Reflections

Sharpen your knife… how many of us do that? I refer to both the metaphorical as well as the real knife, the one in the Kitchen. Chances are, quite a few of us do believe in this, at least insofaras the concept is concerned. Chances also are that among these few, a large percentage never do actually sharpen the knife, as they don’t get time, or it takes too much time, or is inconvenient. To those who do believe, whether or not you do anything – don’t you think this applies to your teams and your organization as well? I wish adults spent more time in two activities – play Video Games / Android Games / Whatever, and read. The latter opens the vistas of your mind, trains you to observe as well as build conceptual skills that sharpen you in your job. Both of these are vital parameters that cannot be understated. And Games? Well, they teach you more than entertain you, trust me. Games can reveal the real personality you have; how you play reveals the real you. This may sound fanc...

A Hundred Little Flames by Preeti Shenoy is not one of the usual genres for me; I hardly ever read such stories. Now that statement above is the best reason for being open to new ideas and experimentation. Had I continued to be adamant, and ignored this – I would have missed one of the finer books to reach my mind; a sublime soft love story, a heart-warming family drama, and a suspense thriller all rolled into one at the same time in the same book! Well done, Mrs Shenoy – 5 star rating for the book! THE CHARACTERS Gopal Shankar – Grandfather, and then some. Senile, or not? Dreaming, or fact? This is his story… Ayan – Young man, Grandson, Genuine person, caught in a maelstrom he didn’t want; but one he handled with aplomb! Jairaj – Father and Son to be above two. Everything a father and son shouldn’t be. Shaila – The daughter. Why, why, why? Why did her father dislike her so?   Velu – Who says families are the most loyal? Hardly ever, it would seem Rohini...

It was around 1982, I think… we were sleeping on the rooftop in mid-summer. My attention went to a portion of the sky resplendent, lit up with many stars. I called the attention of my Dad to this, who then told me that this was the Milky Way, Akashganga; I remember being told the story of the Akashganga as per our scriptures, and  about our Galaxy. That memory is still powerful with me – Dad, Me and our family discussing on the rooftop regarding the Milky Way. Another memory of Childhood is the Dhruv Tara, and The Saptarishi… I recall being told this superb tale by Dad, the story of Dhruv, the boy who became a star; I recall being taught by my Dad how to spot the Dhruv Tara – or Pole Star; locating the Saptarishi, and tracing the Dhruv Tara from the Saptarishi… and many other celestial observations. I even recall the magical moment of seeing a meteor – that was in 1978 or 79, if memory serves me right. These and many other small memories are what made my childhood magic...

My fascination with Ramkrishn Mission started about ten months ago, when I chanced into a Mathh near Dandekar Pul in Swargate Pune. It was a place of sublime beauty, with a lovely environ and calming holy presence in it. It was – and is – pleasing to the heart, the mind and the body. Over time, I got to know of the Ramkrishn Mission Publication, and started purchasing books to read. While this book is the first that has reached by blog for a review, there are others – several – which will also be reviewed in the due fullness of time. WHAT SHALL I DO? The current book is titled “ What Shall I Do? ”, and is penned by Swami Harshanand. This is a book that is aimed at the youth, though its contents are applicable to everyone, at least for the first half of the book. The book is told in the backdrop of a young man, Ravi, who is desirous of taking Sanyas early in life , and become a monk, and the resistance he faces. That is the subject of the first chapter, and the last 40-o...

In the previous part – Speak From The Heart: Thoughts, Words, Action, Values inTotal Agreement , we have seen the concept of Speaking from the heart, and what it takes to achieve, a complete consonance in morals, values, thoughts, beliefs, and speech; and had closed on the concept of benefits and risks from the same. Before we go deeper into the same, let us examine this concept from the top, getting a better feel of this, and its actual practice. IN PRACTICE One can say that this isn’t something that needs to be a constant practice; in normal conversation, for instance, we usually say many things we don’t really mean – and given the prevalent societal constructs, these are understood for what they are : just normal talk. For example – when someone asks you to visit, you always say, sure I will; but rarely do you ever visit. Now this is understood; and you would be right in thinking so – especially since it is quite possible that this offer to visit itself is a polite one...

Speaking from the heart is an idiom, a statement that we have often heard; I have always wondered how can we do that? Its full meaning was always beyond me, beyond my understanding. How exactly do we speak from the heart? Its meaning has been understood by some as being truthful; by others as speaking your mind; and by yet others as being honest in your communication. Speaking of self, I never understood it, nor did I ever attempt to really fathom what it means beyond a basic conceptualization. And yet, it would always trouble me how easily people can forget their words, or be insincere, or indeed say something they did not mean. It would disturb my equilibrium. This was the situation for the past umpteen years, till a slow, steady realization dawned on me; as I slowly began to understand the real import of these powerful words – and this realization came not from the internet, or books, or psychology or anything of that sort – it came from within me, all by itself. This a...

Keeping your eyes, your mind, your heart and your intellect open can lead to wonderful experiences, as also insight. This is exactly what happened today, as I watched a flock of birds, and their coordination. My mind went to a few days ago when I chanced upon a line of ants, as well as the Bees nest which I also observed quite closely. It struck me that these beings, incapable of complex thought, can achieve tasks far in excess of their apparent capabilities, and with stunning coordination between the various members of their community. I also noted with chagrin that Mankind, despite being advanced in comparison, has proven itself wholly incapable of pulling off similar coordination in its efforts. BEES, BIRDS & ANTS Close observation of Bees and Birds, as well as Ants has lead me to really admire their capabilities of team work, coordinated effort, and task-centricity. What I wouldn’t give for a similar level of task focus in my life, be it personal or professional...