Only Answer? - Part 2

Before we worry about deciding on The Answer, let us worry a little bit about the nature of the questions themselves.

To begin with, where do these questions originate? Possibly in the conscious brain which is trained to think, feel, store memories, analyze, react .... And the questions are related to and supported by past memories/experiences which are stored out there as neural connections. The difference between the questions asked by any two individuals are ultimately traceable to the differences in the stored knowledge base. In short, it is one's intellect which is asking these questions.

Secondly, what is the system of thought on which these questions are based? Or, what are the limits of acceptability for answers? The intellect, by normal training, resorts to an Aristotelian logic for interpretation. To begin with, it sets up broad linguistic perimeters for the answers; e.g. ``What is God?'' cannot be answered by ``arfghhhhhsttttt yyyy'' which does not make sense within the stored knowledge base. But what is more important, it sets up a logical perimeter to the acceptability of the answer; e.g.: ``What is God?'' cannot be answered by ``Kellogg is a good breakfast cereal'' or ``1267'' -- both the answers make perfect sense to the stored-knowledge-base but will be rejected as unacceptable by the logical system which is adopted.

Thirdly, there are also limitations on the acceptability of answers based on predefined convictions. For example, ``What is the purpose of life?'' cannot be answered by either ``Kill as many people as possible'' or ``Produce as many children as possible''. These may not be acceptable purely because they contradict [in the Aristotelian logical sense] certain other assumptions which were not explicitly stated. In other words, the questions are accompanied by some subtle expectations vis-a-vis the answers: (1) The questions-answer session should take place at the level of the intellect and (2) The answers must conform to some ill-defined but nontrivial limitations of acceptability both from the point of view of logic and from the point of view of previously accepted [often unstated] postulates.

These considerations are the major difficulties in answering the questions. In fact, any number of answers can be given -- all mutually contradictory but acceptable! -- but for the restrictions imposed by (1) and (2). [We have not even addressed the question of whether the answers are expected to be ``true'' or ``verifiable''; even without that, the set of acceptable answers is very limited]. The non-answers listed above satisfy these restrictions to varying extent. To begin with, they are all verbalisable and operate at the intellectual level. They differ only in the nature of postulates originally held true in the neural data base and cater to different perimeters of logical acceptability. Other questions like verifiability can be answered within each system of thought in an appropriate manner. For this reason, the eight type of answers given above are not fundamentally different from each other! Change the set of Postulates, the perimeters of logical acceptability and any one system can be replaced by the other. The Atheist and the Believer are not different from each other in any fundamental sense -- they both are right or wrong if one of them is right or wrong!

The crucial point is the basic limitation of human intellect -- it works within the perimeters of a system of thought based on certain rules of logic; even the so called illogical beliefs are very much dependent on the logical system--in fact, without the presupposition of a logical system one wouldn't be able to know what is illogical. The human brain is pre-formatted with a system of logic and entertains ideas which are logical or illogical, consistent or contradictory, acceptable or unacceptable based on this format. When the atheist stamps the belief of a God-in-the-heaven as ``illogical'' or when the theist affirms the existence of God based on his own beliefs, they both are trapped by the rules-of-the-game existing in the conscious brain.

Once this is realised, it is clear why all the answers given above are correct or why all of them are incorrect and -- most importantly -- why it does not matter. In fact, all those answers -- and millions more which can be constructed -- are all the same answer in different disguises. In a way, they are not even different from the questions! The success and popularity enjoyed by these answers [which, as I said, are all the same] merely reaffirms the fear of the conscious brain to leave the secure terrain and leap into the Unknown; its fear to change the rules-of-the-game to no-rules-of-no-game; its inability to accept the limits of systems of thought including the one which preaches the limits of systems of thought!

From a practical point of view these limitations translate into the following: The guy who asks the questions is scared to give up the security of the system-of-thought and logic which appears to be so successful in the day-to-day life. So he is looking for answers which will not demolish this structure in which he is cosily wrapped up. And therein lies the trouble. Within the framework of the intellect any number of answers can be given; all apparently different but fundamentally the same. They do not force you to come out into the open shedding your armour -- and hence cannot lead you to a new adventure fundamentally different from what you are accustomed to.

This situation has led to an interesting symbiotic relationship between a set of people who can sell Nirvana [sometimes in 6 easy installments] and the confused seeker who wants to buy it. The entire history of ``religions'' arising from the eight types described above illustrates how this predator-prey relationship works in practice. Remember that there is no fundamental difference between Buddhist, Christian, Marxist and the Hindu thoughts -- they are all the same. They all provide non-answers to non-questions at an intellectual level based on different sets of postulates and perimeters of acceptability. The historical evolution of any of these systems of thought shows the key elements in all of them: a social situation throwing out the questions, a pre-conditioning which sets up the limits of acceptability, an attempt by an individual to communicate something within these limitations, the formation of Predator group which sees an opportunity for interpreting, the Preys who prefer the cosy comfort of obtaining acceptable answers without letting go off the pre-conditioning, gradual shifting of paradigms within the predator group and consequent disintegration, yet another social situation ripe for the next Messiah .....It goes on!

The only possible true adventure, therefore lies outside perimeters of all systems of thought and this is what we shall seek. Begin with a beautiful fact : Nothing precludes the existence of experiences which cannot be communicated, verbalized, transmitted... within the honest-to-God system of Aristotelian logic! Nothing precludes the existence of concepts which cannot be communicated by any system of thought, within any broad based systems of thought. Limitations of logical inference can always be postulated within any logical structure. This is probably the highest peak a logical intellect, a sufficiently well-developed sharp intellect can take you. And that is enough, in a way. Once the existence of the possibility is recognised, intellect self-destructs and something else, --- which, for the lack of a better name, I will call Direct Experience --- takes over.

There is, however, an irony in the situation: One needs a reasonably sharp brain [in the conventional sense of the word] to realize the beauty of this possibility and take advantage of it. But yet, sharpness alone is not sufficient -- and in fact, it can be a hindrance in most cases. It is rather amusing to note that many of the people who have attempted the non-answers missed this point mainly because they were very intelligent and smart in the normal, conventional, sense of the word -- the guy who can solve brain teasers, think clever repartees, get couple of Nobel prizes all that sort of stuff. Their intellect was so well developed that they simply did not have the stamina to push the standard Aristotelian logic to its logical end -- where it has the glimpse of the Land beyond Systems of Thought and Logic and causes the intellect to self-destruct. The reason for this reluctance is the primordial Fear of the Unknown, the fear to push to the limit where one is scared of the possibility of (literally) losing ones mind -- and such a well-stuffed, nurtured mind at that! Quite understandably, the guys who did it are the ones who did not have much of intellect to boast of -- fairly dumb sort of guys like princes, camel drivers, carpenters ...What is really needed is a reasonable brain which is reckless and adventurous!

Purpose, Life After Death, God, the Answer?

This is a three part series about an email i received at work.

What is the purpose of Life? What happens after death? Who/What created the universe? Is there a God? What is Good and what is Bad? How to make good pancakes? How should one treat others? This article provides complete answers to all these questions (except the one regarding pancakes which is really tough), in a simple, easy-to-follow language. Let us begin with a description of several conventional (non)answers to these questions.

1. [Normal-guy]: Frankly, I don't care what the answers are. I have once in a while thought about these questions but I found thinking was hazardous to my health and so I stopped.

2. [Agnostic]: I don't know the answers and I doubt whether there are any answers. Thinkers have wondered about these questions for centuries but they seem to be hopelessly contradictory. I don't think anyone [including/especially the author] knows the answers. May be we will never know the answers.

3. [Charvaka (aka Materialist)]: Life is a chemical unit of no great significance in cosmic scale and Natural Sciences will eventually tell you what you can know. Questions like the ones listed above arise from one's inability to accept the insignificance of oneself in the universe. You are born, you live and you die -- and in the long run nothing really matters. In a shorter time scale, any set of answers you have for yourself is good/bad enough. I live as I please and sometimes I am happy, sometimes sad, sometimes regretful, sometimes hopeful -- all these are part of life and one should not attach any deep significance to anything.

4. [Einsteinian Intellectual]: There seems to exist some wonderful harmony in nature which I find hard to grasp as mere accident. To me this harmony is god [yes, yes, that is not saying anything because I have not defined either of the terms; but, what the heck, everyone talks imprecisely about these topics; at least, this sounds intellectual!]. Obviously, this god is not concerned with good/bad, reward/punishment, morals etc.....But something in me tells me to be nice to others, be human, kind ....I am not too consistent in it [I have pets I love, but I kill to eat] but I attempt to be. I try to be as helpful as possible because of an inner urge and I feel guilty when I can't/don't.

5. [Philosophy-reader]: God is Omniscient, Omnipresent and various other Omni I can't spell. That way it sounds more sophisticated than thinking of a God sitting in Heaven up there. I am quite confused as to what this Power is doing - if any! At best, I would like to think it operates in mysterious ways, which we will never know and maintain order....oh dear, that sounds hopelessly naive even to me but I don't want to give up the existence of a Supreme Power. As far as human dynamics goes, I am with the Einsteinian intellectual.

6. [Star Wars Fan]: As evolution proceeds, we go from manhood to super-manhood and such species can exist in other galaxies. It is even possible that they visited us in the past and are keeping an eye on us. We may be able to establish contact or even evolve to that state by processes which are beyond the understanding of present science and technology but nevertheless no more mysterious than, say, radio to a tribal man. Issues of morality belongs to ethics whose only purpose is to maintain order in the world. What works best is right.

7. [Simple Believer]: There exists a God who is the Creator of this universe and we have Souls which will outlive the body in death. By being good, moral and all that we could hope to get in touch with God even while living -- but at any rate, God will make us accountable for our actions. This could be while we live or after our death in heaven/hell or in the next incarnation. There are guys who get in touch with God in the past and they have told us all about it in Bible/Koran/Vedas and you better listen to these. God expects us to be moral, kind to others and brush our teeth twice each day.

[Note: Since this set encompasses most of the religions, obviously there are variations in the theme; some Gods expect us to brush the teeth only once a day. Such differences of opinion, of course, have led to major conflicts and wars.]

8. [Sophisticated Believer]: There is God-hood in each man but he does not know it. And this God-hood is the same in all and pervades through the universe [whatever that might mean!]. To realize this God-hood is the purpose of life. Depending on your temperament etc. it might be helpful to be kind, moral .... so that you can move towards that Self-Realization as fast as possible. The world you see is an Illusion and will disappear when you reach the Goal --- just as the dreams disappear on waking up. It may be possible to move towards this goal by different routes/techniques and guys like Patanjali/Buddha/Christ/Krishna/Mohammed etc. have given you some of the methods. All religions of the world are merely routes to this goal in essence and the differences/conflict are superficial and irrelevant.

Last Night

i dont want to doze off to sleep
for fear of losing myself to dreams
you are my dreams, you are its waves
all i see is you, through my dream eyes
I wake, and wish i remember my dreams
to me they were true so it seems
you are my time clock that ticks my heart
without a start nor end to tell apart
all i see you in this very moment,
nothing but love, or a further comment
staying awake all night, seeing the sun rise
waiting was I, to set afire my heart cries
i stay gazing my nights talking to moon
awaiting the morning , to talk to you soon
i can hear you breathe, and hear its whisper
at silence of thenight, its even more crisper
i bleed with love , and in its cold i shiver
sending my heart to you in love's floating river
I send love to you through these messenger clouds
pictures of me through the ever clicking stars
this love has lost all its words
hence the message through nature's birds
i found iam neither time nor the space
as we met in eternity, and in thy heart space
i am neither this body nor its mind,
after seeing you i came to find
iam neither my thoughts nor my views
as i dont want a moment thinking other than you
iam neither myself nor the myself in you
but this inexplicable love and so too are you

Meditation

1. Shamanic Tradition
Meditation can be as early as prehistoric hunter-gatherers, it may have been maintained by Shamans who believed to be in direct touch with the invisible spirits of the world.
2. Vedic Tradition
The oldest recognizable scripture talking about meditation can be found in hinduism dating back to 3000-2000 BC, in its Vedas and Upanishads who propound the metaphysical self or Brahman and so many of its offshoots.
3. Buddhist Tradition
Meditation in its own techniques originated from sage Gautama Buddha and so many techniques followed by Tibetian monks.

All the prophetic religions employ meditation only in its mystical form, Sufism was later greatly influenced by vedanta, Kabal;ism and many brahminic traditions have things in common

4. Christian Tradition
A groupof early christian monks called Desert Fathers retreated from world for spiritual closeness and connection with God, similar to the reunciation concept propounded by vedic texts.
5. Jewish Tradition
Kabalism apart from rituals also employed meditation practices dating back CRICA 100 AD
6. Muslim Tradition
Sufism (called after they wore a plain wool garment called Suf) originated in 1000 AD almost same time as kabalism in turkey and the likes and kinds of mystical poets like Jalaludin Rumi.

Simple ways to meditate

Step1: Find a quiet, comfortable, relaxed place
you can site in comfortable dress
you can turn out the lights
you can in morning or night
you can to do anything that will not externally simulate distraction

Step 2: Close your eyes and cut external sense simulation
you no longer process unnecessary information captured by eye
you are already in quiet place, no inputs are processed from ear ( nothing is heard)
you sit in a normal room temperature ( not too cold or hot orsultry)
( that pretty much cuts you from outside world of inputs)

Step 3: Mantra (Manas (mind) + Tra (instrument)
you can be guided by a Guru's initiated mantra ( Upagyananam - gayatri)
you can choose primordial sound OM
you can choose a rhythymic sounding vibrational sound ( has no meaning or has one)

Step 4: Just repeat the chant
you can keep saying it whenever you think , u r distracted
you can have a CLOCK cycle against which u can compare to see whether you are continuously saying
(the internal clock perceivable in us is breating)
the monotony of the activity sometime makes it happen unconsciousness but everytime the activity is performed
it has to be consciously felt it is done, the doer will disappear and the focus will be in the chant , which too
would later and this is Meditation.

A few points from Time magazine

1. In meditation people use 17% less oxygen
2. lowered heart rates as less as three beats aminute
3. increased theta brain waves (one appear before actual sleep)
4. ability to control flight or fight response
5. less frontal area activity which is involved in rocessong sensort information
6. lowerin activity in parietal lobe, decreases the awarenes sof space and time and their boundaries with feeling of universal oneness.
7. In meditation brain is not inert, rather blocks information from reaching parietal lobe.
8. the overall blood flow to brian in meditation is less
9. Meditation shifts activity from prefrontal right to prefrontal left.
10. Modern transition of Meditation techniques
1. Zen meditation
2. Vipasanna
3. Walking & Breadth
4. Transcendental Meditation of Mahesh yogi
5. Dzogchen
11. Meditation of 10-40 minutes is enough to clean and recycle the system
12. Gtum-Mo a technique used by Tibetian monks allows them to drive their tempeartures so high to withstand cold as in himalayan regions or bodily earthly defilements.

Chemistry of the Brain in meditation
1. Frontal Lobe
This is the most highly eveolved part of the brain responsible for
a. reasoning (Self Enquiry)
b. planning (Samurai or Kamikazi)
c. emotion (Normal Humans)
d. self conscious awareness
During meditation the frontal cortex seems to go offline.

2. Parietal Lobe
This part of the brain focusses on sensory information about the surronding world, orienting you in time and space. Suring meditation activity in parietal lobe slows down.
3. Thalamus
As a gatekeeper for the senses, this organ focusses your attention by funelling some sensory data deeper in the brain and stopping other signals in their tracks. Meditation reduces the flow of incominh information to a trickle.
4. Reticular Formation
As the brain's sentry, this structure receives incoming stimuli and puts the brain on alert, ready to respond. Meditating dials back the arousal signal.

Reached London

I have reached London,and was greeted by its 7 degree Celsius. Its almost noon now, not enough sleep or food and feel completely exhausted. Iam eating cereals and watching TINTIN cartoon (TinTin & the Broken Ear). How popular is TinTin in the world? the statue you see on the right most is in Belgium.

Travelling to London

Iam winding my 6 month stay in jamaica and travelling to London tonight. Its been tough project and sleepless nights but finally coming to an end. I am planning to keep the postings going on...

pictures of you makes me cry
no matter how much ever i control & try
i wish this time of seperation to fly
just cannot handle its waves so high

i write my love, melting in tears
those that cleanse my dreadful fears
i feel your waves near and near
without you, wouldnt have made this far and here

love take me in thy verily arms
never let me anyday down
enthrall me with thy magic charms
bestow love's beautiful crown

Flamenco - Bharatanatyam

Gypsies originated from India and moved as far as Spain. There is been a great influence of Bharatanatyam ( South Indian classical dance form and its influence in Spanish Flamenco).

Photography

One of my friends called Buzz Mitchell took this photograph , he is into the ORBS, Pranormal and Ghosts . That reminds me i have to write about Kirlian Photography sometime.

Pancadasi - Chapter 1 Verse 4

Verse 4:Similar is the case in the dream state. Here the perceived objects are transient and in the waking state they seem permanent. So there is a difference between them. But the perceived consciousness in both the states does not differ. It is homogenous.

My Understanding
Everyone undergoes the following states

1. Consciousness-wakefullness
2. Dream
3. Deep Sleep
4. Turiya

Ramana Q&A
According to Ramana , all these states come and go the Supreme self is not bother but has only one state.

Maharshi: That is so; for this very thing Vidyaranya, in the tenth chapter of the book Panchadasi, gives as example the light that is kept on the stage of a theatre. When a drama is being played, the light is there, which illuminates, without any distinction, all the actors, whether they be kings or servants or dancers, and also all the audience. That light will be there before the drama begins, during the performance and also after the performance is over. Similarly, the light within, that is, the Self, gives light to the ego, the intellect, the memory and the mind without itself being subject to processes of growth and decay. Although during deep sleep and other states there is no feeling of the ego, that Self remains attributeless, and continues to shine of itself. Actually the idea of the Self being the witness is only in the mind; it is not the absolute truth of the Self. Witnessing is relative to objects witnessed. Both the witness and his object are mental creations.

Question: How are the three states of consciousness inferior in degree of reality to the fourth (Turiya)? What is the actual relation between these three states and the fourth?
Maharshi: There is only one state, that of consciousness or awareness or existence. The three states of waking, dream and deep sleep cannot be real. They simply come and go. The real will always exist. The "I" or existence that alone persists in all the three states is real. The other three are not real and so it is not possible to say they have such and such degree of reality. We may roughly put it like this, Existence or consciousness is the only reality. Consciousness plus waking, we call waking. Consciousness plus sleep, we call sleep. Consciousness plus dream, we call dream. Consciousness is the screen, on which all the pictures come and go. The screen is real, the pictures are mere shadows on it. Because by long habit, we have been regarding these three states as real, we call the state of mere awareness or
consciousness the fourth. There is however, no fourth state, but only one state.

There is no difference between dream and the waking state except that the dream is short and the waking long. Both are the result of the mind. Because the waking state is long, we imagine that it is our real state. But, as a
matter of fact, our real state is Turiya or the fourth state which is always as it is and knows nothing of the three states of waking, dream or deep sleep. Because we call these three Avastha (states) we call the fourth state also Turiya Avastha. But it is not an Avastha, but the real and natural state of the Self. When this is realised, we know it is not a Turiya or fourth state, for a fourth state is only relative, but Turiyatita, the transcendent state.

Question: But why should these three states come and go on the real state or the screen of the Self?
Maharshi: Who puts this question? Does the Self say these states come and go? It is the seer who says these come and go. The seer and the seen together constitute the mind. See if there is such a thing as the mind. Then, the mind merges in the Self, and there is neither the seer nor the seen. So the real answer to your question is, 'They neither come nor go.' The Self alone remains as it ever is. The three states owe their existence to non-enquiry and enquiry puts an end to them. However much one may explain, the fact will not become clear till one attains Self-realisation and wonders how one was blind to the self-evident and only existence so long.

For the Jnani (who is self-realised), all the three states of consciousness are equally unreal. But the ajnani (ignorant or who is not self-realised), is unable to comprehend this, because for him the standard of reality is the waking state.....

Indian Matrix

"Everything that has a beginning has an ending" - Matrix

"Everything that has a beginning need not have an ending, thats for India's Family Planning"

"Everything that has a beginning may never begin , thats changing without being the change"

Loving

i have no words to describe this feeling
it is all consuming my soul, and being
the day starts always with you, dreaming
a sense of awareness in me losing

as the days go, it evokes the sense of longing
the pain inside me , more and more growing
the whole world before me falling
yet the love for you alone rising

the thoughs of you never changing
our thirst for truth never ending
i wish the day we becoming
none but one, ever loving

Pancadasi - Chapter 1 Verse 3

Verse 3:
The objects of knowledge, viz sound , touch etc which are perceived in the waking state are different from each other because of their peculiarities; but the consciousness of these which is different from them, does not differ because of its homeogenity.

My Understanding
Objects of Knowledge.

Objects of knowledge refer to the what the subject sees through the senses or perceive through the senses subjected to his or her own interpretation.The seer is the subject and the seen is the object. Hence the object of knowledge refers to the knowledge about what is perceived through the human senses. According to Plato, objects of Knowledge refers to the idea we carry about a Tree , a dog etc.

Ability to identify different objects, in itself means there is a property or set of properties which uniquely characterizes that object givings its peculiar nature as perceived by the mind through the senses.

Who perceives the senses ? it is the varigated mind with its multitude of its own but who perceives the mind , that is the being or the consciousness . To know that something is always changing, there should be that something which never changes to observe that fact. That is the consciousness of the self which unlike the objects of knowledge doesnt change but remains the chengless observer of the change.

Sea in Me

I walk alone a lonely beach
listening to my own heart's solemn speech
my life is like the waves of the sea
with ups and downs, looking back i see

I built my dream castles with empty hands
later to find them burried in sands
the waves of hope doesnt reach the shore
nor a way to cope my feelings anymore

CT Connect Call Control

CT Connect is a software toolkit for developing and integrating computer and the telephone or also called as Computer telephony Integration. It helps you to monitor and control calls as a normal telephone would do using a computer instead. You can using CT Connect develop what is therfore called as a softphone to mimic the functions of a real phone like , making a call from PC, transferring a call, receiving a call with associated data for screen and call conferenceing .

Using CT Connect , it is possible without having to be physically be present before a phone extension to receive a call or place a call or do anything remotely. There are two type of call controls

1. First Party Call Control

First party call control means that the application controls the call over a direction connection between the system and the telephone. Typically a first party call control application would be used by an individual to access a limited set of telephony functions from their desktop. It usually requires a Physican Connection to a telephone through a board installed on the PC and a different board sometimes may be required for each type of telephone.

2. Third Party Call Control

Third party call control means that the application controls a call indirectly by communicating with the switch across a network connection. No direct connection between the application system and the telephone is required.

CTC enabled your application to use third party call control by providing access to the switch over a communications link ( through the data communication port on the switch. Because the call is controlled at the switch and not limited to controlling one telephone , but range of phones or extensions.

Third party here is CT Connect using SWITCH between the application usign CT Connect and the telephone. By this way any remote phone can be monitored or controlled by writing a desktop application. It can help to do the following remotely

1. Create all the functionalities and mimicing a physical phone using a software based phone or Softphone

2. Make a call from a remote phone using your desktop

3. Answer a call/ Transfer a call / Hold Call / Retrieve Call / Conference Call / Hangup Call

Point 3 is called as Call control or controlling the same.

Pancadasi - Chapter 1 verse 2

Verse 2: This discussion about the discrimination of Truth (Brahman) from Untruth is being initiated for the easy understanding of those whose hearts have been purified to the pair of lotus feet of the teacher.

My Understanding

"Satyam Brahma" means Truth is Brahman, and Brhadarayanya Upanishad says Sathyam brahmetic jayatimam lokam meaning Truth that is Brahman succeeds everywhere , Brahman is the indesructible Self. The Upanishad continues to say Sathyamhi eva Brahman meaning What else can be truth other than Brahman. So everything else other than brahman which is TRUTH is UNTRUTH.

This verse states therefore Pancadasi or 15 chapters is thus a discussion about Brahman the Truth and how to discriminate between the Truth and Untruth. It could be by "neti-neti" negating everything that is not true ( a longer way ) or just stating the nature of brahman or Truth.

Who is a qualified person ?
A qualified person in the hindu philosophy is he who has completely surrendered to a GURU . Surrendered here refers to surrendering one's ego because a qualified teacher is one who would show the path to the truth and therefore considered even more revered than God.

An aspirant has to qualify himself to a certain degree before he can even absorb the teachings , which would require some homework on the part of the aspirant like a sadhana and the initiation could be in form of a Japa or mantra ( chants) or inculcating the deep meanings of Srutis ( religious texts).

Purified Aspirant under the Guru
An aspirant gets purified under the able guidance of the Guru. Puruification here refers to the purification of the mind being relieved from unwanted or distracting thoughts away from truth.

So the verse states for those qualified students, Pancadasi or 15 chapters would serve as an easy understandign guide towards the path of knowing brahman or the Self. The teaching is for those aspirants who have surrendered to one such guru like Shankarananda of the author (Vidyaranya Swami).

A Poem

my letters dance as you read
my heart becomes the lute that beats
my fingers becomes a sculptors art
i was born inhere with a lovers heart
you dance inside me, with wisdom and love
paradise descends thy footsteps of love
my eyes wishes to see the world through you
all i wish ,is to be reborn loving you

A Prayer

i dont have any more energy to cry!!!!
my eyes dont have any more tears to drop!!!
there is no chance for any more seperation
there is no room for any more sorrow to creep in
i dont have any more fear
i only have love for you dear
let me raise in thy love never fall again to anyother love
let me live in thy grace not be seperated by each other race
let those beautiful days dawn in me of wisdom
let me reign always in thy love kingdom
let the rain pour the draught lands of my ignorance
let the barren lands of my knowledge bloom forth
let the power of sun flourish our growth
so be it ! so be it!
god make it so happen !!!

Seeing isnt Believing?

Excerpts from the lecture by Fred Dretske from Stanford University -1999

Subject: Seeing isnt believing : It isnt knowing or noticing either

There are two forms of Perception

Seeing , hearing , tasting smelling etc is a form of awareness or consciousness. If someone see's something he is aware of it or conscious of it.

All objects perceived means the person is is conscious or aware of it.

A person who is conscious of something is a conscious being.

Any living thing inspite of being totally unsophisticated or incapable in intelligence to a relative higher intelligence being is a conscious being if it is conscious about what it sees and or hears.

Example; If Bees have color vision and bees actually see Colors, then bee are conscious being of able to see colors.

Awareness:

Are of two kinds

1. Non Epistemic Percetpion

That which you see , but dont know what it is by its true nature . For example you can see a person walking but dont know he is your brother.

No capacity to judge what you are seeing but admitting that you are seiing the event or the thing. For example, if you dont know what an eclipse was , it doesnt mean you havent seen an eclipse is Fred's point.

2. Epistemic Perception
That which you see, but do know its true nature as to what it is : For example you can see a person walking and do know that you saw your brother indeed.

Awareness Of Objects ------------- Awareness Of Facts

(non Epistemic) -------------- (Epistemic Perception)

My Brother -------------- That he is my brother
Armadillo -------------- Armadillo



S is aware of X
X= Y
S is aware of Y

My thoughts:

What it mainly helped me is , we constantly judge , we judge everything we see, feel , and experience. Its also possible to have an experience without judgement but such living wouldnt be live.

It doesnt make any difference how you describe what you are aware of. If you are aware of something under one description (X as a friend), you are aware of it under every description (X is y's Lover) but if you are not aware X is Y's Lover, still the fact remains X is Y's lover , it becomes non epistemic.

When X leaves the room , and you know X as a friend left the room or assume another degree that when X left the room, knowing X your friend left the room and know X whose Y's lover left the room is cognitive and it is Epistemic.

It was one of the worst lectures i have attended , all he was trying to say is you can know something but you may not know what the conventional world thinks it so or for a factual sense what that object/subject/event really is. I see the classification to be done instead of two as three kinds

1. Non Epistemic
2. Transmigring Non Epistemic ( during non espistemic process, you can be learning using cognition)
3. Epistemic

I think sticking by the subject line of the talk, seeing isnt knowing or seeing isnt believing is to prove the non epismetic nature that seeing can be just seeing without any productive fruitful thoughts springing forth or not applying any cognition to the experience. Certain things we learn it wrongly but in application it seems to be still applicably correct. Thats wrong knowledge and still right application is very much possible, there however exist a breaking point which can prove that the knowledge perceived is wrong , when the application would fail or wouldnt produce the desired result.

Seeing isnt knowing
because it does not mean you acquire right knowledge or Knowing for the following reasons
1. there are infinite number of information on seeing anything which is being missed always at any object
2. seeing something would require memory and retention of the other unknown facts about what you saw, lesser you can recognize or more closely does it match to something similar seen, more it can be perceived wrongly or lead to misconception.

Seeing isnt Believing
1. mind is capable to cause delusions as in the case of John nash in beautiful mind , inspite of being highly intellectual.

Seeing isnt Noticing
1. you cannot see anything with all its infinitudeness of things happening that instant
2. it is also not possible to notice what isnt visible to be seen within the human eye spectrum

I think these are the steps leading for Human pattern recognition

1. Seeing using eye as a tool to capture the information to be neuronically stored in brain
2. Collecting collecting as many information on what you are seiing)
3. Triggering triggering the memory for whatever is already known or experienced)
4. Retrieving retrieving the exact factual info, or similarities, or closeness to what is seen)
5. Mapping mapping the factuals , filling the puzzle slots to get closer to what is being seen)
6. Observing a continuation of seeing and repeating 1-5 and updating the information
6. Recognizing to finally extrapolate, conjecture, improvise, and cognize on what the object could be

Body & Soul - Do we know?

We assume, one human body has one soul , but how come the following questions didnt baffle us or we didnt look quite to answer them? The following are some of the commonly held beliefs almost in all religions which seem quite contrary to the one body housing one soul concept.

1. When an conception takes place at womb of the mother, this becomes like
.."two souls" ... within one human body.

2.When we see people who gets occupied by external Aavi(Spirit) also we realise
that, more than one soul can be present within peripheral of one human body.

3. When souls departs from a body, if the body left to lie as it is, we see millions
of "live" aspects surrection from the body within few days.

4. A drop of human sperm said to contain millions of active live's of which only one
of them ( for few unlucky (or otherwise) ones...couple of them) makes it to the womb
for effective coneception.

Hypnotized to Kill

Can someone be hypnotized to kill and not know that he had been hypnotized?
A typical example would be to dwelve into the assasination of Robert F Kennedy, when the world unfortunately only remembers JFK's assasination and the mysterious plot behind it.

Latest research into Rober F Kennedy assasination shows his assasin Sirhan was hypnotized killer.
Its a well known fact that the subject can be made to do anything under hypnosis but is it possible to make the subject do post the hypnosis? or rather can the hypnotic phenomena be carried even after the session is over?
Maybe be hard to believe but its strangely its true and the phonomenon is called POST Hypnotic Instruction.

To demonstrate that post hypnotic suggestion is true and works, a small experiment was carried out wherein the subject with selective amnesia and highly probable victim of hypnosis was taken in the study. The subject performed and revealed whatever the hypnotist wanted him to during the session. Before the end of the session however, the hypnotist asked the subject to loosen up his tie after the session is over , when he see the hypnotist wear his glasses back. Shockingly , the session was over and the hypnotist had normal conversations with the subject for a long time. When he wore his glasses back, indeed the subject started to loosen up his tie. When asked the rational explanation behind , he hesitated but somehow searched for an answer and said he felt hot inside the room.

This is what is called as the COMPULSIVE TRIAD in post hypnosis instruction therapy.
1. amnesia on the instructions given
2. compulsive need to follow the instruction under hypnosis
3. trying to find a rationalization for the post hypnotic act

Sirhan case the compulsive triad just worked like this, he was just a patsy in the whole plot.
1. he was one of the few people who is very vulnerable to hypnosis and has therefore total amnesia during the process.
2. Once he was hypnotized being a suitable candidate he could follow the instruction clearly
3. his rationalization he found was RFK was pro-israel
Sirhans was believed to be the only assasin to have shot kennedy or only one who was reprimanded

However a lot of questions remain unanswered in the assasination due to the following
1. Bullet which killed RFK did not match the bullet that came from Sirhans
2. The number of Bullets Sirhans had was 8 and all were accounted for but the cime scene totally had 11 bullets and the three bullets still remain a mystery
3. This suspects the possibility of more than one assasin but who was the other?
4. Who is the real killer , because it was conclusively proved the bullet that came from Sirhans wasnt the one which killed Robert kennedy
5. The shooting angle of Sirhans could have not created the fatal wounds on RFK back head and the most critical wound at the lower right left ear which caused his death.

Similarities in assasination
1. JFK and RFK both were videotaped on their killings
2. JFK and RFK both assasins where both arrested but another assasin hand was involved
3. JFK and RFK both assasins were not the real murderers eventhough they pulled the trigger
4. Their real assasins could still never be found.

Antonomy - Lecture Excerpts from Deborah Gordon

Eventhough most of the below description could suit many different species of ants, the discussion is more focussed on ants which live in South Arizona deserts.

1. Ants always live in colonies.
2. Like bees, there seems to be a lot of similarity with ants in the way of work, reproduction and colonisation.
3. There are the queens one or more reproductive females and other female ants who are menials and do daily work.
4. The ants as i listened to one of the lectures is the ones who live in South Arizona.
The main topic is how interaction of ants within the colony helps in determining the behaviour of the colony.

Ants
1. In some species of worker ants they are in different sizes based on the kind of work they do.
2.There are also ant species who are all of the same size but still do different work .
3.There is a group of ants called the harvester ants whose job is to go and collect seeds.
4.The males have tiny smaller heads than females, thats how you can identify.
5. Males are only alive couple of weeks, and they die after coupling with Queen.
6.Lifecycle is Egg-> Larva->Pupa-> Adult ant.
7. Ants seems to be always talking , thats what we assume , but actually they check whether the other ant belongs to the same colony by touching the antennae.
8. Ants of the same colony have a sense of hydrocarbon chemical similar to everyone in the same cololny.
9. Depending upon the type of ant species , it secretes a particular chemical substance leaving the food trail for other ants to follow.

Queen
1. New colonies are constantly created and some colonies exist as long as 20 years.
2. The female queen lives as long as 20 years and digs a hole and lays her eggs.
3.She goes outside the nest only for mating and once returned never leaves for a long time to come.
4. A colony dies when the queen dies, because no new ants are produced but existing ants continue the same work as it did when the Queen was alive. In honeybee, a Queen dies, sister queens can take over.
5. Queen mates only once in her lifetime but in honeybee colony a bee queen mates more times.
6. Queen doesnt command any of the workers

Colonies
1. A chemical substance is sprayed around the colony so as to act as a warning system for other species of ants around a colony.
2. The colony can grow to around 10,000 ants in five years time. 3.Inside a colony you have a cone shaped chambers , the chambers are connected to each other using a small narrow tunnel vertically down and the queen chamber would be way down usually uninhabited by other worker ants.
4. Process of colonies are organized and efforts allocated depending either for exmaple , more food is available or when the colonies are flooded are washed requiring more work therefore.
5. Old colonies provide consistent foraging or collecting food compared to younger colonies.

Work Force
1. Its not clear whether the queen lays more eggs on demand or has its own reproductive phase.
2. The harvester ants does the following
1. Foraging
2. Patrolling
3. Nest Maintenance
4. Midden work

Foragers:
Leaves the nest , searches for the food and carry the food back to the nest.
Patrollers :
They decide where to go and find food. Foragers follow them blindly.
Nest Maintenance:
Managers take care of the next management by solidfying the nest with dry sand.
Midden:
They are the territorial markers who fence the colony.

3. One group does the outside activity ( Patrollers & Foragers) and they take the food and leave it just inside chamber door
4. Most of the group works inside, there are some to store food , who pick up the food packets dropped at the front of the chamber doors and preserves them.
5. Nest making ants keep securing the chambers and building.
6. 50% most of the ants do not do activity and act as reserves in case of emergency , not know exactly what their roles are.
7. Most of the food goes to the larvae stage of the ants, the ants outside roaming dont eat much.

Experiments
1. some tooth picks were put over the next covering, and Nest maintenance worker ants grew more.
2.Breaking the line of patrollers, created more patrollers for better routs in change for food.
3. When more food is put near the ant hole, the nest maintenance, patrollers and the middens take the role as foragers and drop whatever activity they have been doing.
4. If more patrolling is demanded, nest maintenance workers alone leave their jobs and aid the patrollers.
5. if nest maintenance workers leave, usually the jobs remain unfilled.

Analysis
1. So this proves that there seems to be someone assigning work based on the circumstance or the situation as it demands. Or each of them know their own responsibilities and act as it demands.
2. Its amazing that without a coordinator or without a communication system or an implicit understanding , such ants cannot be working with such disciplines among themseleves.
3. is this therefore purely based on instinctive activity or is there something more to it ?
4. One way of communication between ants could be in the frequency with which each of them brush the antennae , or the rate of interaction which could mean whether they require more foragers, or patrollers etc.
5. How does foragers know patrollers etc.. by the hydrocarbon coating outside them they can differentiate and the hydrocarbon profile varies depending upon the type of work it does rather than ants being born as foragers or patrollers etc.
6. No ants can perceive another ant , unless it can smell it closely and exchanging of chemicals using the antennae ensures what type the other ant is and whether they belong to the same colony.

Exchanging Blog Links

Why there is a need to exchange Blog Links

1. More than 90% of the search engines use linkages to define a popularity of a site and Google being the trend setter.
2. Links help to track bloggers who have a similar content or interest
3. Links help to track bloggers in a particular demographic area
4. A higher ranking page referring your content can be the only way to have the world know you exist in the world og blogs, especially when you are a new comer.
5. Links that are created can be made visible or non visible , as an inclusion of entry is enough for the webcrawlers to parse
6. More often sites which have common topics, get linked easily , unlike mine which are more indigenous and personal.
7. It takes a while for people to find your log, one way is to first get indexed in google and majoe web search engines almost daily.
8. Increasing the traffic and daily updating the content has a more higher chance that the weblog would be visited and probably someone interested would request a link share or would just link yours.
9. Google and other search engines working on page ranking , only checks how many links are referring yours, but eventually when the algorithm gets more intelligent, relevancy of content would be weighed and page reranked for accurate information.
10. Its quite possible for the crawlers to categorise the web log contents based on content information and provide a search within the Blog world on specific topics sorted by date or place.
11. A blog page rank is like stocks and shares, you never know when a page rank of any website would shoot up. It is wiser not to see the initial page rank of a site while link but rather see the potential that weblog is got and the common interest that can be share din deciding a linkage.
12. A higher page rank site has the potential of making business by requesting you to pay a flat rate before it can link your URL, a nice way to make money .( Thats why relevancy of topic is a must and weightage of the links housed in a page becomes vital for search engines to throw sensible results on queries , otherwise it would end up just being a handful of marketing advertistments)

Vedic Philosophical Texts

This is a chart i tried to prepare , containing most of the religious thoughts and the asscoiated scriptures and related texts. I am to include in detail the list of 108 Upanishads and the 46 Upa vedas seperately in another chart owing to space limitations.

Plot Assasinations of Terrorists

My thoughts

1. Firstly I dont know where i stand to its ethical / moralness
2. With increased innocent targets, i feel a need to openly discuss on the need of it though
3. PLot Assasinations are always better than invasion of countries or large scale military warfare killing many.
4. Plot Assasinations are preferrable in countries where for the target it is foreign
5. It is safer for the team to be working independently making decision but continuing to meet the principal and objective if set by the higher command operating from the parent country.
6. Higher command could be retired personnels, staffs who work on menial positions in the rank but who have covert access too all operation required materials, basically a low profile person with highly powered source of infrastructure and access to a specific mission.
7. Higher command should not be routinely or repeatedly put into the task of assasinations and should undergo constant change in its members , with a few alone in the business continuing for knowledge transfer.
8. Higher command should be a commitee comprising of someone who can veto any decisions given to the deployed operation team based on consideration, needs, safety and understanding from the onsite team.
9. The deployed team could be operating as independent teams in many countries.
10. Each of the teams would have the following
1. A commander who is also skilled in doing the operation by himself
2. Assigned plot implementers
3. Logistics providers
4. Surveillance informers
5. Local or native groups to aid the plot
11. The teams if operating in different countries would by no means be aware of the teams operatinng in different countries except for the commanders in respective operations.
12. The commanders wouldnt know or exchange their individual mission or targets except when their target moves into the zone of the other.
13. The commanders are greatly encouraged to build trusted informers locally in the region and expand their bayonets and thus act independently.
14. The commanders would not advocate killing of any innocent civilian in the operation, if felt even a faint chance or a possibility , the mission would be postponed at a later time for a better and a safer oppurtunity to carry out the plot.
15. The commanders would work to make their plots creative and innovative, to show that they not only have been sucessfull in the targets but to drive a message on the capability and that there can be nothing called an hiding place or a safe haven.
16. The targets would be carefully selected and marked fullfilling the mission and objective as set by high command, the selection process would take inputs from the specialists on the fields but a final decision would be taken by respective commanders of the region.
17. IED ( Improvised Explosive Devices) would be more recommended than conventional mechanisms.
18. The targets would be identified soft or hard , and necessary planning and execution be carried out prior in advance.
19. IMpromptu operations eventhough not recommended , for difficult hard targets, it may be carried out , only after drafting the escape route clear.
20. No suicide mission would be carried out by commando or any specialists working under as it creates a possibility of identification and exposure of the team.
21. The team would chose to target what could be termed as obstacles in its escape route after a sucessfull mission.
22. The team members would be involved with the local public or neighbourhood and surveillance specialist would not be interactive with logistic specialist but would flow through the commander , unless and otherwise deemed as exigency.
23. All plots at every stage would have a contingency plan for a successfull target as well as its escape route.
24. Disposable of targets, not leaving trace would also be considered by sophasticated means and ways, preferrably someone closely associated but outside the team.
25. The operations shouldnt be a failure , against the objectives set. The time to execute a plot or a plan can breathe free till the objective in ever way is met , in being able to execute with perfectionism.

That Day

my friend!
the love for you, i couldnt hide
growing by day , i laughed, i cried
to free my mind, all i tried
still couldnt control, its urge to confide

my mind!
i prayed to the angels, to help,to guide
i tried to silence , its voice inside
never i wanted to show that side
whose feeling and pain, hasn't susbside

my heart,
the power of love within it reside
calling forth, your love beside
knowing well, it can be brushed aside
still couldnt supress, its rising tides

my love
in me, is my only pride
needless to say, its implied
i didnt ask you, to be my bride
just wanted to walk life, side by side

XQUERY

Xquery as i Understand

1. The future of software industry heavily depends upon XML.
2. Earlier all Datbases for Query retrieval was supporting SQL
3. Xquery is a mix of SQL and XML for running queries against XML tagged docs in files and databses.
4. Running SQL Query on XML documents was found not a perfect solution.
5. XML is hierarchial, and the tree structure needs to be preserved while querying.
6. Thus many queries on XML document require positional logic to determine the correct node in the tree.
7. XML query or XQuery working group involves IBM, AT&T, BEA, Bell Labs, Microsoft, DataDirect and Oracle companies.
8. They framed , a requirement specification, data model, query algebra, formal grammar and specifications of XQuery.
9. XQUERY contains conditional expressions or called FLWR
F - For
L - LET
W - WHERE
R - RETURN
10. As SQL supports joins between tables, XQUERY supports linkages between multiple documents.
11. Xquery provides sorting with ORDER BY clause and FIltering by WHERE clause
12. XQUERY like SQL provides function call and userdefined functions as well.
13. Xquery can be run on XML documents not stored in Database , but in file system
14. XQUERYX is another syntax where one can query the XML using XML tags itself
15. XQUEY example

Assume an XML document called badri.xml as follows



Assume we have to write a query , to display for each book we would require to print the title and author for a Publisher for year 2001 , the following would be a rough query

FOR $b IN Document ("http://badri.blogspot.com/badri.xml")//book
WHERE $b/publisher="PublicationName" AND $b/year="2001"
RETURN $b/titles $b/author

OSho

Pure love is a tremendous contentment in yourself; it is a settling of your energies at the center of your being. This centeredness brings an alchemical change to your energies. Then wherever you are -- with the trees, with the ocean, with the mountains, with the stars, with people, with animals, with birds -- you cannot do anything, love simply radiates from you. It is your very life. You cannot prevent it. Preventing it will be committing suicide" -Osho

Lotus Steps

i hear the dance steps
oh life seems to expand in every move
far away even from immortality
i hear them , i hear them
finally i see those feet ,
o the lotus blossoming at every step
with your grace, i raise
to see and find you
as ocean of love , where there is no place to escape
I get drowned to be reborn

Pancadasi Chapter1 Verse 1

Verse 1 :

Salutations to the lotus feet of my guru Sri Sankarananda whose only work is to destroy the monster of primal nescience together with its effect, the Phenomenal Universe.

My Understanding:
In indian culture , before anything is started paying obeisance to one's parents, Guru or deity is a normal practice. Pancadasi or 15 chapters was written by Vidyarayana who here pays obseisance and respect to his Guru Sankarananda.

Lotus Feet or Kamala Padam as it is called in Sanskrit is very often referred to deities, God or Gurus. The following are few reasons why the the literary works often refer as the lotus feet.

1. Lotus as a flower is considered sublime and sacred
2. Lotus feet is referred to indicate the feet being as soft as its petals.
3. Other aspect of Lotus is , eventhough in water it never gets wet, similarly eventhough the Guru lives in the matrialistic word is not contaminated by its Maya (Illusion)

Destroying of Primal Nescience as the only Goal.
Nescience here can refer to ignorance and thus who is a GURU (GU ignorance, RU Dispeller), dispeller of ignorance and that is the main objective of a Guru( snakarananda in this case).
Shankara + Ananda is Shankarananda . Ananda means Bliss.
Shankara = Shanka (Doubts) + Hara (Destroyer), hence he who destroys or defeats doubts is called Shankara.

Effect of Ignorance
The effect of ignorance is believed to lead to Maya or Illusion. WHile sleeping we are ignorant about reality , but ignorance effect in sleep causes dreams or illusionary world in itself, similarly those who are ignorant of the truth , in even awake state create their own phenomenal world of Maya.

ignorance exist not as something outside reality but something inherent to it , which is a creation because of AVIDYA? and recognizing and knowing it by experience is knowledge

Chat of Hearts

you pop in the right corner of my screen
seeing your ID with joy i scream
never do i know when you would come
thus anchored to my seat, I never move from
never have i noticed the time we would spend
even after chat, the feeling wouldnt end
our mind and thoughts digitally wired & aired
feelings of admiration equally felt & shared
we knew initially only, by our chat names
neither still we address, by our real names
i know you are a sculptor, who etches me with your word
not a single day can pass by, having not heard
all i have known you, is from what you type
deep down tho, our souls are of same type
those words of love, still i hear so sweet
someday i hope that we would meet

I See

A mail received long back from Holly, who is in Dharmasala ( little Tibet) in India and undergoing the proper Buddhist traditional practices in meditation with the name Namgyal given to her .

I see a soul who's ready to fly

I see golden lights falling from the sky

I see every promise made from the Masters coming true

I see opportunities speaking of the universal truth

I see each step unfolding bit by bit

I see the need for the opening to be biiiiiig

I see a world longing for union

I see each of us bringing in the new vibration

I see us working

i see us growing

and coming together

watch wait listen

Indian Philosophical Branches

The branches of Indian Philosophy are outlined in the chart. If you closely see there is theistic Atheism in Hinduism , under Samkhya ( meaning a system of enumeration) under which Patanjali is listed. Patanjali is said to be the Father of Yoga and the author of Yoga Sutras and thus Yoga comes under the branch of Theistic Atheism, and owes allegiance to Vedas.

Indian School of Philosophy has the following schools of thoughts

1. Hinduism
2. Jainism
3. Buddhism
4. Atheism
5. Materialism
6. Spiritual Monism
7. Henotheism
(Concept of Worshipping many gods or godesses but revere to One Supreme)
8. Logic & Atomism - Epistemology

Hinduism is wrongly believed to be this Puranic Pantheism , when infact it is truly henotheism. The concept of Deity is more of a personal friend, or associating with a deity to grow in specific paths of the spiritual ladder, a traditional belief of a group, caste or demographic area.

Pancadasi (15 Chapters)

I had explained how the human and the nature are made of 5 independent elements, as an extension on the subject I will try and include in the coming days about a book called Pancadasi (or 15 chapters) which was compiled by Vidyaranya Swami, to throw more light into the subject. I will try and include as and when i get time the 15 chapters contents , with my understanding and commentaries from other renowned people time to time in this blog.

The 15 Chapters are

1. The Differentiation of the Real Principle
( Talks about Truth (brahman) & Untruth)
2. The Differentiation of the 5 elements
(Talks how by differentiation of 5 elements the non dual Self can be known)
3. The Differentiation of the 5 sheaths
(Talks how differntiating the 5 sheats the humans are housed in, to know about reality)
4. The Differentiation of Duality
(Talks about Duality as a bondage and its renunciation to be free from suffering)
5. Fixing the meaning of great saying
(Talks ABout the Consciousness)
6. The Lamp of the picture
(Talks about the 4 stages in creating a picture with modification of Suepreme Self)
7. The Lamp of perfect satisfaction
(Talks about satisfaction of a man who is realised or glimpsed the Brahman)
8. The Lamp of Kutashta
(Talks about Consciousnes, Cognition and Intellect)
9. The Lamp of Meditation
(Talks about Practice, right Knowledge, Wrong Knowledge)
10. The Lamp of the Theatre
(Talks about the internal consciousness and external sense organs)
11. The Bliss of Yoga
(Talks about Union with the Truth or Brahman)
12. The Bliss of the Self
(Talks about differnce between Bliss of Yogi, Bliss of Deep Sleep, and the ignorant)
13. The Bliss of Non Duality
(Talks about Self is all that exist)
14. The Bliss of Knowledge
(Talks about realization through Yoga, Unreality of Duality)
15. The Bliss of Objects
(Talks about contact of the mind to external objects, like Sruti)

Panchamaya ( 5 Sheaths or Koshas)

Each of us according to Vedanta of Hinduism is made up of 5 koshas or sheaths
maya or mayam in tamil is not to be confused with Maaya ( Illusion, more commonly used, it means is-ness)

The 5 sheaths are therefore

1. Anna Maya (The Body)
2. Prana Maya (The Subtle) ( Subtler than the body but grosser than the mind)
3. Mano Maya (The Mind or Manas)
4. Vignyana Maya (The Intellect or Buddhi)
5. Ananda Maya (The Bliss or Atman)

The subtle part is not depicted in the below diagram though.




The nature is said to be made up also of 5 elements interestingly and they are

1. Akasha (The Ether)
2. VAYU (The AIR)
3. Agni (The Fire)
4. Aapa (The Water)
5. Prithvi (The Fire)

The primary elements of sense is made up of 5 sense feeling and they are

1. Shabda (Sound)
2. Sparsha (touch)
3. Roop (vision or form)
4. Rasa (taste)
5. Gandha (smell)

Mirabai

Some rare excerpts of recollection reading Mirabai songs and love for Krishna

human being
don't forget your reality

this gift of life
is for a few days only

take advantage
of this opportunity

you came here
for a beautiful reason

The Parting

i stare at the ongoing train,
missing the one i should board back home
my head's filled with the images and thoughts
injected with thy love's syndrome

Memories speed faster,anxiety more deeper,love still stronger
i accept this news of unbearable parting,
there is a new life there waiting for u to start
the divine is awaiting adorning the lover's hearts

nothing is the same,Everything so bare
knowing u r with me however i dont care
thinking how we grew and share
sometimes it seems, to me love wasnt fair

i wish i was taken to my true home
where i could have an everlasting sleep
i wish i dream love even then
as it is deathless even to the dead

Be Heard!

sometimes we convey by words
when it fails , we try and convey by music to become the song
when it fails! we convey by gestures to become the dance of life
when it too fails we convey our heart
and i believe it is always heard and seen

Kasparov & Machine

My most liked sport is chess , and the best sports i play is chess. This is recently about the match between Kasparov and X3d Fritz which ended in a game of draw. Still considering the fact the emotions run in human mind compared to the pure rational computers , i would say Kasparov won .

Playing with humans , there is a disctinctive advantage , because you can capitalize on the opponent facial emotional expression. Kasparov himself is known to have provoked reactions with his opponents , by abruptly getting out or slamming the doors to create a psychological impact to the opponent. I think however the beauty about him with Fritz was he was given completely new gadgets, 3d device where he could get a 3D image of the board floating actually between his eyes and the computer screen and he did pretty well under the time pressure with them. Playing with computer you cant afford to make mistakes , unlike with human , where there is a chance to recover by forcing the other human to make some mistakes during the course of the game. All is about strategy! strategy! and understanding how the computer was programmed. I was told that Kasparov did get a chance to look at all the previous games played by Fritz in his database before the start of the game. Vishwanathan Anand where are you! proud to say he is the world rapid chess champion and third after Kasparov , Kramnik and i studied in the same school and he was my senior.

Anam Cara

Atma Mitra - Sanskrit
Atma Nanba -Tamil
sjÃl vÃn - Swedish
Anam Cara - Gaelic
Amico ANima - Italian
Amigo Alma - Portugese
Amica Anima - Latin
SeelencFreund - German
Amigo Alma - Spanish
Ami Ame - French
Psychi Filos - Greek
Rooh Sadik - Arabic
Soul Friend - English

anam cara, my heart chakra
always be with me, be it any era
time and space cannot seperate
they are the ones at will , we create

atma mitra, my sublime mantra
dance with me, in Temple of tantra
nothing can ever, change the fact
about you and me in this heavenly pact

Moondram Pirai

Amavasai in Tamil means New Moon Day

Every tamil month contains these following 5

(1) PerumAl's Thirunakshathram
(2) Two EkAdasis ( Sukla and KrishNa Paksha EkAdasis) ,
(3) First day of the Tamil Month ( Maasa PiRappu) ,
(4) AmAvasai ( New Moon Day).

Now following the New Moon day , there are many Phases or also called Pirai
First Day after New Moon is called ??
Second Day after New Moon is called ??
Third day after new moon is called as Moondram Pirai ( tamil)

Below scene is from a movie called Moonram Pirai ( One of My Favourites)

This scence is Heroine( mentally challenged from an accident and loses memory and behaves like a kid) crouching to hear the train approaching from a far distance by keeping ear-to-ear with the Hero. I think it is called Doppler Effect in Physics

The climax of the movie is such that , heroine recovers and forgets the relationship with Hero, there parents locate her , and they take her away to her native place. Now i have been thinking why this movie should be called as Moondram Pirai or the Third Phase after New Moon, whats the significance?

One reason is the moon at that period stays only for a very brief period as less as 30 mts , seeable in the evening , probably that could answer heroine's stay with the hero and thus the title. In tamil, the very word moondram(3rd) itself is got the word "moon" ... Balu Mahendra ( Director) seems to be very profound in thinking...

Transformation Initiative Project

The project am currently doing in Jamaica is basically a Call Center providing solutions like

IVR (Interactive Voice Response System)
CTI (Computer Telephony Integration , for Customer Identified Agent based screenpop)
Dialer (For Telemarketing Calls & Collections)
Logger( For Recording Conversations between the Customers and the Agents)

for a bank called National Commercial bank , Jamaica by Servion Global Solutions

The project is aptly termed as a Customer experience management or CEM , depending upon the continued customer feedback model, the service model of the bank would changing metting the customer expectaions as well to compete against the other banks in the Carribean.

The Overall Project which includes CRM, SMS , EMAIL and other delivery channels is termed as the Transformation Initiative Project for the Bank and is organised as follows. The transformation here could be defined according to NCB as Rising the Challenge through Partnership.



Project Sponsor

Transformation Initiative Leader

Change Management Group

Customer Centeric Grp E-Channels Grp Centralization Emplyee Resource

PROCESS

ORGANIZATION DESIGN

PARAMETRIZATION

TESTING



The idea is to centralize all the branch operations and strategically control from the headoffice using the necessary technology and infrastructure and avoid customers visiting the bank by providing services through E- Channels like Fax, Email, Voice (Telephone)and Internet Banking.

A Journey from Hope to Paradise

Paradise wont be very far
to carry me from Hope , in the railway car
running down the flight of stairs
missing the train & unaware
seeing the crowd move, up the steps
climbed down, alone in its edgy depths
people were climbing the wrong side
glimpsing the train moving, I cried
the train was moving , to Paradise
but only one inside to to take its ride
Hope was crowded with many kinds
a place that brought many minds
everyone's destination "Paradise" , it seemed
but to them like me , an impossible dream
in Hope i wondered , why people depart
I came to know, they lost, will at heart
there were some, who never even made to Hope
there were some, who always stayed at Hope
there were some, who just arrived at Hope.
To those of us starring Hope's vintage clock
our lives at Hope seemed but ever locked
posed i a question to the station master
so did I, as he was their pastor
"did the trains in Hope ever come?"
asked I the question, also to those who were mum
"Yes, only one could board anytime"
came the answer from all, repeating as a rhyme
Dawned that, each of our journey's no longer being same
thus the ticket to Paradise,was about winning minds game
the reason why at Hope many where there
is because most of them were, in despair
all they did was just sit and compare
never a moment towards the journey to prepare
Hence just being in Hope, you cant reach
until one works , was a lesson to each
i still wait and wait , but there's no sign
hoping one day, to catch the Paradise Train

Nature's Love

in essence and in every sense
in beauty and in its entirety
in being and in becoming
to be loved is to love

Kiss of the clouds is Rain
Quarrel of the clouds is lightning
Kiss of Land and waves is shore
Quarrel of Lands and waves is flood
Kiss of moon and sun is night
Quarrel of moon and sky is eclipse
Kiss of Sky and Land is Horizon
Quarrel of Sky and Land is Tornado
Kiss of you and me is Love
Quarrel of you and me is also Love

Who Moved My Cheese?

Excerpts from the book "Who moved my Cheese" by Spencer Johnson MD, Putnam Publishers

Change is one of the difficult aspects for anyone, I was reading the book and thought of the cheese images etched in wood and captions which appear on the left hand side & thought it is worth mentioning here to later discuss.

I think man's excellence is an habit , hence he gets good at whatever he repeatedly does. Any change is something difficult to take , primarily because of the lack of confidence in living through, or experience the change against its ability to survive in it.

1. Having Cheese makes you happy
2. The more important your cheese is to you, the more you want to hold it
3. If you do not change you can become extinct
4. What would you do , if you werent afraid
5. Smell the cheese often , so you know when it is getting old
6. Movement in a new direction helps you find new cheese
7. When you move beyond your fear , you feel free
8. Imagining myself enjoying new cheese even before i find it , leads me to it
9. The quicker you ket go of new cheese , the sooner you find new cheese
10. It is safer to search in the maze than remain in a cheeseless situation
11. Old beliefs do not lead you to new cheese
12. When you can find and enjoy new cheese , you change course
13. Noticing small changes early helps you to adpat to biggger changes that are to come

Author is trying to drive the message

1. Change happens
2. Anticipate Change
3. Monitor Change
4. Adapt Quickly to Change
5. Change
6. Enjoy your change
7. Be ready to change quickly again and enjoy again

There are subsquent flavor of books to Who moved my cheese , Who cut my cheese ( a parody of the former), Who stole my cheese etc..

IP Contact Centers

Why IP Contact Centers?

1. All communication mediums should be available converged into Call Center Agent Desktop , that is Convergence.
2.Convergence of different media is strengthened by networking of systems, which in today’s world is IP based, as predominately all systems comply.
3.Convergence of Voice/ Data /Fax /Email /Chat is achieved hence by IP based Contact Center Solution available together in Call Center Agent Desktop

What to Keep in mind?
1.Customer since has many options cannot be restricted to one and given the choice to use any of them , the contact center system cannot be fragmented nor integrated but need to be more converged.
2.Interoperability of implementation and technological platforms needs to be well coordinated in building together such a system
3.Efficient Business process needs to back such an implementation with well planned and trained call center & support staff
4.Need to streamline all these channels and improve customer satisfaction offered through each of them
5.Reduce operational costs in having a system/ methodology / protocol/ architecture which could help in managing/maintaining and administering such a need
6.Completely satisfied customers , with improved customer satisfaction feedback would ensure repeat business and customer retention for longer periods.

Market Signs
1.The whole communication industry is moving towards open standards inspite of proven proprietary standards and reliability for simple reason of global reach
2.As the world is shrinking universal standards not alone in commerce like globalization but also in technology is more and more adopted
3.The first signs to be noticed are independent proprietary vendors especially in quarantined telecom industry have started adopting and embracing by coming together to create common standards / open interfaces / wider forums in looking through the same eyes.
4.Telecom could be an endangered word of the future by its ubiquitous counterpart Data Networking replacing it very soon for computing / networking / integration of various communication systems .
5.All Proprietary vendors have started supporting IP based solutions and procreating IP based product families vis-à-vis legacy based systems
6.Vendors also have started to believe it is easier to build complex intelligent routing/ call handling mechanisms in a converged based solution rather than in TDM based solutions.

How do we do it?

The answer is Convergence not Combination.
Combination of Voice & Data is more of “make-to-fit� solution
Convergence of Voice & Data is more of “made-for-it� solution
You cannot Converge Integrated solutions, you can only further integrate
You can however Integrate Converged Solutions
Call Center Solutions are Integrated
Contact Center Solutions are Converged

Questions Thereof?
1.Should I therefore not rethink my decision on proprietary solution?
2.Eventhough I have benefits , does the disadvantages surpass my advantages in continuing with Proprietary solutions? Both from a customer / vendor/ solution perspective?
3.What if I cant make investment to completely migrate into Converged / IP based solution immediately owing to training / comfort / cost / ignorance?
4.What if I want to migrate in Phases seeing its reliability & ROI in phases before I completely choose to disband existing legacy systems?
5.What if I want to retain a portion of legacy system and still have converged solutions juxtaposed ?
6.Can I still have my multi site location integrated with a full fledged Legacy systems on one such site and converged system on another site working in conjunction for my business?
7.Can a single point administration of my multi site location possible?

Is there a solution already available?

1.If the answer to any of the above question is YES, is there a single solution provider who can give me such a converged solution?
2.If yes, If there are more than one, who or how do I select the solution?
3.What Factors should I look in such a solution?

Selecting the Solution

1.Vendor selection can be based on many factors but one that is compelling in the proven platform of IP based solutions , with expertise in voice communication and track record of proven solutions & customer base reflecting it becomes the favorite.
2.The leader in IP technology and IP based products and solutions with proven strategy on voice should be a factor not to be ignored.
3.The word ‘Cisco’ would ring a bell in IP world even before ‘Voice Over IP’
Cisco existing customer based for its IP network leverages its strength strongly in helping to replace legacy systems with Cisco based voice solutions, which blends with other Cisco IP solutions already existing with its customers.
4.All legacy based solutions which adopted IP are newcomers in the arena eventhough with strong knowledge base on voice communication and call center communication. But the open standards / platform / architecture and interoperability of those vendors has to be time tested and risking to be a victim to test its reliability.

My thoughts about a Photograph

A photograph is when light(photos) draws(graphos) a non imaginary image(object photographed) freezing its outside reality in time and space with a tool(camera) involving or absenting another(Photographer) on photochemical(Film Photography) or electronic surface (Digital Photography).

A photograph is an exhibit to what it is exposed

A photo is an image captured in time and space, it can reproduce as many times as it likes, it doesnt hold a copyright to itself, it can be distorted as much you like.

A photo is one you havent seen until taken , if you are the object

A photo is a tangible object , with intangible contents

A photo is mental imagery existing outside your mind , but existed in time alive that moment and can or cannot be reproduced in time.

A photo is a two dimensional object in a three dimensional perceiver's space

A photo is vivid , as the space and its constituents are freezed , even as time moves outside the world of photo, the objects inside its space doesnt.

A photo is always physically tangible but its mental tangibility depends among the many factors , the Physical ( eyes to see it ), secondly the Mental ( recollection and retrievability)

A photo is inert, Photos of same kind seperated in time , whose persistability is in an acceptable rate can cause a motion ( a film )

A Photo is an image not physically tangible when it is seen in a computer or in TV etc..

A photo is something which can keep its constituents young, but whose physicality itself gets older

whats misleading in this Photograph?
It is not a single bed , they are two different beds with sufficient space inbetween

Badri Narayanan - Whats in a Name?

Badri is both a sanskrit name in India , as well as an arabic name used by many in Middle East.

The name contains two parts

1. Badri
2. Narayanan

Narayanan is Vishnu ( one of the Trinity in Hinduism, who sustains creation). he alone takes the avatars or incarnations of Rama , krishna, Buddha etc... as believed in the Hindu Mythology at different yugas ( time) for protecting Dharma ( Spiritual Justice).

The word Narayana or Narayan or Narayanan refers to the same. Usually Narayan is a name used in the north (Sanskrit & Derivative Languages) and Narayanan is referred in the south (Tamil & derivative Languages).

Narayana the root words are from Sanskrit

Ra - means to perish
nara - means that which does not perish
Nara - Collectively refers to those individual non perishable Jivatmas or Souls
as they never cease to exist.
Naras - includes all perishable and non perishable

Ayana - has the following three different meanings depending on the context
1. Resting place or Abode
2. Upaya or means and ways
3. Fruit or Objective

Nara - Ayana
Therefore all things abide in HIM or HE abides in everything
That which always existed , created the perishable and non perishable

Nara - Ayana
If applied second meaning, then HE is the source and means for salvation

Nara - Ayana
If applied third meaning , the fruit or objective would be is to attain or merge into the source and thats main objective or fruitive action being born human, into the universal being or consciousness as one can call.

Narayana is usually a name used by the Dualists following the philosophy of Madhva where (God and Man are awlays two different ), although Vishistadvaita of Ramnuja (Qualified Non Dualism) agains tpure non Dualism of Shankara called Advaita Vedanta.

Badri Narayana or Narayanan

Refers to a mythological story where Vishnu meditating on the foothills of Himalayas and doing a severe penance , Badri a form of tree bent itself providing shelter against the severe weather conditions in order to not disturb the penance.

Badri Tree

< Awaiting to gather more information on its herbal & medicinal features>
1. It contains sour apple like fruits
2. Tree is also called elandai ?? - to investigate
3.
BadriNath

The current pilgrimage holysite , is said to be in the height of 3,133 m between the two hills called Nara & Narayan. See the narrow roads in the right most picture, there is profoundity when it comes to sanskrit . A subsquent article to this on Travel plans from Chennai to badriNath would be discussed in the subsquent days.

The Falling

I plunged into my deepest fears
a downfall surronded by darkness and tears
I could'nt hear myself but cry
seem to be bidding my final goodbye
I pleaded for help , but none would hear
my own echo heard, far and near
As i was falling in uncontrollable speed
never i hoped, to rise-up indeed
All my knowledge couldnt help!
mocking at me from its very book shelves
All my virtues couldnt save
laughing at me digging my grave
i totally lost then all my hope
unable to resist nor could cope
I tried but couldnt fight alone
into the depths of my own mind's battle zone
i gave myself more and more
distancing myself from my being's core
but all a sudden , i saw a light
descending down with all its might
every darkness around me turned bright
calling my soul to stand and fight
I said to myself, there' s no more energy
light speaking aloud, the power of synergy
i said looking down falling, all of this , i did try
raising my chin, she glistened wisdom, in my mind's eye
I gave myself in faith, and total surrender
to those words of love , soft and tender
Its ray of of hope , pierced my heart
forcing my ignorance, to verily depart
Thus only way was to fight headon
nor far, was that battle of armageddon
I armoured thus for that final uprising
following the path of light, levitating
with sword as hope, i did blow
all those obstacles, on my upword flow
i wasnt any more free falling
but was falling into her heart, loving
She gave my life, an all new start
the wisdom of which, she still imparts
Forever i am indebted to you
never ever i thought , i will pull through

Odissi - Nava Rasa

Odissi is used to usually depict the unspeakable love of what Radha had for Krishna. Hence all hand gestures or movements or mudras are usually underlying this idea.
An author called Jayadeva had written 8 couplet poem or (ashtapadis in Sanskrit) called Gita Govindam and most of the underlying dance is based on depicting those contents.

Jayadeva was both a mystic and poet wrote these 8 couplets who lived in 12th Century AD. In order to understand ODISSI and what forms of expression are revealed through It knowing this sacred scripture is extremely essential

The 9 rasas ( emotions or chief moods) are classified as

1. Hasya Rasa (Comic)
2. Shringara Rasa (Love)
3. Karuna Rasa (Sadness)
4. Raudra Rasa (Furious)
5. Vira Rasa (Heroic)
6. Bhayanak Rasa (Terrible)
7. Bhibatsa Rasa (Disgusting)
8. Abdhuta Rasa (Wonderment)
9. Shanta Rasa (Peace)

Cry Thy Fear

cry thy fears
let go the tears
listeneth to your ears
the divinely wise prayers

cry thy fears
let go the tears
remove thy scars
be healed by the stars

cry thy fears
let go the tears
awake and arise
become learned and wise

cry thy fears
let go the tears
fullfill your goal
reflecting your soul

cry thy fears
let go the tears
waste no time
for time is sublime

cry thy fears
let go the tears
nothing is lost
its all your thoughts

cry thy fears
let go the tears
sing your story
with grace and glory

cry thy fears
let go the tears
crave for love
be blessed from above

cry thy fears
let go the tears
be very strong
know where you belong

cry thy fears
let go the tears
only way to grow
shed all that you know

cry thy fears
let go the tears
fight against pain
break every chain

cry thy fears
let go the tears
standup against odds
pray to thank God

Hotmail Spamming

I am tired of receiving spam mails of porn sites, mortgages, travel plans, and accessory sellings. Hotmail is increasingly getting difficult to deal with and wonder why Microsoft has not done anything to stop this.

I also have a yahoo email, i had signed up using that email with many blog sites for purpose of URL submissions but strangely i dont even receive a single spam mail. Contrary to my hotmail inspite of setting the filters it doesnt seem to help. The only worthwile feature offered by hotmail is to check for a specific word in the Subject line of the email.

The spams iam getting are from yahoo ID's which i cannot block as i have a few friends from whom i receive emails. MS sucks ! because i cant have a safelist which allows specific yahoo addresses and block sender list for yahoo domains, i would presume the Safe List overrides the Blocksender list but it reports a conflict and am asked to remove my SafeSender list.

I have also complained to the respective sites on the anti-spamming privacy policy from where the messages with variable username seems to be listed. But the problem is certain sites which has UNSUBSCRIBE Link are itself fake and they distribute the email address to other sites having received a sort of acknowledgement of the receipt of their messages.

Following is my idea to block spams using anti email spamming softwares for Hotmail

Provide the following as a configuration for the hotmail user to enable/disable

1. Check any repeated letter occurence of 'n' times in the username of the email like yyyyy etc
2. Check for subject for more than 'n' number of non english words
3. Provision to receive emails with speicifc keyword listing
4. Parse the email content for bad URL links
5. Parse the email content for sex sites
6. Have an efficient email reader program for checking "marketing or selling " mails
7. Check the CC listing whether the intended recipients have a pattern in their names
8. Ability to have safe list like x@yahoo.com and still have blocksender domain yahoo.com banned, so only mails coming from x@yahoo.com would be received.
9. Block Mails without a username or having username as pure numbers.
10. For those who can write their own logic, there should be a spammers restriction file where they can set their own priorities.
11. There should be an icon for reporting spams everytime an email is opened for classification and thereupon a email anti-spam learning program to keep updating by its learning patterns.
12. Probably possible to do a quick ping back mechanism on the domain name of the incoming email id , to check its validity.