Courage
Forgetting for a second Albert Einstein and speaking of things colloquial, it is fair to say that a day has twenty-four hours. My utility provider recommends eight hours of work and my doctor recommends eight hours of sleep everyday. I ignored both these guidelines yesterday and spent thirteen hours at a pub.
When we cut to the next predictable scene in this sequence of events, you can picture the protagonist walking the streets of Chinatown looking for greasy food to defeat his hangover. The butterflies are creating an uproar and the sound of the trucks is too horrific to describe. Instead of dashing in to have Roti Chennai at a Malaysian restaurant, I dart inside a beautiful Buddhist temple.
It is then I realize as to why I am a coward. In the face of the Buddha, I can clearly see why everything is transient. (I cannot see that everything is transient). This includes the troubles of yesterday which I have forgotten, the blackness of my hair, the friends that I have, the lovers I have had and the streets on which I walk. And yet I do not apply this thinking in my day-to-day life. I fear that in thinking in this manner I will let go of something that gives me continual pleasure.
It takes more than common sense to acknowledge the temporary nature of things. It takes courage.
And for that reason alone, Albert Einstein was far too great a man to be labeled a mere scientist.
Forgetting for a second Albert Einstein and speaking of things colloquial, it is fair to say that a day has twenty-four hours. My utility provider recommends eight hours of work and my doctor recommends eight hours of sleep everyday. I ignored both these guidelines yesterday and spent thirteen hours at a pub.
When we cut to the next predictable scene in this sequence of events, you can picture the protagonist walking the streets of Chinatown looking for greasy food to defeat his hangover. The butterflies are creating an uproar and the sound of the trucks is too horrific to describe. Instead of dashing in to have Roti Chennai at a Malaysian restaurant, I dart inside a beautiful Buddhist temple.
It is then I realize as to why I am a coward. In the face of the Buddha, I can clearly see why everything is transient. (I cannot see that everything is transient). This includes the troubles of yesterday which I have forgotten, the blackness of my hair, the friends that I have, the lovers I have had and the streets on which I walk. And yet I do not apply this thinking in my day-to-day life. I fear that in thinking in this manner I will let go of something that gives me continual pleasure.
It takes more than common sense to acknowledge the temporary nature of things. It takes courage.
And for that reason alone, Albert Einstein was far too great a man to be labeled a mere scientist.
Where the East meets the West
Saturday night before Easter I decided to have a quick read of the Bible. Not the entire book, but just one part that dealt with the Rise, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. I read the gospel by Matthew.
The first thing that instantly struck me was the beauty of the language used in the Bible. People who are up to no good are cast away to a land where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” The language is indeed sublime.
Another thing that struck me was how much Jesus Christ loved mustard seeds. He would have no doubt loved Asian cooking. Then it struck me that his fascination for mustard seeds must have something to do beyond the taste. For you see he used mustard seeds not in recipes, but in parables. There is the story of the mustard seeds that flowers into a large plant. There is another about the mustard seeds falling on barren land, on rocky terrain, in the midst of thorns and on fertile soil. I wont spoil them for you. Read them for yourself and find out. I think they are there in the Newest Edition.
The whole point of this blog is that Jesus spoke in parables, as they would induce people to reflect on their meaning. In this manner they are very similar to the koans used by Buddhists.
The aim of the Bible is to cause the disciple to contemplate and reflect. Not to interpret and jump into hasty action.
Saturday night before Easter I decided to have a quick read of the Bible. Not the entire book, but just one part that dealt with the Rise, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. I read the gospel by Matthew.
The first thing that instantly struck me was the beauty of the language used in the Bible. People who are up to no good are cast away to a land where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” The language is indeed sublime.
Another thing that struck me was how much Jesus Christ loved mustard seeds. He would have no doubt loved Asian cooking. Then it struck me that his fascination for mustard seeds must have something to do beyond the taste. For you see he used mustard seeds not in recipes, but in parables. There is the story of the mustard seeds that flowers into a large plant. There is another about the mustard seeds falling on barren land, on rocky terrain, in the midst of thorns and on fertile soil. I wont spoil them for you. Read them for yourself and find out. I think they are there in the Newest Edition.
The whole point of this blog is that Jesus spoke in parables, as they would induce people to reflect on their meaning. In this manner they are very similar to the koans used by Buddhists.
The aim of the Bible is to cause the disciple to contemplate and reflect. Not to interpret and jump into hasty action.
Momentous Occasion
Like most things that are discovered, DNA could never be invented. It is a work of nature. Simple in shape, sufficiently symmetric to appease the most aesthetic of sensibilities and mammoth in numbers to elude comprehension. 50 years ago a chemical structure for DNA was proposed. This discovery ranks one of the most important ever. Mankind today is at the threshold of new fountains of knowledge and also possible new methods of discrimination. It will be yet another interesting arena for Yin and Yang to meet, collide and evolve.
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Stunning creativity of DNA pioneers
Like most things that are discovered, DNA could never be invented. It is a work of nature. Simple in shape, sufficiently symmetric to appease the most aesthetic of sensibilities and mammoth in numbers to elude comprehension. 50 years ago a chemical structure for DNA was proposed. This discovery ranks one of the most important ever. Mankind today is at the threshold of new fountains of knowledge and also possible new methods of discrimination. It will be yet another interesting arena for Yin and Yang to meet, collide and evolve.
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Stunning creativity of DNA pioneers
Earth Day
The last bomb hit the earth. Shortly after on a parachute, a human being floated down to the ground. He was an important human being. He was the last one to survive. He found it difficult to breathe and knew he had very little time left. He saw more than one million plastic bags scattered all around. Over each plastic bag, sat a cockroach. It was a terrifying sight. He needed to get away. He walked into a parked SUV and switched on the ignition. He estimated that the air would be all right thirty miles away. He had one gallon left. He started the SUV, which croaked to a halt after only twelve miles. It stopped right in the middle of thousands of angry cockroaches and millions of plastic bags whose relatives it had run over.
The ending of the story is better left unspoken.
Today is Earth Day. The environment is the last thing on the minds of most governments. I am not going into a lengthy diatribe about the environment, save to say that it is important. Then what can we do to move it up a couple of notches on the agenda list?
We don't have to get riled up, shoot off angry letters and march on the streets.
We can carry our groceries home in cloth bags, which if we are not forgetful, we may use again and again. We can ask our senators to question governments in weaker countries as to why their people don't have running water in their taps and the reason women have to walk as much as seven miles to fetch contaminated water. In the PS section of the letter they could always write: PS: What are you doing about the chemical weapons? If you are the type that likes to get enthusiastic (but not to the point of blowing whistles at a New Year Party) you can even plant a tree: Earth Day Network - Global Campaign
Yes that photosynthesis thing is quite all right. I don’t have conclusive evidence, but it is rumored that Gandhi spoke highly of it at tea parties and other social occasions.
The last bomb hit the earth. Shortly after on a parachute, a human being floated down to the ground. He was an important human being. He was the last one to survive. He found it difficult to breathe and knew he had very little time left. He saw more than one million plastic bags scattered all around. Over each plastic bag, sat a cockroach. It was a terrifying sight. He needed to get away. He walked into a parked SUV and switched on the ignition. He estimated that the air would be all right thirty miles away. He had one gallon left. He started the SUV, which croaked to a halt after only twelve miles. It stopped right in the middle of thousands of angry cockroaches and millions of plastic bags whose relatives it had run over.
The ending of the story is better left unspoken.
Today is Earth Day. The environment is the last thing on the minds of most governments. I am not going into a lengthy diatribe about the environment, save to say that it is important. Then what can we do to move it up a couple of notches on the agenda list?
We don't have to get riled up, shoot off angry letters and march on the streets.
We can carry our groceries home in cloth bags, which if we are not forgetful, we may use again and again. We can ask our senators to question governments in weaker countries as to why their people don't have running water in their taps and the reason women have to walk as much as seven miles to fetch contaminated water. In the PS section of the letter they could always write: PS: What are you doing about the chemical weapons? If you are the type that likes to get enthusiastic (but not to the point of blowing whistles at a New Year Party) you can even plant a tree: Earth Day Network - Global Campaign
Yes that photosynthesis thing is quite all right. I don’t have conclusive evidence, but it is rumored that Gandhi spoke highly of it at tea parties and other social occasions.
Democracy Later
The total number of fleas in the world outnumbers the human population by a ratio of hundreds. Suppose fleas were given the power to vote. And one of the candidates standing for election was a flea, the other being a human. Assuming a modest voter turnout by the fleas, their candidate would win hands down.
Just as the right wing Hindu government did in the Indian state of Gujarat. Just as the radical Islamic Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) won a sizeable number of the seats on offer in Pakistan. What then would you do if you were part of an election where the winning candidate was certain to be a flea, because of sheer strength of numbers. Also assume that you were a person who detested fleas. Would you still support democracy?
America finds itself in a similar quandary in the Middle East. On one hand they are detested for supporting the incumbent governments and royal families and keeping them in power. These regimes are personified by corruption, greed and brutality. On the other hand America needs to support these regimes because the alternative is far worse. If Saudi Arabia or even Egypt were to hold legitimate elections today, there is no doubt that right wing fundamentalists would come to power. America opts for the lesser evil and is seen as being hypocritical for keeping down democracy (or not doing enough to uphold democratic ideals) in these countries.
What then is the alternative? Assume that elections were held and the right wing fundamentalists came to power. It is not an impossible or hopeless scenario. It has happened in the past and people have lived to tell the tale. Parties such as the Shiv Sena in Bombay came to power solely on the basis of an anti Muslim agenda. However, once they came to power they were faced with the problems of administering a large region and toned down their vehement stance. Also people tired of them quickly, as they were unable to improve amenities, build schools and do the things that governments are supposed to do. Until right wing fundamentalists are allowed to come in power in regions where they have overwhelming popularity, they can never be dismissed by the all-important majority of that region.
You might have to put up with a flea in parliament for a couple of years and never have to see it again. Viewed on the cosmic time scale, it is nothing more than a scratch.
The total number of fleas in the world outnumbers the human population by a ratio of hundreds. Suppose fleas were given the power to vote. And one of the candidates standing for election was a flea, the other being a human. Assuming a modest voter turnout by the fleas, their candidate would win hands down.
Just as the right wing Hindu government did in the Indian state of Gujarat. Just as the radical Islamic Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) won a sizeable number of the seats on offer in Pakistan. What then would you do if you were part of an election where the winning candidate was certain to be a flea, because of sheer strength of numbers. Also assume that you were a person who detested fleas. Would you still support democracy?
America finds itself in a similar quandary in the Middle East. On one hand they are detested for supporting the incumbent governments and royal families and keeping them in power. These regimes are personified by corruption, greed and brutality. On the other hand America needs to support these regimes because the alternative is far worse. If Saudi Arabia or even Egypt were to hold legitimate elections today, there is no doubt that right wing fundamentalists would come to power. America opts for the lesser evil and is seen as being hypocritical for keeping down democracy (or not doing enough to uphold democratic ideals) in these countries.
What then is the alternative? Assume that elections were held and the right wing fundamentalists came to power. It is not an impossible or hopeless scenario. It has happened in the past and people have lived to tell the tale. Parties such as the Shiv Sena in Bombay came to power solely on the basis of an anti Muslim agenda. However, once they came to power they were faced with the problems of administering a large region and toned down their vehement stance. Also people tired of them quickly, as they were unable to improve amenities, build schools and do the things that governments are supposed to do. Until right wing fundamentalists are allowed to come in power in regions where they have overwhelming popularity, they can never be dismissed by the all-important majority of that region.
You might have to put up with a flea in parliament for a couple of years and never have to see it again. Viewed on the cosmic time scale, it is nothing more than a scratch.
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