so that they just sip energy continues. Advertising and commerce pay for the new frontier and the consumers benefit from the build out, by the Governments of infrastructure and research. The path is not sustainable and the resources required although enormous are still limited, and taking away from other life’s non digital necessities. Mothers and children continue to die and diseases that are curable still kill millions across the globe. Food security, potable drinking water, medical health supplies, decent housing are still dreams for billions; as the elite consume the new universe. He buys a $ 35,000 handbag for his trophy girlfriend, while it could feed thousand starving children with that same money.
So what will our priorities be in the future is the question; and I am not a Luddite and against progress, or the new frontier. We need to be seamlessly connected, as it will help make a better world. Education and knowledge are the destroyers of ignorance; and we have the greatest opportunity, to lift millions into the new age. The problem is not this new age that we want to build, but how we will build it. Will it be one filled with compassion and love for our fellow beings, or will it be one where divisions and exclusions rule and whole species are destroyed to make room for our ever expanding needs. Can we make a more sustainable future for our coming generations, while still making progress in tackling some of our toughest problems? The politicians have no clue; and are mired in their daily wrangling, power sharing secrets, and backward visions. They are solving yesterday’s problems, and not too successfully at that, and only for their deemed constituents. Statesmen are a rare breed and getting rarer as sectarian and cult considerations are more important for them to sustain their identity than a universal approach. We are doomed to live in a world of violence and hate propagated by the extreme left or right wings, and the middle will continue to suffer.
I look forward to looking at my wrist and finding not just the time but my whole social world there, or wear those glasses and watch the world literally go around me. Toys have always fascinated me, and these will be par excellence as far as Christmas gifts are concerned. We may not make love any more, but at least we will be digitally connected. ‘I see you’ will take a whole new meaning as holographic images will project versions of you that you want others to see, and avatars will become a blurring of reality and fact. We will be able to be whatever we want to be in our digital life, but at the beginning of the morning when we look into the mirror who will we find there? Take a closer look, as we may be the next extinct species.

Labor Day

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The Bumble bees, the smaller worker bees and the moths are all busy sucking the nectar from the lavender flowers; of the variegated leaved hedge that grows knee high, between my driveway and my neighbor’s entrance. They are all doing their karma without attachment or resentment, as each flitted from flower to flower and sucked deep of its sweet bounty. They have no dream of acquiring an empire of lavender flowers; or in harnessing slaves to do their bidding, and gather the nectar for them, so that they can become ever more powerful, with growing mountains of nectar at their command. They do not attack each other or create outcasts; as nature’s bounty is here for all of us to enjoy together, as we are all part of the same universe in this particular space and time. We are just working out our karmic experience in perfect harmony of body and soul and should suffer no duality of experience, or delusions of grandeur.
The problem I think comes down to space and time; as while each is unlimited and possibly extends out into eternity, our minds cannot comprehend this. We are limited by our sense organs and our intellect, to a known creation and its limits. We cannot experience outside our senses or think beyond our intellect. We acquire a lot of knowledge all our life on different waves, within the time and space continuum. This knowledge is what causes our ego to grow; and we can create an identity around this knowledge we acquire; which defines what we are, and also what we can or cannot achieve. The higher we climb; the more we can see, and the more we acquire, the less we know, about the minute individual details. So knowledge diminishes, as wisdom expands. There comes a time when we have reached the peak of a certain field; we have a new revelation and have to unequivocally state, that we know nothing, and need to start all over again. While others may be blinded by our knowledge and the brilliance of our research; we ourselves are just opening our eyes to a new wisdom, on a different plane.
Thus we are engaged throughout our existence in this field of illusion; where we use our sense organs and our intellect, to gain more knowledge. The problem becomes compounded as we also put on certain glasses, as we go through life. For an example a pick pocket on meeting a very holy man; will notice only his pockets, a hungry man going through a market, will only notice the eating places and neglect the places of worship or beauty. Whatever our mind or body is seeking becomes this opaque vision; using which, we look at the universe around us. A holy man sees goodness, and an evil man sees temptation, and a tailor sees clothes and their cuts, and so on. None of us sees the whole universe, or what it has to offer. We seek within our limits; and are surprised at the end of the journey, that we only found so little for life, to offer us. It is not life that limits us; but our own vision, that clouds us. As we go beyond each veil; new vistas open up to us, and as we move along the Jnana or knowledge path, we start unfolding the tree of wisdom. I am full of my ahamkar and ego so I know everything and the saint in his wisdom knows nothing. As we shatter successive levels of our egos; we find that there is more light coming through our filters, and enlightenment is slowly building up.
So as we step up to the gates of heaven; or are ready to pass into the state of nirvana, what is the essence that we will take with us? Precious little; as all that we will have is not of this life, it is not these sense organs, or the walking organs, or the knowledge learnt from our books and exploration, or our wealth and earthly success, as they are useless where we are going. All our life we worked on earning and preserving our wealth; or army, or force, or food stocks, or energy, and in the end it is all left behind. It is our duty to do these things during our existence; but the key is to do it without attachment. If our wife, car, home, possessions start to define us; then we have not done, our righteous duty. We need to do all this and more; as the lotus that needs to be tended, is within us. The kingdom of heaven lies within us and not outside; and similarly Nirvana has to be realized internally and not externally from material possessions or from others. Only when we labor without attachment to the fruit of our labor; and when we do our best to do our duty in whatever existence serves up to us, does life become meaningful and our karma falls away.
The bumble bee’s labor is done now that it is dark and the flowers sway in the light breeze. Labor Day has come and gone and still the work remains the same. Holidays are for contemplation and stepping away; and taking a chance to look inwards, and discard some of the distractions we have created for ourselves, in our relationships. Discard this pursuit of useless knowledge, and pursue the path of wisdom. Learn from the bumble bee, as it does not fight with the flower to give it what it needs. If one flower refuses, it moves on to the next. Do not get hung up on a particular path or a particular action or a particular person or obsession. Instead lift the veil and let light in and move on; as wisdom comes from removing ignorance, and not just heaping knowledge upon knowledge into an overextended mind. As Bob Dylan sang, “When you ain’t got nothing, you got nothing to lose.” When you reach that plane of nothing, only then can you start to strive to unravel, the true meaning of this existence. It is in the innocence of a child’s smile; as it shows the infinite possibilities, which lie ahead of all of us in this karmic life. Learn to hear afresh and see again; and the wonders will unfold and nothing again will be the same, as even the “I” will fade away and you will be free at last; and Heaven’s gate or Nirvana, will just be another stage you pass.

Epic tales of labor

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In this spirited 16th-century painting illustrating a battle scene in the Bhagavad Gita, the gods look down on the mortal hero Arjuna (far right), who is directed and assisted by his personal charioteer (and God incarnate), Krishna (second from right), during the climactic engagement with the Kauravas at Kurukshetra. Krishna fortifies the will of the wavering Arjuna, convincing him at his moment of moral crisis that it is his duty to proceed and to fight for what is right.

Back home to celebrate Labor Day week end in American tradition with the family. With work ending on this fateful Friday, I proceeded to the city with a CRV full of relatives and luggage. It was a great visit and the traffic proving to be the easiest part of the trip till one hit the $ 13 too at GWB and everyone was paying and queuing up to get past it to where they were going. Pretty remarkable for a steel and cable engineering achieved decades ago, to be still spanning the great Hudson and the barges and ships and yachts floating by far below the cliff face. The city has a life all its own and the theater district was full and the restaurants all crowded with early supper eaters. The big event was of course at Flushing Meadow and due to poor planning we missed the U S Open this year and the relatives who were there.

Back at the lake I heard the splash in the water of a big Bass jumping in its element in the dark night. I looked at the bank of the lake and wondered how all this chaos can be overcome of desire and love and life. There is duty to Dharma and then the mores of society to be followed. The big bass is the slippery ego in this scenario. No matter how hard I try to break free from these constraints; the ego slips in, and disrupts the plan. “Wow how much peace have you attained by standing on this spot in your home,” it whispers at the shore when it knows well that peace is far from the moment. There are bills to pay and labor to do and this week end is a welcome respite from all the daily toil. Freed from the burden of those chores tomorrow is for servicing the trusty vehicle and making sure it is in good running condition when I am away.
Tomorrow will be spent in reading the discourses on the Bhagwad Geeta at Naroup University in Colorado by Ram Dass in the 70’s. I revised a look at his “BE HERE AND NOW” after many decades on the way here on the kindle fire. It was a very poor substitute for the original which was far bigger and the paper and the prints an absolute delight. Arjun the Kshatriya after studying his opponents from his chariot; has asked the question to Krishna of why all he holds in respect and honor; must die on this battlefield of Kurukshetra and why must he partake in this dastardly deed. He has thrown his bow down in despair and refused to fight and seeks guidance from his charioteer and friend. I am avidly waiting for the next revelation tomorrow, as a lot is revealed in the first two chapters themselves. This song to god is an explanation of why we must do karma; and it is in Krishna’s strange interpretations of Dharma, and how Arjun benefits by following the path of war, are the main theme of the book. It is after all a war for their own existence and the righteous must win for the world to go on.
The book is a very small but significant other major Puran the Mahabharata. It is a massive tomb of a people who settled the plains of north India and a record of those times. It is an epic tale and meanders and flows and is only comparable to the other great Puran the Ramayana where the Ram avtar takes precedence in his righteous rule. These millinia old tales are so imbedded into the Hinu myth that even today the enaction of the chapters of the Ramayan and the eventual buring of the huge effigies of Ravan the ten headed wise man and his son Kumbhkaran and brother Megnath in Ramlila grounds in New Delhi even today to celebrate Dusherra and the end of the nine nights of Navaratri,. Traditions go a long way back in those lands and the Ram Mandir agitation in Ayodhya is still a hot spot for communal riots boiling under the surface of the mobs that can run wild at any time. A man who brought Ram Rajya or good governance is now used to defy the current government by instigating old communal fears that lie dormant but are never fully extinguished. Ambers that can light up whole neighborhoods, on dark night if stokeds. May it never come to pass and may cooler heads prevail when the spark is lit by some right wing leader in the vast land.
On Sat it is bedtime as one has to fulfill the quest for new mattresses for the new addition for the master bed. A lot of furniture will have to be moved reclaimed and refinished before this exercise is over. It is a long overdue one too; and we should have done it years ago, to enjoy a better room. Sun is probably back to the city after going to Jersey City for lunch. There is still so much to look forward to enjoy. Karmic laws and labor day are good companions and one should learn from the righteous; that there are paths we do not open our minds to, that are there for us to take.

Eightfold path

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File:8foldway.png

Figure 1: The pseudoscalar meson nonet. Members of the octet are shown in green, the singlet in magenta. The name of the Eightfold Way derives from this classification.

The swim on the warm Sunday evening is exhilarating; as I have neglected any kind of physical exercise, for the past few weeks. After my laps I sit exhausted on the steps; with my head resting on the railing, and close by eyes against the sunshine. My eyelids turned a bright orange; and then I see the phenomena of the sub atomic particles, appear as if in a dream. The quarks or whatever it is; carried by cosmic rays hitting my eyelid, rise out of nowhere and form a bright blue pattern against the orange background, like exploding firecrackers on the 4th of July. They rise out of nothing and formed this momentary pattern like a rising blue fountain of light; that branches off into all cascading directions, and then disappears as the stream fall back into nothing. I know we cannot see these sub atomic particles; and it has taken researchers years to even find them, so I came back and do some research. The model above describes the scientist’s findings.
Decades ago when I was studying Buddhist meditation, I was fascinated with Gautama/Siddhartha’s quest; as he struggled to find the source of misery, pain, old age and death and how to escape from its cycle of rebirth. He describes his long search and his practice of severe asceticism, of tantric practices, of bhakthi and devotion, and over many decades sought the greatest masters, to learn from them. He traveled to the great centers of learning; and held discourses with anyone who would engage with him, during his long quest. He said that after a particularly long penance; he went down to touch his belly button and felt his back bone instead, through the skin. He realized that extreme mortification of the flesh is not the way to truth and knowledge. He had already enjoyed the luxuries of the palace where he grew up; and the way of the householder and kings indulging in all the sensual pleasures, was also not the way he realized. He had to find a middle path that anyone could follow.
Scientists have come up with an eight fold way to describe the quark model; and Buddha also came up with his eight fold path, when he delved deep into his inner conscience to attain Nirvana. Everything is scientific and each model took a lot of work to arrive at. There is no creator here or death or destruction; as energy and mass interchange but do not disappear. So this was the biggest secret at the heart of all creation; that there was nothing there at the core. When Buddha tried to grasp the absolute and weighty argument of God; he found it wanting, as in the heart of the lotus, there was only bliss and compassion. He defined the way of knowledge that would lead us away from our ignorance; as he was sure that it is our own actions and karma that trap us here, and not the work of gods and goddesses. There are no super beings in this realm; only the Sanga or the likeminded folks to whom he preached his eight fold path of Dharma. So to take refuge in the Buddha, the Sanga and Dharma are core principles of Buddhist practices and to achieve enlightenment; you have to walk the path laid down by the ancient, who were Self awakened ones. This is represented by the eight spokes of the Dharma wheel; and those who walk this path, can find the direct knowledge to the cessation of death and suffering.
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Division Eightfold Path factors Acquired factors
Wisdom (Sanskrit: prajñā, Pāli: paññā)
1. Right view 9. Superior right knowledge
2. Right intention 10. Superior right liberation
Ethical conduct (Sanskrit: śīla, Pāli: sīla)
3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right livelihood
Concentration (Sanskrit and Pāli: samādhi)
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right concentration

The next evening as I walk outside a mantra is constantly chanting in my head “Om Mani Padme Hum”. I quite my mind, and observe in wonder this mesh of Maya that surrounds us all, in the green grass of mother earth, the grey clouds of the heavens and the people going about their business of society. In the dusk a myriad of lightening bugs appear, again mimicking the quarks rising out of nothing and shining brightly momentarily in random places, and then disappearing into the darkness again. My heart is light; and the vegetarian meal that I have eaten, just right for this occasion. I have tried to find a concrete solution to everything; that one solid truth that would free me, from this cycle of rebirth, suffering and ignorance. No equation answers everything and so I look at the core deeply. I laugh at having discovered this void; as I realize this is all there is, and it is only our desires that manifest and create this being. The mantra goes on and within its chanting, all is filled with compassion and truth. If I am indeed this nothing or void at my core; and all my manifestations are external, then who is this I, who observes and stays the same compassionate being? The mystics may know the answer but I am here now; and as Rajiv Kapoor fades away, I become this mantra that goes on unending out of nothing into nothing.

Spirits and quilts

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America was founded by the spirits of its pioneers; who uprooted themselves from the old world and set out to an unknown new world, where they believed they could make a better life. Even today this pioneering spirit lives on; as we remain one of the most mobile societies, where people will give up established homes and move for a better opportunity to an unknown new town or city. This spirit was what drew me here so many decades ago; when I moved my befuddled wife and confused children into a new existence, so far from where they were born. Maybe it was the open road that I had traveled on during my college years travelling across from New York to the west and back not once but twice over 2 long summers. Memories of the highway miles speeding by as one rolled across the eastern sea plain; to the endless prairies, and the desserts and the mountains across magnificent canyons, and slept on the shores of wondrous lakes of fresh water, to the amazing cities springing up in the wilderness. I learnt its history first hand; and found that the weave of the American quilt is unique, and the pioneering ladies who made up the early quilting bees, often had this as their sole source of socializing in their new homes.
Life on my return was different; as there was a family to provide for, and a home to build. Moving into a modified log cabin with minimum facilities; in a beautiful lake town, was the first anchor among many that came later. Commuting to Manhattan that I dubbed ‘maya nagri’ in my native tongue, or the city of masterful illusions, I was just another worker bee, servicing the queen bee of commerce and wealth. It drew in people from all over the world; and its financial systems had tentacles spreading across the globe, and the big money center banks were too complex, for even an MBA to understand. The NYC metropolitan area melting pot had communities from all over; and the cuisine was as varied and the languages spoken on its subways as diverse, and the cultural events held on weekends celebrated, long lost customs and festivals of the old world. There were many I found who lived in a time warp; raising children in old values, that even the countries that they had left behind, had forgotten or consigned to the pages of history. Thank God for the American High school as its bands marched on with their rousing Sousa marches; and the sport team played the local teams in rivalry games, that the die-hard fans could rattle off stats on for decades or more. Here the melting pot really worked; and kids picked up the accents and the mannerisms of the age and locality, as they slowly emerged as Americans at the end of the experience. Dual lives were lived by the immigrants as at home there was a different life; and in school it was a homogeneous amalgamation of shared experiences, and the spirit was infused and the young minds molded into a new world feeling. There were social divisions and prejudice; and all the ills of modern social interaction, but they were tempered by a common goal and a shared knowledge, starting each morning with the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States starting in elementary school. Irrespective of religious beliefs or cultural backgrounds you learnt what it meant to be an American. The Greco Roman facades of some of these institutions are testament to one of the greatest education systems ever built. They are as much a part of the American quilt, as apple pie and the Star Spangled Banner.

Most of my working life was spent in the pursuit of the mighty dollar, in what we simply called the city. Everybody understood what you meant when you said you were going to the city; as there was no confusion, as nowhere else in the world did such a confluence of five boroughs exist. Over time Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan and their neighborhoods became household names familiar like an old aunt or uncle. Broadway, Fifth Avenue, Wall Street, Columbus Circle, Central Park, garment district became a part and parcel of life, and all that it had to offer. Identities merged with neighborhoods and life’s events were woven into a tapestry of locations and seasons and relationships, tied as much to a time and space, as an event. New Jersey was our home and the extended family became the focal point, of visits and celebrations. Births, marriages, deaths, graduations, divorces, anniversaries became the gathering points to discuss life and what pain, misery, joy or happiness it provided. Children grew up went on to college; and then took up professions and settled down with families, or otherwise branched off into their own lives. The American quilt grew; with its myriad pieces stitched together, and each new member contributed their own experiences into the larger whole.
Today it has become its own diaspora as the family is dispersed from the East to the West coast with some spread out like dots on a GPS map in various states in between. Not everyone is a failure; and neither is each one a roaring success, but sufficing it to say that they are largely middle class and the heart and soul of the spirit of America. Opportunity knocks and they answer with reluctance to give up the old, but then embrace the change and move on. The oldies may question change and these newfangled ways; but even they have to concede, that the spirit is alive and well. They may regale on some occasions about their own struggles and times that they went through, and do not realize that the next generation has to live through its own struggle and make their own lives as best as they can. They are not content with just a comfortable life that our struggle can help with; but must strike out on their own and build their own, in the American way. The quilt may become frazzled and unravel at times, but then someone has to make the effort and stitch it back together again. I look outside at the manicured green lawn and the large hibiscus bush; that adorns some of the apartment entrances, in small town Arkansas. We have standardized life and it could be anywhere in this vast land; and I realize that long as I can afford the rent, I could move anywhere that has gainful employment and live the same experience. The internet connects me to the world and smart phones and new devices connect to the TV, and the world is a click away. Circumstances caused me to move here; but it could have been anywhere else, and I would still lead a similar existence. Mediocrity and homogeneity are easy to adapt to when the society is developed; and we find pleasures in small differences, that bring flavor to one’s life. A particular film, play, show, book, magazine, town, TV channel becomes the definition of our individual preferences, and who we meet and interact with depends on it. Then as needed we uproot ourselves and start all over again and having traveled many miles; often find ourselves living the same life, in a new place.
So now the spirit is rising again and as my wife says; I am showing all the symptoms, of becoming antsy again. Where will I head off to this time I am not sure, but the time is not that far off that it will happen again. I do not want to change and would love to live this way in comfort and certainty about my tomorrow, but I know God and this universe have other plans. We live in the world of the spirit; and this physical manifestation, has to learn to adapt and change. If we allow it to define us, then we lose the point of this existence. Listen to the calling of your spirit, as only then will you give up this old world, for the new. Opportunity is calling, and to seize this moment is the only hope. I am, but in the end I am not this alone. The past is gone; and the future is uncertain, so this moment is it. Live it, love it and lift your head up to the heavens and bask in the glory of the sun and let the spirits move you. Weave your quilt with care and then leave it for others to carry on the work, and your spirit will live on in its beauty.

Summer sanity

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The sun has set on another day and it paints the dissipating clouds in orange hues, as I take an after dinner walk. I hear the honking and look up to see the perfect v formation of a gaggle of geese; flying in from the south excited at the man-made pond, at our waterside apartments. They descend down into the water in a flapping of wings; to perhaps settle down for the night, after their day’s flight. In the gathering darkness I see a lightening bug hovering over the evergreen bush; appropriately lighting up the dark shadows, in its bursts of light, as it celebrates its life.

I return home and cut up one of the last mangoes of the season; and enjoy its sweet and tart pulp and yank the dryer switch, to continue on in its weekly task. Another summer of my life is coming to an end; and I look back and realize, that I have much to be grateful for. There were birthdays and anniversaries and love making and parties and movies and plays to enjoy. Summer here in the south is a long season; and the farmer will probably reap two harvests from the wild fields, with neatly rolled haystacks for the winter. Spring had begun with hope and museum visits; and summer is ending with book readings from across the centuries on the Kindle, and movies unlimited from Netflix. I am entangled in the World Wide Web like never before; on Facebook and my blog, and there is often not a moment to lose, as life goes on with its merry whirl.
I often grapple with my loneliness; as I am an alien, in an adopted land, and sometimes the passing of time in itself becomes a burden, resulting in sleepless nights, watching trash or reading it. There are times when there is no one to love or share the day’s happenings; except for this stray cat that has adopted me, and comes by morning and night, mewing and forcing its way into my life. I feed it my version of tandoori chicken; which it licks its lips and enjoys, or on lazier days just tuna fish or the chicken of the sea from a can, which it relishes, and then spends countless hours preening itself lying outside my door. I guess we are kindred spirits in this complex; having no one else to call our own, or to depend on, that life has randomly thrown together to spend together, another summer of wondrous happenings. Unlike me it hunts at night; and when I found it with its head buried in a hole one late night, it ignored me completely and kept at its task of findings its prey, as it is a part of its existence, it keeps to itself.

These dog days of summer are not driving me insane; as I remember the philosopher’s famous words that “Insanity in individuals is something rare — but in groups, parties, nations, and epochs, it is the rule.” -Friedrich Nietzsche, (1844-1900). The summer has been particularly insane; as the world seems to be unraveling slowly, at it’s seams. Wild fires burn, floods devastate whole states, unemployment of our young leaves many dreams unfulfilled, wars rage on, suicide bombings, rapes, pillaging and wile human deeds increase and the economy does its own thing. Statesmen cannot find consensus to move forward; and the consenting cannot find morality it seems, as they look forever backwards. Society is a schism of the haves and the have-nots, and the divide grows greater every day. The poor scramble on in desperation; and the privileged look down on the bourgeoisie, as if they do not belong in the same world. The earth turns and the seasons come and go and I live this life, in awareness of my own impending death. I look around me and find people mostly believe in their own infallibility and the death of others.

Political parties are at loggerheads; and do not allow the business of those who elected them, to prosper. There is no gain in a common good as; if they can keep their faithful living on in this delusional state, then all will remain well in their world. Power is now in overwhelming force and not in the ability, to do the most good. When Zuckerberg gathers the likes of Facebook, Samsung, Nokia and Erickson into a mighty coalition to provide cheaper connectivity and the web to the masses; Bill Gates sadly points out to all who will listen, that no application can cure diarrhea, in the population they are trying to reach. Progress is now measured in bytes of digital media and not the bites that feed the hungry. Sanity would be to provide healthy food, clean water, decent housing, green clothing, higher education and equal opportunity to the under privileged. The cat is mewing outside and it is probably bringing me the news; that she just spied the last sane man sneaking out of our complex, and we should probably hurry up, if we do not want to miss the last plane leaving Bent On Ville.