And this day would be incomplete without a mention to...
...P.G. Wodehouse. It was on this day that the great master passed away, fittingly on St. Valentines day.
English is not a very nice language. It is not pleasant sounding. Sometimes it behaves like an errant dictator. It forces you to put "s" es in words and forbids you to hiss. Even the era of "when beauty of the English language was alive" is more a function of the creator being more elaborate than musical.
And inspite (if that’s a word) of all this there lived a man on this planet who not only mastered the language, but by virtue of his very defiance to reality forced it to rise to greater heights, almost like playing the Space Odyssey theme song on a ukulele (and the version being used in commercials for evermore).
I shall not quote Wodehouse. I do not know as to how his works relate to the non-violence theme that has been pursued in this blog for so many months. All I can say, if you are a character from one his novels, the troubles of the real world are the farthest thing from your mind. Don't scoff: it is not escapism. For if you allow yourself to be entertained, you will become Bertie Wooster and have millions of Jeeves straining their eyebrows to help you out at every waking second.
And if you still look out of the window before you sleep every night, you will see a giant silver medal in the sky, very much like the one adorning the neck of an overweight pig who is at this moment stuffing herself with bundles of hay. Does she have wings? You have to read Wodehouse to find out.
...P.G. Wodehouse. It was on this day that the great master passed away, fittingly on St. Valentines day.
English is not a very nice language. It is not pleasant sounding. Sometimes it behaves like an errant dictator. It forces you to put "s" es in words and forbids you to hiss. Even the era of "when beauty of the English language was alive" is more a function of the creator being more elaborate than musical.
And inspite (if that’s a word) of all this there lived a man on this planet who not only mastered the language, but by virtue of his very defiance to reality forced it to rise to greater heights, almost like playing the Space Odyssey theme song on a ukulele (and the version being used in commercials for evermore).
I shall not quote Wodehouse. I do not know as to how his works relate to the non-violence theme that has been pursued in this blog for so many months. All I can say, if you are a character from one his novels, the troubles of the real world are the farthest thing from your mind. Don't scoff: it is not escapism. For if you allow yourself to be entertained, you will become Bertie Wooster and have millions of Jeeves straining their eyebrows to help you out at every waking second.
And if you still look out of the window before you sleep every night, you will see a giant silver medal in the sky, very much like the one adorning the neck of an overweight pig who is at this moment stuffing herself with bundles of hay. Does she have wings? You have to read Wodehouse to find out.
The protest
People from all nations are marching in the war against Iraq. New Yorkers too will brave the biting cold and gather on 49th Street and 1st Avenue at noon tomorrow. Many people say that this whole marching business is futile; the war will take place anyway.
However, I still feel that this march is important. Many years, down the line people will not remember the details of the day-to-day affairs that occupy our media and minds.
All that our future generations will do is scroll down the slick consoles of their high speed palm pilots and see if any people in our times believed in peace. The March for Peace will stand testimony to the fact that there was a sentiment that lived and breathed: it mattered not if the cause was justifiable or not; there were a group of people all around the world who believed that violence would never be the solution.
The important thing is that there should not be more than one issue on the agenda. Even though the Israel Palestine peace process in linked closely to the war on Iraq, the marchers tomorrow should make not a mention of it. Let us learn from the mistakes made by the Democrats and focus on the one issue (which is complex enough) at hand.
People from all nations are marching in the war against Iraq. New Yorkers too will brave the biting cold and gather on 49th Street and 1st Avenue at noon tomorrow. Many people say that this whole marching business is futile; the war will take place anyway.
However, I still feel that this march is important. Many years, down the line people will not remember the details of the day-to-day affairs that occupy our media and minds.
All that our future generations will do is scroll down the slick consoles of their high speed palm pilots and see if any people in our times believed in peace. The March for Peace will stand testimony to the fact that there was a sentiment that lived and breathed: it mattered not if the cause was justifiable or not; there were a group of people all around the world who believed that violence would never be the solution.
The important thing is that there should not be more than one issue on the agenda. Even though the Israel Palestine peace process in linked closely to the war on Iraq, the marchers tomorrow should make not a mention of it. Let us learn from the mistakes made by the Democrats and focus on the one issue (which is complex enough) at hand.
Motion
I went for a walk on the street today. When you say “No!” to the offer of cheese on the sandwich and you are not fat, then you know that the economy is bad.
I investigated my feelings, like they were wrinkles on my shirt: in a helpless manner.
Did the most sordid of sights induce touching feelings of sentiment (that they normally bring with them) anymore?
No, they didn’t. The squalor was complete and I was part of it completely, no more a mere interface.
You know how when you search deep within your soul for an answer and all you can come up with is a cliché? Is that a reflection on your superficiality or your intellect?
I blame it on desperate, habitual laziness, not the conventional kind. What the hell, maybe it is the conventional kind.
On introspection, my soul threw out the words: stuck in a rut. Stuck is the key word here. I am going out of my way to prove the validity of Newton’s first law of inertia (even though it has been found not to be true).
You know how you cannot face the world in any manner calculated to bring about different images in front of you eyes as the river of life floats by. Must you be still and let all be still around you?
It is too early in the morning to drink. You want to go to a House of God. What happens when you are too scared to even go to church for example, because you are sure that even Jesus Almighty Christ is powerless to move you out of your state?
I guess you stop looking for answers. Often, you have to not do something actively, rather than let nothing happen all by its own accord.
I went for a walk on the street today. When you say “No!” to the offer of cheese on the sandwich and you are not fat, then you know that the economy is bad.
I investigated my feelings, like they were wrinkles on my shirt: in a helpless manner.
Did the most sordid of sights induce touching feelings of sentiment (that they normally bring with them) anymore?
No, they didn’t. The squalor was complete and I was part of it completely, no more a mere interface.
You know how when you search deep within your soul for an answer and all you can come up with is a cliché? Is that a reflection on your superficiality or your intellect?
I blame it on desperate, habitual laziness, not the conventional kind. What the hell, maybe it is the conventional kind.
On introspection, my soul threw out the words: stuck in a rut. Stuck is the key word here. I am going out of my way to prove the validity of Newton’s first law of inertia (even though it has been found not to be true).
You know how you cannot face the world in any manner calculated to bring about different images in front of you eyes as the river of life floats by. Must you be still and let all be still around you?
It is too early in the morning to drink. You want to go to a House of God. What happens when you are too scared to even go to church for example, because you are sure that even Jesus Almighty Christ is powerless to move you out of your state?
I guess you stop looking for answers. Often, you have to not do something actively, rather than let nothing happen all by its own accord.
Yoga
I am like other people. In some regards, I have a lot of catching up to do. For example, I hope to be able to touch my feet without bending my knees in the course of the next ten years. This, in part explains my fascination with Yoga.
The other day when I was entering the gym, I was jostled aside by this girl. When she opened the door she did it quickly and when she closed it, it missed my nose by a matter of centimeters. When I entered the yoga class, I saw her. This class fills up quite quickly and understandably, she was in a hurry in order to grab a good spot.
The one quality required to be a yoga master-and I speak from intuition-is compassion. Not flexibilty.
You have to feel one with the people in your class, the street outside, the subway and indeed the entire universe. And you cannot do this if you imagine yourself as a subject conquering an object.
If Chenghis Khan does handstands till you turn blue in the face, pay him little heed.
I am like other people. In some regards, I have a lot of catching up to do. For example, I hope to be able to touch my feet without bending my knees in the course of the next ten years. This, in part explains my fascination with Yoga.
The other day when I was entering the gym, I was jostled aside by this girl. When she opened the door she did it quickly and when she closed it, it missed my nose by a matter of centimeters. When I entered the yoga class, I saw her. This class fills up quite quickly and understandably, she was in a hurry in order to grab a good spot.
The one quality required to be a yoga master-and I speak from intuition-is compassion. Not flexibilty.
You have to feel one with the people in your class, the street outside, the subway and indeed the entire universe. And you cannot do this if you imagine yourself as a subject conquering an object.
If Chenghis Khan does handstands till you turn blue in the face, pay him little heed.
Boston
In Boston
There is a library
In this library
There is a young girl
She giggles at the mock anger of a kneeling reader
It warms my heart to see
Laughter without Comprehension
In Boston
There is a library
In this library
There is a young girl
She giggles at the mock anger of a kneeling reader
It warms my heart to see
Laughter without Comprehension
Sun
It is cold outside and snowing. Yes, the virgin beauty of nature and the barks of every tree lined with squirrels slipping on ice are all very charming. But to be honest, it has begun to wear off a bit.
To condense my thoughts, I miss the sun.
I might go to Miami. But if I do so, it will be with total awareness of the fact the heat is temporary.
They tell me that it might snow in New York, even upon my return.
Who wants to go to heaven?
It is cold outside and snowing. Yes, the virgin beauty of nature and the barks of every tree lined with squirrels slipping on ice are all very charming. But to be honest, it has begun to wear off a bit.
To condense my thoughts, I miss the sun.
I might go to Miami. But if I do so, it will be with total awareness of the fact the heat is temporary.
They tell me that it might snow in New York, even upon my return.
Who wants to go to heaven?
Scratch
One of the best movies I have seen in recent times is the documentary Scratch. It covers the entire history of scratching, DJs, MCs and how to make tunes "for people in other worlds of a higher intelligence."
There are two statements in this movie that particularly caught my attention (spoken ones, the visual statements that this movie makes are too many and hyper brilliant). One of the DJs says that "If you want to be the best at what you do, then you have to do it for 24 hours, seven days a week." No distractions. No women. No wine.
True, Gandhi would say. I concur.
The other thing that struck me was this one guy who is reminiscing about the first time he ever saw DJs at a turntable. He went into a cool New York basement and standing by the pulsating beats were two Japanese businessmen. "They always know where its at,” he says,” I knew that this electronic music thing was going to be cool." (not exact words)
A lesson for all civilizations, especially ancient ones is the art of being Japanese. Have you ever eaten brunch/lunch/dinner at a Japanese place? A meeting of form and function, everything is in a very natural state, like a dewdrop on a leaf. The spoons, the chopsticks, the rice cakes, the sauce and the petite girl behind the counter, who with a minimum of words makes you point at the NAPA on the menu.
The Japanese have merged the past and the present (and some would say the future) in their day-to-day lives. There are still temples on the hills of Japan and one suspects in the nods of girls at Tokyo bars. It is one thing to coexist with all in the present. It is quite another to coexist with the past, without thinking of it as such.
One of the best movies I have seen in recent times is the documentary Scratch. It covers the entire history of scratching, DJs, MCs and how to make tunes "for people in other worlds of a higher intelligence."
There are two statements in this movie that particularly caught my attention (spoken ones, the visual statements that this movie makes are too many and hyper brilliant). One of the DJs says that "If you want to be the best at what you do, then you have to do it for 24 hours, seven days a week." No distractions. No women. No wine.
True, Gandhi would say. I concur.
The other thing that struck me was this one guy who is reminiscing about the first time he ever saw DJs at a turntable. He went into a cool New York basement and standing by the pulsating beats were two Japanese businessmen. "They always know where its at,” he says,” I knew that this electronic music thing was going to be cool." (not exact words)
A lesson for all civilizations, especially ancient ones is the art of being Japanese. Have you ever eaten brunch/lunch/dinner at a Japanese place? A meeting of form and function, everything is in a very natural state, like a dewdrop on a leaf. The spoons, the chopsticks, the rice cakes, the sauce and the petite girl behind the counter, who with a minimum of words makes you point at the NAPA on the menu.
The Japanese have merged the past and the present (and some would say the future) in their day-to-day lives. There are still temples on the hills of Japan and one suspects in the nods of girls at Tokyo bars. It is one thing to coexist with all in the present. It is quite another to coexist with the past, without thinking of it as such.
Sometimes maxims ring true
A big controversy has erupted over the persona whose presence we are so sorely lacking in today's tumultuous times. Mahatma Gandhi was featured in a cartoon in Maxim Magazine.
The series of panels, which illustrated a man beating up a passive Gandhi, has created a huge controversy. The Gandhi institute in Memphis has objected vociferously. The editor of Maxim magazine has apologized and said that Maxim believed in Gandhi's teachings of peace. The Gandhi institute is not satisfied and wonders if Maxim's response was sincere. Now they await the May issue of the magazine to see if Maxim's response constitutes an apology.
I am frankly astounded by this reaction of the Gandhi institute. The Mahatma would have been the last person to be involved in a discussion that hinged on semantics. According to Gandhi, the only way to confess is to speak to one's Maker before the sun has set. That is sufficient. The Gandhi institute-which incidentally has little claim to ownership over his legacy of ideas- should be ashamed of having put themselves in a position where they act as judges, something Gandhi himself would have cringed at.
I fail to see the reason for the outcry here. What is at the heart of the matter? There is a cartoon that shows Gandhi being beaten up by another man.
Would Gandhi have been upset at this depiction? I am not a hundred percent confident, but given his great humility, I suspect not.
I can point out other depictions that could have been far more offensive based on what Gandhi advocates when confronted by a man intent of beating the living daylights out of you:
1. Do not be a coward. Do not run away. If the cartoon had shown Gandhi running away after the first few blows, then it would have undoubtedly been demeaning.
2. React with violence if you have to. It is better than cowardice. However, even if Maxim had shown Gandhi giving the left right combination in return, then it would not be proper as Gandhi was...
3)... a Mahatma. A great soul. In South Africa, Gandhi acted in a manner similar to the cartoon illustration. He stood his ground and kept taking blows. Not passively. His way of winning the enemy over was not passive resistance, but by an act of active engagement of love. This the highest form of bravery.
The editor of Maxim has said that he meant no offence by the cartoon. Gandhi strongly advocates giving people the "maximum benefit of the doubt". If Gandhi himself, in his endeavor to create an atmosphere free of mistrust-a form of passive violence-, could extend this courtesy towards the British rulers, then I see no reason why the Gandhi institute should have a problem reacting in a similar manner towards Maxim magazine.
Gandhi. Jesus. Buddha. Einstein. These are people who have been idolized by millions for so long. However, by placing them on a pedestal, we are cutting them off from the rest of the world. In today's times there is a greater need for their ideas, not the sanctity of their identities.
If Maxim wants to apologize, then we should accept their apologies as being sincere. If we wish to convert them to the path of pacifism, then censorship and arm-twisting is not the way in which to go about it.
Non-violence is.
A big controversy has erupted over the persona whose presence we are so sorely lacking in today's tumultuous times. Mahatma Gandhi was featured in a cartoon in Maxim Magazine.
The series of panels, which illustrated a man beating up a passive Gandhi, has created a huge controversy. The Gandhi institute in Memphis has objected vociferously. The editor of Maxim magazine has apologized and said that Maxim believed in Gandhi's teachings of peace. The Gandhi institute is not satisfied and wonders if Maxim's response was sincere. Now they await the May issue of the magazine to see if Maxim's response constitutes an apology.
I am frankly astounded by this reaction of the Gandhi institute. The Mahatma would have been the last person to be involved in a discussion that hinged on semantics. According to Gandhi, the only way to confess is to speak to one's Maker before the sun has set. That is sufficient. The Gandhi institute-which incidentally has little claim to ownership over his legacy of ideas- should be ashamed of having put themselves in a position where they act as judges, something Gandhi himself would have cringed at.
I fail to see the reason for the outcry here. What is at the heart of the matter? There is a cartoon that shows Gandhi being beaten up by another man.
Would Gandhi have been upset at this depiction? I am not a hundred percent confident, but given his great humility, I suspect not.
I can point out other depictions that could have been far more offensive based on what Gandhi advocates when confronted by a man intent of beating the living daylights out of you:
1. Do not be a coward. Do not run away. If the cartoon had shown Gandhi running away after the first few blows, then it would have undoubtedly been demeaning.
2. React with violence if you have to. It is better than cowardice. However, even if Maxim had shown Gandhi giving the left right combination in return, then it would not be proper as Gandhi was...
3)... a Mahatma. A great soul. In South Africa, Gandhi acted in a manner similar to the cartoon illustration. He stood his ground and kept taking blows. Not passively. His way of winning the enemy over was not passive resistance, but by an act of active engagement of love. This the highest form of bravery.
The editor of Maxim has said that he meant no offence by the cartoon. Gandhi strongly advocates giving people the "maximum benefit of the doubt". If Gandhi himself, in his endeavor to create an atmosphere free of mistrust-a form of passive violence-, could extend this courtesy towards the British rulers, then I see no reason why the Gandhi institute should have a problem reacting in a similar manner towards Maxim magazine.
Gandhi. Jesus. Buddha. Einstein. These are people who have been idolized by millions for so long. However, by placing them on a pedestal, we are cutting them off from the rest of the world. In today's times there is a greater need for their ideas, not the sanctity of their identities.
If Maxim wants to apologize, then we should accept their apologies as being sincere. If we wish to convert them to the path of pacifism, then censorship and arm-twisting is not the way in which to go about it.
Non-violence is.
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