Just watched "Kingdom of Heaven"...a MUST watch for all people!
Well to give you a background it tells the story of the second Crusade and how Saladin manages to win Jerusalem back for the Muslims. But, its not the battle or the effects or even the history thats important...its the idea it shares through a man...a blacksmith who in search of God's forgiveness reaches Jerusalem and sees everything in a new light and stands by his morals to protect thousands...Jews, Christians, Muslims alike...a true Saviour!
It depicts the vanity and the futility of the crusades and the muslim counter-attacks that followed...not to blame the guys involved but there was some serious wrongheadedness involved.
As little known the Popes planned the crusades for absolute power and wealth from the middle east...burning down the Holy land and killing thousand where once Jesus himself preached of love, caring and sacrifice...
what makes it sooo touching is its contemporary relevance...not just the middle east, but also the world around.
why do people all over the world still fight in the name of religion, though the real thing is just pure lust for wealth and power. From the Iraq invasion to the Gaza occupation...upto the Ram janmabhumi episode...its all but just stupidity.
Why don't people realise what God really says...if you have a close look...Jesus, Buddha, Prophet Mohammad, Guru Nanak...all tell us the same thing...and yet we plainly ignore the real essence for the outer covering thats rotten...do we still call ourselves humans?!
In the movie, the Balion defends the wall of Jerusalem...not for the holy shrines and few peices of stones...but the people who call it their home! Defies the Bishop, burns the bodies to avoid an epidemic during a siege and leads all men...young and old...Christians and non-Christians toward a safe life. Its not only him, but perhaps one of the only few rulers that lived who were also great moral humans...Saladin.
Its touching how the Balion ans Saladin keep terms to surrender Jerusalem and send the people safe to Europe...and how each of them though a great warrior manages to think of the welfare of all people.
Can we bring about a change similar to that?
Can we identify the greedy crusaders amongst us and stop them before millions die?
Can we see God in ourselves and everyone else?
Can we be civilised and human?
That is the question every modern society has to ask and resolve...and Fast!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
A Beautiful Thought...
Meditation is seeing God in yourself.
Love is seeing God in the person next to you.
Knowledge is seeing God everywhere.
Expression of Love is service.
Expression of joy is a smile.
Expression of peace is meditation.
Expressing God is conscious action.
Love is seeing God in the person next to you.
Knowledge is seeing God everywhere.
Expression of Love is service.
Expression of joy is a smile.
Expression of peace is meditation.
Expressing God is conscious action.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Maya...
We always search for the answer of "How can I always be happy?"
And this is what H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says:
Forget about "always" - then you will be happy!
In always wanting to be comfortable, one becomes lazy.
In always wanting perfection, one becomes angry.
In always wanting to be rich, one becomes greedy.
Fear arises when we do not realise that only life is for always. This projection on the nature of self - which is "always" - onto the temporal - which can never be "always" - is called maya.
A very simple, plain explanation that defines every problem we face...
Jai Gurudev...
And this is what H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says:
Forget about "always" - then you will be happy!
In always wanting to be comfortable, one becomes lazy.
In always wanting perfection, one becomes angry.
In always wanting to be rich, one becomes greedy.
Fear arises when we do not realise that only life is for always. This projection on the nature of self - which is "always" - onto the temporal - which can never be "always" - is called maya.
A very simple, plain explanation that defines every problem we face...
Jai Gurudev...
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Theory of All...
Well I was just sitting around doing nothing (which I do quite often nowadays!) and suddenly this thought flashed by...and I tried to analyse its ramifications and was amazed as to how interesting lukkha pondering could be!
It was just this observation that all things in the universe...living and non-living are created, maintained and ultimately transformed(note: transformed, not destroyed!) into something else. This is how matter and energy are conserved and the whole Big system evolves with time. Its rather amusing that even the ancient Aryan/Hindu mythology observes it too. We have Brahma, the Creator; Vishnu, the Protector and Shiva, the Transformer...
As also whats interesting is the attributes given to numerous deities in India, their picturesque descriptions and characteristics...every quality of God has been given a form, and it is this understanding that unites all of them into one single Superpower.
Another interesting phenomena is the behaviour of microsystems. Quantum Mechanics tries to analyse the time evolution of a system, given its initial state and the Hamiltonian. This would imply that even the initial state is crucial for the system's dynamics! Now, we may consider the whole Universe to be one single system and it has a state with millions and billions of parameters and evolves with time so beautifully with stability and grace! What does it say about its own initial conditions ? Though the Hamiltonian is awesome, it does imply that something incredibly great would have made created the initial state of the Universe, that everything is contained in it...even what I write about its own theory. So, even if someone does come with the GUT as they call it, it was inbuilt in the system itself that certain components in it would ultimately guess its own theory correctly!...isn't that a sufficient proof that God does exist ?!
Now, as I think further, I realise the intense desire within man t understand the world around him. Be it a scientist, a poet, an artist or a philosopher...they are all driven by an unknown force to get themselves more acquianted with the place they call their own...only the methods differ ! What would this indicate about the nature of the human species ? It is only humans which have this ability to look around and observe...this inner craving to know everything in a better sense...and this is what makes us all special !
On the weekend I attended a guest lecture by a God Prof. in TIFR who works on String Thoery. And it was so arbit and random to me before he presented it so awesomely. It is indeed vague to represent the Universe with a set of numbers, matrices, tensors and random dimensional spaces. But, it is not what these people do...but why they do it, is what fascinates me to the core.
I could see in his eyes, the joy of a child who stares innocently at everything around him and makes his own convictions about them. This is the spirit of mankind...to observe, analyse and try to understand better...this is what I would like to be continue doing the rest of my life. I am so glad that I got an opportunity to learn Physics and Science in general and got a philosophical heart to complement it...its so arbit and yet so simple and beautiful. Thats how amazing the Universe is!
It was just this observation that all things in the universe...living and non-living are created, maintained and ultimately transformed(note: transformed, not destroyed!) into something else. This is how matter and energy are conserved and the whole Big system evolves with time. Its rather amusing that even the ancient Aryan/Hindu mythology observes it too. We have Brahma, the Creator; Vishnu, the Protector and Shiva, the Transformer...
As also whats interesting is the attributes given to numerous deities in India, their picturesque descriptions and characteristics...every quality of God has been given a form, and it is this understanding that unites all of them into one single Superpower.
Another interesting phenomena is the behaviour of microsystems. Quantum Mechanics tries to analyse the time evolution of a system, given its initial state and the Hamiltonian. This would imply that even the initial state is crucial for the system's dynamics! Now, we may consider the whole Universe to be one single system and it has a state with millions and billions of parameters and evolves with time so beautifully with stability and grace! What does it say about its own initial conditions ? Though the Hamiltonian is awesome, it does imply that something incredibly great would have made created the initial state of the Universe, that everything is contained in it...even what I write about its own theory. So, even if someone does come with the GUT as they call it, it was inbuilt in the system itself that certain components in it would ultimately guess its own theory correctly!...isn't that a sufficient proof that God does exist ?!
Now, as I think further, I realise the intense desire within man t understand the world around him. Be it a scientist, a poet, an artist or a philosopher...they are all driven by an unknown force to get themselves more acquianted with the place they call their own...only the methods differ ! What would this indicate about the nature of the human species ? It is only humans which have this ability to look around and observe...this inner craving to know everything in a better sense...and this is what makes us all special !
On the weekend I attended a guest lecture by a God Prof. in TIFR who works on String Thoery. And it was so arbit and random to me before he presented it so awesomely. It is indeed vague to represent the Universe with a set of numbers, matrices, tensors and random dimensional spaces. But, it is not what these people do...but why they do it, is what fascinates me to the core.
I could see in his eyes, the joy of a child who stares innocently at everything around him and makes his own convictions about them. This is the spirit of mankind...to observe, analyse and try to understand better...this is what I would like to be continue doing the rest of my life. I am so glad that I got an opportunity to learn Physics and Science in general and got a philosophical heart to complement it...its so arbit and yet so simple and beautiful. Thats how amazing the Universe is!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Jaago re...
First of all, thanks to the terrorists that attack Mumbai ! U would like to shoot me for this, but do reckognize that even I want all of them to be tortured publicly in Shivaji Park and cut their limbs off and throw dem off to die on their own !
Well, I usually dont become so violent, but drastic times bring along drastic changes...and thats what is actually needed at this hour...
I salute all d soldiers, officers, media people and vigilant citizens alike who fought without fear so that I could finish my seminar report peacefully just 20 miles away...
How did this happen ?...n do we learn any lessons ?
In such times of terror and havoc, its the individuals awareness and commitment towards society that really matters...how long can we wait for the government/police/army to rescue us !
Its time to stand up and be responsible...to fight against the real enemies rather than point fingers at our fellow countrymen (Yes, Mr. Raj Thackeray ! NSG commandos from the "Bihar" regiment saved their marathi brothers!)
Dear Politicians, GET A LIFE ! have some shame before U use these situations for personal profits and vote-jugaads...I really feel the Parliament attack should have been successful !
Now, as citizens what we must do is to be alert, aware of whats happening around...be vigilant, more observing...co-operate with any security system U come across...be it the IIT main-gate or the police at a cricket match...
co-operation is the key ! and most importantly...get up register yourselves and vote for sane people who actually love India and its people...
"kar chale hum fida jaano tan saathiyon, ab tumhare hawale vatan saathiyon..."
Vande Mataram
P.S. : there is a new Anti-Terror Helpline no. installed by the ATS... dial 1090 in case of suspiscion or emergency...and the local ATS will be there in a flash...U can dial from cell-phones and its the same number throughout India...
Well, I usually dont become so violent, but drastic times bring along drastic changes...and thats what is actually needed at this hour...
I salute all d soldiers, officers, media people and vigilant citizens alike who fought without fear so that I could finish my seminar report peacefully just 20 miles away...
How did this happen ?...n do we learn any lessons ?
In such times of terror and havoc, its the individuals awareness and commitment towards society that really matters...how long can we wait for the government/police/army to rescue us !
Its time to stand up and be responsible...to fight against the real enemies rather than point fingers at our fellow countrymen (Yes, Mr. Raj Thackeray ! NSG commandos from the "Bihar" regiment saved their marathi brothers!)
Dear Politicians, GET A LIFE ! have some shame before U use these situations for personal profits and vote-jugaads...I really feel the Parliament attack should have been successful !
Now, as citizens what we must do is to be alert, aware of whats happening around...be vigilant, more observing...co-operate with any security system U come across...be it the IIT main-gate or the police at a cricket match...
co-operation is the key ! and most importantly...get up register yourselves and vote for sane people who actually love India and its people...
"kar chale hum fida jaano tan saathiyon, ab tumhare hawale vatan saathiyon..."
Vande Mataram
P.S. : there is a new Anti-Terror Helpline no. installed by the ATS... dial 1090 in case of suspiscion or emergency...and the local ATS will be there in a flash...U can dial from cell-phones and its the same number throughout India...
Friday, November 7, 2008
Wealth !
Poor people fight for food.
Rich people share their food.
Richer are those who share power.
Richer still are those who share fame.
Richest of all are those who share themselves.
A person's wealth is measured by his ability to share and not by what he hoards.
Rich people share their food.
Richer are those who share power.
Richer still are those who share fame.
Richest of all are those who share themselves.
A person's wealth is measured by his ability to share and not by what he hoards.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Knowledge
Knowledge is a burden,
if it robs you of innocence
Knowledge is a burden,
if it makes you feel you are special
Knowledge is a burden,
if it gives you an idea that you are wise
Knowledge is a burden,
if it is not integrated into life
Knowledge is a burden,
if it does not bring you joy
Knowledge is a burden,
if it does not set you free !
Celebrate in the Knowledge...
Jai GuruDev...
if it robs you of innocence
Knowledge is a burden,
if it makes you feel you are special
Knowledge is a burden,
if it gives you an idea that you are wise
Knowledge is a burden,
if it is not integrated into life
Knowledge is a burden,
if it does not bring you joy
Knowledge is a burden,
if it does not set you free !
Celebrate in the Knowledge...
Jai GuruDev...
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