Hare and Tortoise: A Perspective

Takeaways from Hare and Tortoise story.

1. Slow and steady wins the race: Well, this is the general and main takeaway from the story. Despite all odds the tortoise kept its calm and was able to claim the race finally.

2. 'Slow and steady' is not enough: It is evident from the story itself that if hare had been a little alert, that would be a humiliating defeat for tortoise. We might have thought like '..how foolish the tortoise was to race with a hare!". So, be 'slow and steady' only when all the odds are against you and you are limited in resources and skills. It was never a suggestible strategy when you have advantage.

3. Choose a worthy opponent: The competition was not at all on equal terms from the beginning. A hare should compete with hare, not the tortoise. Hare was tempted by anticipating an easy win. So it is better always to ensure that the competition is fair because if we are tempted for an easy win, fate might have other plans for us.

4. Vain leads to embarrassment: Hare was indeed a skilled runner when compared to tortoise and would have won the race if it was not for its vain and taking the win for granted on that day.So, if we are gifted like hare, we should be careful not to let its arrogance to get into our mind.

5. Never underestimate your opponent: At the beginning it looked as if the result was already decided. Hare had such a low opinion about tortoise that it had decided to take a nap in the middle of the race!

6. Be hopeful: Even though it was clear that the tortoise had a very thin chance of winning, it took the risk and was rewarded appropriately. It was very wise of tortoise to get into the race with the hare. 

7. Persistence: After the race had begun, the hare quickly gained lead leaving tortoise far behind. Tortoise could have abandoned the race. But it didn't and we saw how destiny played its cards. Sheer persistence is enough to throw number of good opportunities on our path toward our goal.

8. Success or failure is not the end: The win of tortoise didn't change the fact that hare was faster than tortoise. If there was a race immediately after that, then we might have a completely different result. So, we should always think in terms of whole rather than in parts. The hare had its lesson and the tortoise had a life time achievement.


9. Winning is random: Even with all your skills and dedication, a win is not guaranteed. So, instead of being obsessed with winning races, it is better to stick to incremental self development. It doesn't mean that we should not aim for winning. We should indeed but while doing so we should be aware of its capricious nature and channel our energies in a right way.

Warrior's reminiscence 2

My maternal grandfather was a war veteran. He used to feed me with the wonderful stories of his war exploits. He commanded a huge respect in our city. "A life without fight is less lived", he used to say. There was no war after his generation. Peace and prosperity prevailed all over the region until we had to face the onslaught of those desert originated barbarians. City after city, kingdom after kingdom which once stood for great valor and strength are being decimated under the ruthless treading of the barbarians. It is rumored that they are committing unspeakable atrocities on the conquered people. "How can a warrior commit such a heinous act?", I asked our city commander yesterday. He gave a disappointing look and then went away. And the news is that at any time they will be standing at the gates of our city. May be tomorrow!

I've never been this much agitated in my life. We camped outside our city wall as a first line of defense in case of any eventuality. And my mind is wandering somewhere else!...Vaaraahi! I am about to marry her soon and this crisis came in between. She was my distant relative. Apart from those occasional exchange of looks we never really talked...ha ha.... I've never seen a single battle and this is true for most of my fellow soldiers who are of my age. The very idea that by the end of tomorrow most of us have to embrace death is disturbing and the imagination about what heinous things those barbarians would commit to the people inside the city is spine-chilling. I can't even think of the fate of our Mothers and sisters in the city and...Vaaraahi? God...it would better be dead than be alive if that happens. Sacred funeral-pits have been prepared for the inevitable. That, tomorrow, at the very first sign of defeat, all our women would jump into those funeral-pits. We don't even have to wait until tomorrow for that, so to speak. Oh my god! why this kind of despair has crept into my mind? "Vacillation is death in battle.", once said my grand father.

Why should all this happen? Why should we fight? Can't we coexist peacefully like we did before? I'm not a coward. But with Vaaraahi in mind, this war seems futile. Why should we risk lives for these walls and a piece of land? I'd be happy to slid past this camp and take Vaaraahi along with my family to the far south before those barbarians reach our city so that we could live peacefully. But...everybody here have that option, haven't they? Yet nobody seems to think like that. I've looked at my commander. He was busy overseeing defense arrangements with his subordinates. He was older than my father. He spent his entire life as if there would be a war coming next day. He could engage not less than 20 armed men at a time in a hand to hand combat. I wish I had the combat skills like him. There are many such outstanding warriors in our army. But we are vastly outnumbered. Someone suggested to conduct flash rides on the invading army. Our commander snipped that idea stating that it wouldn't work with such a small army. City council has sent for asking help from neighboring cities and kingdoms. How nice it could have been if all of us fight together against those barbarians! Nobody seems to care. I've to prepare my mind for the inevitable and discharge my dharma as long as I breath. Hara Hara Mahadev!

"Your name stands for moon.", once mother told me. It was two days past Vaishakha Punnami. She wished to visit Somanath after monsoon. People say that the moonstone on the Shivalinga there radiates brilliantly on a Full-moon Day. But these barbarians looted the temple few months ago, desecrated it and destroyed the Shivaling there. It is said that the people of that city took shelter in the temple and prayed to Mahadev hoping for divine intervention. All fighting men were butchered. Women and kids were taken as captives. 
Dear moon, is there any retribution for this?

All this recalling has made my heart treble. The idea of retreat and after, appears too tempting. What kind of bad karma have we committed to lose our dreams. The hard fact that all my dreams about a happy married life with her are just dreams, is too hard to bear. I looked at my fellow warriors. Some of them might be thinking like me. I wanted to weep. But what about my honor? After all, I'm a warrior. A proud descendant of legendary Youdheya clan! Do they understand that I was not crying out of fear? Anger swelling up in me. Tears started to trickle down my cheeks. "The greatest battles are not fought outside but inside.", once said a wandering monk to a group of youth. That monk stayed in city for a brief time and had made some disciples. But was later requested to leave the city as our commander had found him to be a bad influence on youth. Dear God, grant me equanimity for this single night.

Tomorrow, the war seems imminent. If my friends are fighting and dying out there, I won't be standing like an onlooker or fleeing away with family. My dear Vaaraahi....may be we are not supposed to live together in this life. I thank you from the deepest vault of my heart for those few beautiful memories. My parents would never want me to run away from a battle. If I survive tomorrow, that would mean that we have successfully deflected the invaders. Dear God, give me strength. Hara Hara Mahadev!!!

Movie that moved: Source Code

Here is the story.

Captain Walter Stevens is killed in action, leaving a still active brain supported by a severed torso. He is officially declared dead by the US Military and his body is transferred to Source Code facility. Source Code is a scientific project which allows a live human brain to access the memories of a dead human brain for 8 minutes.

Two months later terrorists blast a Chicago bound train by planting bombs in it and a second bomb blast in a crowded area in the city is to follow within next six hours. The source code facility, being aware of the threat, uses the Stevens' live brain(consciousness) to access the memory of a dead passenger named Sean Fentrass in order to identify the person who planted bomb in the train. 

After the Source Code is initiated, Stevens wakes up in the train eight minutes before the bomb blast with his fellow passenger Christina. He becomes so confused about his dual identity between Steven and Fentrass. Meanwhile the eight minutes are over and the train blows up without his finding the bomber. Before sending him into the Source Code for the second time, the Air Force officer Goodwin and head of the Source Code facility, Rutledge explain how the Source Code works and brief Stevens about the mission on the train. Stevens wakes up in the train again eight minutes before the bomb blast but fails to find the bomber before eight minutes. This process continues for several times. During these trails Stevens comes to know that in real world he was dead two months ago in a Chopper crash and feels outraged at the insensitivity of Source Code facility to use his body remains by discrediting them proper honor. However after being persuaded by Goodwin and Rutledge about how many lives he can save if he succeeds in the mission, Stevens agrees to complete the task on a condition that his body remains should be disconnected and disposed off after the mission. 

This time Stevens succeeds after a few attempts in identifying the location of the bomb in the train and also the name plate of the van of the bomber in which he carries his bomb to the next location but killed by him in that process and wakes up in Source Code. There he gives the Van number to Goodwin and police succeed in nabbing the bomber before he could detonate the bomb in second place thus saving hundreds of lives. After this, Rutledge,being excited about the success of the Source Code, orders for the memory wipe-out of Stevens brain so that he can be used for another similar mission. Being aware of this, Stevens asks Goodwin to do a favor by sending him again into the memory of Fentrass so that he can save the passengers in memory and then disconnect him from the facility after eight minutes are over. Goodwin couldn't deny her fellow soldier's request and also in sheer gratitude for what Stevens has done, decides to send him again and then disconnect him from Source Code facility thus honoring their condition and does so without Rutledge's authorization. 

This time Stevens wakes up in the train, goes straight to the location of the bomb in the train and disarms it and chains the bomber to a rod in the train and informs the police. And then he decides to spend the remaining few minutes of his life in the best way possible. He reaches a grumpy fellow passenger who is so serious and asks him "Why are you so bitter my dear friend?". "It's a bitter world we live in. What do you want from me?" asks the fellow passenger. Stevens makes him to stand up and crack jocks in the train by making a bet with him. While all the passengers are heartily enjoying the jokes of the passenger, Steven asks Christina that what would she do that if she knew that there were only a few minutes left in her life. For which Chiristina replies that she would make those minutes count. Stevens kisses her till the end of the eight minutes. Meanwhile in the Source Code facility Goodwin disconnects Stevens from the Source Code and to Stevens' surprise, the life in his alternate (Fentrass') reality continues beyond eight minutes. Being astonished at this fact, Stevens decides to lead his life in Fentrass' identity with Christina.

Somewhere in this alternate reality where the first bomb explosion was averted, Captain Goodwin receives a message from Sean Fentrass, a passenger in a Chicago bound train explaining how he deactivated the bomb and saved the passengers on the train and requests her to help Stevens in the Source Code facility.

This is the story of the movie "Source Code". The movie and the idea behind the movie are so beautiful. The idea is that for every action, all possible outcomes exist at the same time in different realities. Our experiencing Deja vu is a faint proof of this phenomena. Whatever human mind conceives, that exists. 

Warriors of Air

I was listening to Avatar's Pure Spirits of the Forest theme. 

That was so mellifluous and enchanting that I was watching a small tamarind sprout germinated on a barren tamarind trunk lying on my way to Kondagudi. I saw two catfish savoring sunlight in a little pond formed at the convergence of two little Rain-fed Streams. I was watching the dense spinney at a little cross over, which is replete with different colored flowers and was full of butterflies and dragonflies. I was standing at a place which once used to be a small elevation formed of the soil dug out from the adjacent well and harbored Jamun, Guava, Palmyra palm and Koa  trees.   From there I stood facing the distant mighty Eastern Ghats. My breath was heavy and was very slow. The clattering of sugarcane leaves was making an eerie sound which reminded me of my childhood fear about huge black-bears lurking in sugarcane fields which would come out and would take away lone kids. It was a nice evening. My breath was growing heavier. About thousands of years ago, what this place possibly could be and after another million what it would be? For a consciousness called I, everything is before I and after I. I wondered "How long is this I?".  I was shy of shedding tears, but.... A chatty group of little birds perching on an electric wire attracted my attention. They were the warriors of air, who were on a never ending mission of sustaining the Pure Soul of Mother Forest.

I'm a warrior. I'm inspired by the warriors of air. Their mission is my mission.

Beef Festival in Kerala; We can degrade further!

So much ruckus about Beef Ban!

A student mob in Kerala has even conducted Beef Festival in protest of this issue. During medieval period, in order to break Hindu conscience, Muslim invaders used to butcher a cow in Hindu temples before destroying the structures and desecrating the idols. I see no difference. Well,We can even degrade further.

A chine of events starting from the cow theft of Kartyaveerarjuna from sage Jamadagni's ashram led to the extermination of entire Kshatriya clan;only a few righteous kings were left unharmed on mother earth at the hands of Lord Parasurama in Tretayuga.

A similar cow theft at sage Vasista's ashram by one of the Asta Vasus led to the birth of Bhishma, who saved and nurtured the Kuru clan which in turn resulted in the epic battle Kurukshetra in which most of the evil forces had been swept off the face of mother earth in Dwaparayuga.

The trigger point behind the emergence of Brahmarshi Viswamitra is also a cow theft. His entire army was decimated at the hands of the legendary Kamadhenu.

The rumor of cow's fat(and pig's also) being used in the cartridges of Royal-enfield rifles is the trigger point for first Indian National Revolution(1857) which instilled a sense of urgency to drive away foreign forces from our country. So much blood had been spilled.

Cow in India, seems like a pretty controversial animal.

Dear mother cow, this time also, an issue has been raked up because of you. I hope it would serve the purpose well and exterminate some evil from this sacred land.

Cow is considered as a mother and as a symbol of prosperity in this land. we are forever indebted to a creature which takes nothing of value form us but provides for our sustenance at every stage of our life. Butchering such an animal just for the sake of our taste buds is a gross ingratitude and amounts to be a conspicuous deviation from Dharma. Dharma is something which benefits all. Cow protection and worship is the Dharma of our culture. A culture/race which deviates from its Dharma sets forth on a course of self destruction.

One might wonder 'why only cow?". Well, the actual idea might be the achievement of the ideal "Ahimso paramo dharmaha" in both word, deed and thought. Since a Gestalt Shift is not possible and a good start has to be made towards that direction, cow might have become a natural choice due to its utility value. The ultimate goal is to extend the scope of this ideal on a universal scale.

Dear Amruta Putras lets grow up. If hunger is a cause of eating, it is the conscience to exercise a choice between cause and effect that makes us different from the rest of the creation. Lets exercise our choice and hold up the Dharma of our land.

Light

Are you aware of this beautiful fact that a light particle which touches you during daylight is generated eight seconds before in a nuclear reaction between two Hydrogen Deuterium particles on the Sun and travels fifteen crore kilometers straight away to reach the Earth?

For me and for those who share my perception, light is not a mere wave length ranging from 300-700 nano-meters in Electromagnetic Radiation. 
Light is a miracle!

From the dim old oil lamps to the modern flashing LEDs; from the contradicting theories arguing about its particle and wave nature to the modern Electromagnetic and Photon theories, light alone is constant. And I contemplate that how many mysteries about light are there which still have not seen the light of day.
Light is mysterious.

From amateur dabbling with the light’s straight travel practical and a failed projector attempt during my lower studies to a matured amateur dabbling with prisms and other lab equipment during my higher studies, light has remained an unrealized fascination and also an unbreakable frustration with its complex intrigues like refraction, polarization etc. 
Light can be taxing.

When the light is too much, I fail to notice the light as I become a part of the light. I’m the light. While I’m accustomed to see the light in a flickering oil lamp in a dark room (probably the sanctums of temples); the incandescence of a smouldering wood pile on a winter night; blinking lights of passing vehicles; the fluorescence of neon bulbs and celebrating its sacredness, I am also advised to see the Light in the eyes of a human. So far, I don’t think that I’m much accustomed to notice that Light in the eyes.
Light is fascinating. 

And light can be many things. Light is many things. I’m light. I’m a light warrior.

How Hindu our Hindu temples are?

Recently I've visited a famous temple. The temple was not much crowded on the day of my visit. It was past mid noon and the temple gates had just been opened. As I had entered the temple I observed three passages leading to the sanctum where the main deity presided. The first two passages would give access to the sanctum whereas the third passage would give only a glimpse of it. Well this is not uncommon in all major Hindu temples especially if they are generating good revenues;leave alone their spiritual importance and historical significance. Despite being a famous temple, the devotees were not more than 30 on that day and there were no persons at the ticket counter. So we proceeded through the passage which gave access to the sanctum so that we could darshan our deity from a close distance. Just as we had reached the sanctum we heard a man from the temple entrance shouting "Who allowed them in that passage? That is paid passage. If they want free darshan they should go through the free passage. Get them out." I felt bad. I felt helpless.
I'm desperate because our Endowments Department has degraded our sacred places to the level of cinema theaters where every body is seated according to their paying capacity. Where exclusive galleries are reserved for VIPs. And we don't see such kind of practice in churches and mosques. Is it because they are not under government control?
By simply saying "Namastey", a Hindu conveys a profound message that "I bow to the divinity in you and you and I are the same". Whatever is being practiced in our major temples is certainly not Hindu in spirit.