I remember reading about the 1974 Pokhran nuclear test conducted by India. The then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was informed about its success in a coded message ""Madam, Buddha has finally smiled."
Now that the Nuclear Suppliers Group has granted the waiver to India, I feel that Budhha has once again smiled - after a gap of 34 years :-)
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Ganapati Bappa Moraya
My religion gives me 33 Crore deities to choose from but I am partial to only 2 of them. And one of them is on His annual voyage to earth this week and the next. Yes, I am talking about the festival of Ganeshotsav when the entire Indian state of Maharashtra gets busy welcoming and looking after its favorite Lord – Ganesha. :-)
Years ago in one of the classes I listened with wonder as the teacher talked about the Gods that the ancient Egyptians revered – many of them with animal heads – before realizing with a start that my favorite deity too has an elephant head. :-) I have always wondered why I am so drawn to this particular incarnation of God. Maybe because He is the Lord of knowledge and I have always held knowledge in high esteem. Maybe because He is fond of sweets and doesn’t care that He has a big tummy :-) Maybe because He is the harbinger of happiness and drives out all sorrow, all pain. Or maybe because He looks just so very approachable :-)
So people dance in the streets and sing as they bring Him home - some for 1.5 days, some for 5 and some for 7. The festival started as a communal festivity and so you can also see Him gracing and blessing many streets with his presence in brightly colored decorated pandals. These public Ganeshas are usually around for 10 days. And then the day of the immersion comes when people take Him back to his home along with his mother Goddess Parvati. I used to often wonder why people look so happy and cheerful though they are taking out the idols for immersing in the sea. Over the years though I have realized that it’s just because they know He will be back again next year. He has never failed to keep his appointment :-)
It invariably rains as the procession is winding down to the sea. And I get a lump in my throat when I see people unfolding umbrellas to shield the Lord – who looks after the whole world – from it.
My country is reeling under a lot this time – the river Kosi has gone on a rampage in Bihar destroying lives and property, Jammu and Kashmir totters on the brink of renewed terrorism and Orissa is seeing people grown up in some village getting at each others’ throats over religion. :-(
So as I join the chant of “Ganapati Bappa Moraya” that is now echoing through the nooks and corners of Maharashtra, I pray that the God bestow a lot of the wisom that He is known for to my fellow countrymen – common man and politicians alike. This country urgently needs it.
Years ago in one of the classes I listened with wonder as the teacher talked about the Gods that the ancient Egyptians revered – many of them with animal heads – before realizing with a start that my favorite deity too has an elephant head. :-) I have always wondered why I am so drawn to this particular incarnation of God. Maybe because He is the Lord of knowledge and I have always held knowledge in high esteem. Maybe because He is fond of sweets and doesn’t care that He has a big tummy :-) Maybe because He is the harbinger of happiness and drives out all sorrow, all pain. Or maybe because He looks just so very approachable :-)
So people dance in the streets and sing as they bring Him home - some for 1.5 days, some for 5 and some for 7. The festival started as a communal festivity and so you can also see Him gracing and blessing many streets with his presence in brightly colored decorated pandals. These public Ganeshas are usually around for 10 days. And then the day of the immersion comes when people take Him back to his home along with his mother Goddess Parvati. I used to often wonder why people look so happy and cheerful though they are taking out the idols for immersing in the sea. Over the years though I have realized that it’s just because they know He will be back again next year. He has never failed to keep his appointment :-)
It invariably rains as the procession is winding down to the sea. And I get a lump in my throat when I see people unfolding umbrellas to shield the Lord – who looks after the whole world – from it.
My country is reeling under a lot this time – the river Kosi has gone on a rampage in Bihar destroying lives and property, Jammu and Kashmir totters on the brink of renewed terrorism and Orissa is seeing people grown up in some village getting at each others’ throats over religion. :-(
So as I join the chant of “Ganapati Bappa Moraya” that is now echoing through the nooks and corners of Maharashtra, I pray that the God bestow a lot of the wisom that He is known for to my fellow countrymen – common man and politicians alike. This country urgently needs it.
I don’t just feel sad for what’s happening in the Indian state of Orissa. I am angry. What right do people have to torch the houses just because they belong to the people who practice a different religion? A Hindu religious leader is dead and people came out on the street to take matters in their own hands. When will we have faith in the Law? When will we realize that we are doing an irreparable damage to the national fabric when we fight in the name of the God? As if the Islamic terrorists weren’t enough now we have these Hindu terrorists going on a rampage. Sometimes it makes me wish we were a communist state instead – without God!
A hue and cry is made about increasing coversions to Christianity. But instead of going to the root of the matter people are resorting to the violence because that, sadly in this country, is the path of the least resistance L No one wants to tackle the caste system that is making people flock to other faiths in the hope of getting an equal treatment. Let’s first fix that and if people still want to convert then let’s step aside respecting it as their personal decision.
It’s really unfortunate that not a single Hindu religious leader is stepping forward to raise a voice of sanity in this chaos. :-(
A hue and cry is made about increasing coversions to Christianity. But instead of going to the root of the matter people are resorting to the violence because that, sadly in this country, is the path of the least resistance L No one wants to tackle the caste system that is making people flock to other faiths in the hope of getting an equal treatment. Let’s first fix that and if people still want to convert then let’s step aside respecting it as their personal decision.
It’s really unfortunate that not a single Hindu religious leader is stepping forward to raise a voice of sanity in this chaos. :-(
I agree with Scot Harvath. Every day the good Muslims don’t stand up against the atrocities that are being committed in the name of Islam - the line between good Muslims and extremists gets foggier, the oft repeated line “All terrorists are Muslims but not all Muslims are terrorists” begins to sound hollow. I feel sad as I write this because I have always rooted for the belief that religions are for bringing people together – not for dividing them.
And I feel sadder because I have a couple of good Muslim friends who I have always assumed don’t care about my religious beliefs. But as I look around me I wonder and keep wondering – am I right in assuming this? After all we have never discussed this because friendship has got nothing to do with it. But if I have to be brutally honest, it’s also because I have been afraid somewhere deep inside about the possibility that the friendship might end because of the differences that might surface if such a discussion is held. And that’s the irony because the hallmark of a true friendship is the ability to remain friends despite differences of opinion as long as there is a healthy respect for each other’s opinions.
Like a many-headed hydra that brings up another question – can a true friendship be based upon a difference in so basic thing as one’s religious beliefs? Here I am not talking about worshipping idols against praying five times a day. I am talking about a more fundamental difference – one person’s belief that one’s faith is his/her personal matter against another person’s belief that the entire world must submit to one and one God only.
This is the confusion and I might not be the only one laboring under it. That’s why I agree with Scot Harvath.
And I feel sadder because I have a couple of good Muslim friends who I have always assumed don’t care about my religious beliefs. But as I look around me I wonder and keep wondering – am I right in assuming this? After all we have never discussed this because friendship has got nothing to do with it. But if I have to be brutally honest, it’s also because I have been afraid somewhere deep inside about the possibility that the friendship might end because of the differences that might surface if such a discussion is held. And that’s the irony because the hallmark of a true friendship is the ability to remain friends despite differences of opinion as long as there is a healthy respect for each other’s opinions.
Like a many-headed hydra that brings up another question – can a true friendship be based upon a difference in so basic thing as one’s religious beliefs? Here I am not talking about worshipping idols against praying five times a day. I am talking about a more fundamental difference – one person’s belief that one’s faith is his/her personal matter against another person’s belief that the entire world must submit to one and one God only.
This is the confusion and I might not be the only one laboring under it. That’s why I agree with Scot Harvath.
Now you might be wondering who this Scot Harvath is. He is no political analyst – he is the protagonist of Brad Thor’s “The First Commandment” which I recently finished reading. I briefly glanced through the storyline on the back cover before bringing the book home and later wondered if I should have scrutinized it more thoroughly. With the daily headlines screaming about the unrest in Jammu and Kashmir I was in no mood for reading more about Islamic terrorism and Jihad. So I wasn’t very enthusiastic as I started reading the novel.
Scot – a Department of Homeland Security operative – has his world turned upside down when his near and dear ones like his fiancée and his mother start getting systematically targeted. Scot finds out that this is somehow related to the 5 dreaded terrorists who have been unconditionally released from the Guatanamo Bay. But he is puzzled when US President Rutledge orders him to stay well out of it. Scot just cannot because he knows that someone from his past is out to serve the dish that is served best when cold – revenge!
My advice – go for this book if you are looking for a thriller drama in which good always triumphs over evil and the bad guys always get their comeuppance. But if you have had enough of the likes of Al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Toyba and other assorted terrorists-e-Islam – take President Rutledge’s advice and sit this one out :-)
Scot – a Department of Homeland Security operative – has his world turned upside down when his near and dear ones like his fiancée and his mother start getting systematically targeted. Scot finds out that this is somehow related to the 5 dreaded terrorists who have been unconditionally released from the Guatanamo Bay. But he is puzzled when US President Rutledge orders him to stay well out of it. Scot just cannot because he knows that someone from his past is out to serve the dish that is served best when cold – revenge!
My advice – go for this book if you are looking for a thriller drama in which good always triumphs over evil and the bad guys always get their comeuppance. But if you have had enough of the likes of Al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Toyba and other assorted terrorists-e-Islam – take President Rutledge’s advice and sit this one out :-)
Monday, September 1, 2008
Microsoft enlists Seinfeld for ad campaign
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26327409/ - I feel for Jerry Seinfeld :-)
About Brida
When I brought Paulo Coelho’s “Brida” home with me I was somewhat afraid that I will not understand it. It was not just a haunch but a conclusion drawn based on a previous experience. Sometimes I suspect that I am genetically wired not to make head or tales of such books. :-)
Don’t get me wrong – it’s not that I didn’t understand anything at all. I empathized with Brida’s search for a soulmate, her fear of choosing the wrong man and her frustration as well as confusion along the journey. I must have heard the word “Soulmate” thousands of times but this book opened my eyes to the true meaning of the word.
It’s the ‘Magic” part that I absolutely failed to get. And that came as a surprise because I am far from being a diehard practical person. I totally believe in fairies, angels and other residents of the magical world. :-)
I distinctly remember the time when I had been to the magic show of the famous Indian magician P.C. Sarkar along with my parents and a family friend. For the first few minutes of the show I tried to be a practical “there is no such a thing as magic” girl and tried to figure out the tricks behind all those magic acts. Needless to say I couldn’t find a single one. So I went back to being the “it’s just magic” part of me. When during the intermission dad’s friend asked me if I could figure any of the tricks out I smiled sweetly saying “I think it’s really magic”. :-)
So now, back to Brida. I found it hard to believe that these Tradition of Moon and Tradition of Sun really exist. I didn’t understand the dancing to the music of the world. The “Dark Night” equally stumped me. I can understand seeing the special light in the eyes of your soulmate but that luminous point above the left shoulder was a bit too much for me. Reading this book felt a little like watching “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon”. I could accept the Chinese practicing the martial arts – that happens in the real world. But the Chinese flying to the rooftops was a bit too hard to digest. It was like watching a hodgepodge of real and magical world. This book felt a little like that. Maybe I am doomed to be one of those who go through life refusing to see their Gift. :-( Maybe I will never see the bridge that joins the visible and the invisible world!
Ok, now about the things from the book that I could identify with. As a Hindu, I believe in reincarnations and so it wasn’t difficult to understand Wicca moving through lifetimes towards her destiny of being a teacher. Then there are other things like Brida’s comment that disappointment, defeat and despair are too strange tools if chose by God to show the Mankind the way because these are the very things that dissuade people from forging ahead. Like this incident when Brida wakes up frightened of darkness in the night and her dad calms her down by telling her about the people – ordinary people like milkman and watchmen – who keep watch over darkness. I remember years ago when I used to wake up early in the morning to study I used to be sometimes afraid. But then I would summon up courage thinking about the watchmen guarding the front gate or the few lights that could be seen in adjacent buildings.
I agree with Brida’s dad when he advises her that if she wants to find out about something she should just plunge straight in. I was startled when the Magus tells Brida that “God is in the word” and so you should choose your words very carefully. I remembered my granny telling us kids to wish for only good things because the sages occupying four corners of the house could anytime say “Tathastu” (So be it).
And I smiled when Brida’s mother tells her about experiencing the love of a lifetime in a matter of few hours. :-)
So, what did I feel when I turned the last page? I felt that I might have to think about the possibility that the line between the real world and the magical kingdom might not be a clear one, that the world of magic could have bits of practicality thrown in for good measure and that the daily humdrum life could have magical moments if only I looked for them :-)
Finally, here are some of the lines I liked from the book: (hope I am not violating any copyright)
- Nothing in the world is ever completely wrong. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
- Sometimes, certain of God’s blessings arrive by shattering all the windows.
- At one point, men may have decided to make themselves God’s representatives and subsequently made mistakes but God had nothing to do with that.
- Being human means having doubts and yet still continuing on your path.
- The first road to God is Prayer, the second is Joy.
- Everyone, at least once in each incarnation, possessed the secret of the Universe.
- Accept what life offers you and try to drink from every cup.
- You can only know a good wine if you have first tasted a bad one.
- May your path be of peace in times of peace and of combat in times of combat. Never confuse one with the other.
Don’t get me wrong – it’s not that I didn’t understand anything at all. I empathized with Brida’s search for a soulmate, her fear of choosing the wrong man and her frustration as well as confusion along the journey. I must have heard the word “Soulmate” thousands of times but this book opened my eyes to the true meaning of the word.
It’s the ‘Magic” part that I absolutely failed to get. And that came as a surprise because I am far from being a diehard practical person. I totally believe in fairies, angels and other residents of the magical world. :-)
I distinctly remember the time when I had been to the magic show of the famous Indian magician P.C. Sarkar along with my parents and a family friend. For the first few minutes of the show I tried to be a practical “there is no such a thing as magic” girl and tried to figure out the tricks behind all those magic acts. Needless to say I couldn’t find a single one. So I went back to being the “it’s just magic” part of me. When during the intermission dad’s friend asked me if I could figure any of the tricks out I smiled sweetly saying “I think it’s really magic”. :-)
So now, back to Brida. I found it hard to believe that these Tradition of Moon and Tradition of Sun really exist. I didn’t understand the dancing to the music of the world. The “Dark Night” equally stumped me. I can understand seeing the special light in the eyes of your soulmate but that luminous point above the left shoulder was a bit too much for me. Reading this book felt a little like watching “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon”. I could accept the Chinese practicing the martial arts – that happens in the real world. But the Chinese flying to the rooftops was a bit too hard to digest. It was like watching a hodgepodge of real and magical world. This book felt a little like that. Maybe I am doomed to be one of those who go through life refusing to see their Gift. :-( Maybe I will never see the bridge that joins the visible and the invisible world!
Ok, now about the things from the book that I could identify with. As a Hindu, I believe in reincarnations and so it wasn’t difficult to understand Wicca moving through lifetimes towards her destiny of being a teacher. Then there are other things like Brida’s comment that disappointment, defeat and despair are too strange tools if chose by God to show the Mankind the way because these are the very things that dissuade people from forging ahead. Like this incident when Brida wakes up frightened of darkness in the night and her dad calms her down by telling her about the people – ordinary people like milkman and watchmen – who keep watch over darkness. I remember years ago when I used to wake up early in the morning to study I used to be sometimes afraid. But then I would summon up courage thinking about the watchmen guarding the front gate or the few lights that could be seen in adjacent buildings.
I agree with Brida’s dad when he advises her that if she wants to find out about something she should just plunge straight in. I was startled when the Magus tells Brida that “God is in the word” and so you should choose your words very carefully. I remembered my granny telling us kids to wish for only good things because the sages occupying four corners of the house could anytime say “Tathastu” (So be it).
And I smiled when Brida’s mother tells her about experiencing the love of a lifetime in a matter of few hours. :-)
So, what did I feel when I turned the last page? I felt that I might have to think about the possibility that the line between the real world and the magical kingdom might not be a clear one, that the world of magic could have bits of practicality thrown in for good measure and that the daily humdrum life could have magical moments if only I looked for them :-)
Finally, here are some of the lines I liked from the book: (hope I am not violating any copyright)
- Nothing in the world is ever completely wrong. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
- Sometimes, certain of God’s blessings arrive by shattering all the windows.
- At one point, men may have decided to make themselves God’s representatives and subsequently made mistakes but God had nothing to do with that.
- Being human means having doubts and yet still continuing on your path.
- The first road to God is Prayer, the second is Joy.
- Everyone, at least once in each incarnation, possessed the secret of the Universe.
- Accept what life offers you and try to drink from every cup.
- You can only know a good wine if you have first tasted a bad one.
- May your path be of peace in times of peace and of combat in times of combat. Never confuse one with the other.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
