Iyya

Gathered points of discussion yesterday:
1. Kadamai- Kadamaiyai ollunga pannanum (sincerity)
2. Know Yourself - Only if you know yourself you will be able to know others
3. Timeless State (samyamam) - when u become time there is no time. (Read the article entitled “The Fabric of the Cosmos” ). Idhu purinja podhum ellamae puriyum…

Economic Times Citings (Actual content as in the paper may be slightly different from what is here)
Space and time form the very fabric of the cosmos. Yet they remain among the most mysterious of concepts. From Aristotle to Einstein, from the astrolabe to the Hubble Space Telescope, from the pyramids to mountaintop observatories, space and time have framed thinking since thinking began. With the advent of the modern scientific age, their importance has been tremendously heightened. Over the last three centuries, developments in physics have revealed space and time as the most baffling and most compelling concepts, and as those most instrumental in our scientific analysis of the universe. Such developments have also shown that space and time top the list of age-old scientific constructs that are being fantastically revised by cutting-edge research.

To Isaac Newton, space and time simply were–they formed an inert, universal cosmic stage on which the events of the universe played themselves out. To his contemporary and frequent rival Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz, “space” and “time” were merely the vocabulary of relations between where objects were and when events took place. Nothing more. But to Albert Einstein, space and time were the raw material underlying reality. Through his theories of relativity, Einstein jolted our thinking about space and time and revealed the principal part they play in the evolution of the universe. Ever since, space and time have been the sparkling jewels of physics. They are at once familiar and mystifying; fully understanding space and time has become physics’ most daunting challenge and sought-after prize.
The developments we’ll cover in this book interweave the fabric of space and time in various ways. Some ideas will challenge features of space and time so basic that for centuries, if not millennia, they’ve seemed beyond questioning. Others will seek the link between our theoretical understanding of space and time and the traits we commonly experience. Yet others will raise questions unfathomable within the limited confines of ordinary perceptions.
As the story of space and time has yet to be fully written, we won’t arrive at any final assessments. But we will encounter a series of developments–some intensely strange, some deeply satisfying, some experimentally verified, some thoroughly speculative–that will show how close we’ve come to wrapping our minds around the fabric of the cosmos and touching the true texture of reality.

Iyya - Whatever u read, go beyond the words, deeper into the meaning of it, only then its worth reading else just reading prayojanam illa

Iyya - Idhai mattum nalla purinjikonga..
Excerpts from the book on Thirumoolar and maharishi..

Refering to tiruvasagam audio release, Iyya said, “avanga andha paata kaetu andha nilaikku pogattum, u read the one written by Thirumoolar (Published in the words of wisdom today) and go to that nilai”.

Iyya - Read this carefully and contemplate on this, one can experience the nilai as Thirumoolar…

Puriyaadhu…
Iyya’s most used words today were “Ungallukku puriyaadhunga”. He gave many articles, ellamae elludheerukaanga, aana ungallukku puriyaadhu. Apdi pottalum puriyaadhu ipdi potaallum puriyaadhu, yaenna neenga ungalai purinjukalai….
(Puriyara madhiri Iyya has commited to take class on sunday)

Study…
Dont study others, study urself. Just think what we are doing, why we are here. Konjam yoshichu paarunga, ellam puriyum. Yaariyum maatha mudiyadhu and people will be different, avanage yaen ipdi iurrngannu nenaikaradhu thevail illai (reason for kettu poradhu)

Wellness and illness:
Both are same. (Some matter on Reikhi discussed).
Everything is here, vaennugaradhu edhuthukka vaendhiyadhu thaanae, bayamnga, edhuthu enna panradhunnu….

Two articles today:
(refer to two articles of today). Indha rendu article purinja podhum, ellaamae puriyum, aana idhu rendum kashtam. Highlightof articles are:
1. Atom in vasthu
2. Universe and life in the “what is this universe, and where did life come from?”.

Manasula irrukara maasu remove paanitalae podhum. Kashtapada vaendiyadhu illai

An introduction to the Vasthu units of measurement The units used were based on the sizes of atom, which is very amazing at a time when the whole world was unaware of the atom.
VASTHU VIDYA follows a special kind of unit of measurement. The measurements adopted by ancient Indians for their calculations were very farsighted as well as errorless.

The units used were based on the sizes of atom, which is very amazing at a time when the whole world was unaware of the atom.

`Mayamata’ (One of authentic books on Vasthu) describes an atom as `that which can be perceived by the vision of those who have mastered their senses.’

It says eight atoms are equal to a speck of dust, eight specks of dust make up the size of the tip of hair, eight tips of hair a nit, eight nits a louse, eight louse make a barley grain size and eight barley grains in turn make one digit. Twelve digits make a span, twice of which is a cubit.

So finally, cubit (`Kol’) is the main unit and digit (`Angula’) is the sub-unit used in Vasthu for analysis.

Types of cubits

There are different types of cubits used for different purposes. Twenty-five digits make a `Prajapatya,’ 26 digits makes `Dhanurmushti,’ and 27 `Dhanurgruha.’

It is said in scriptures that Prajapatya can be used in relation to `means of transport through air,’ Dhanurmushti for measuring all types of buildings and Danurgruha for measuring villages and ponds. Even though 72 types of measuring units are used, the one with 24 digits is commonly used for general measurement.

Nowadays, the use of measuring units is a very debatable topic among Vasthu experts, as some of them insist that the units adopted have to be the same as the ones used in the main temples of the locality.

Since Vasthu is based on a theory of proportion, one has to be careful to use the same kind of measuring units for a complete project inside a particular Vasthu mandala.

It is not necessary to use the same measuring unit as that used in a nearby temple.

In ancient times, as there was no standardisation among architects regarding the units used, it varied from town to town. The standardisation was limited to a town or village based on the measuring units used in the main temple there.

Current standardisation

The current standardised unit arrived at by the Vasthu Vidya Gurukulam, Aranmula, after studying various measuring units used all over Kerala and considering the ease of calculation as well as the size of construction material used is as follows:

1 Angula (digits) - 3 cm
24 Angula (digits) - 1 Kol
(cubits)
1 Kol (cubits) - 72cm

Four cubits makes a pole, also called `Yasti’, eight poles make a rope. Pole is the unit used for measuring towns and villages.

Cubits were used for measurements of houses and half of a cubit - span - is used for measurement of seats and vehicles.

The digit is the unit used for smaller objects and barley grain for very small objects.

This shows that the unit of measurements adopted in Vasthu depends on the size of objects.

So for all measurements regarding a building, one has to use measurements based on `cubit (Kol Manom) not the one based on `Digit’ (Angula Manom).

http://www.hindu.com/pp/2005/06/25/stories/2005062500800200.htm

Iyya asked wht is parai and said it is “Mukthi” - to be one with god. Iyya drew connecting line between this parai, veda (Vibration) and the article “Unravelling secrets” to convey abt mukthi…

Two Brazilian doctors and amateur art lovers — Gilson Barreto and Marcelo de Oliveira — believe they have uncovered a secret lesson on human anatomy hidden by Renaissance artist Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling. Completed nearly 500 years ago, the brightly coloured frescoes painted on the Vatican’s famous chapel are considered some of the world’s greatest works of art. They depict Biblical scenes such as the “Creation of Adam” in which God reaches out to touch Adam’s finger. But, the doctors say Michelangelo has scattered his detailed knowledge of internal anatomy across 34 of the ceiling’s 38 panels. The way they see it, a tree trunk is not just a tree trunk, but also a bronchial tube. And, a green bag in one painting is really a human heart.

The key to finding the numerous organs, bones and other human insides is to first crack a “code” they believe was left behind by the Florentine artist. Barreto and Oliveira are not the first physicians to see depictions of human organs in the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican church where popes are elected. Fifteen years ago, U.S. doctor Frank Meshberger pointed out the figure of God and his surrounding angels in the “Creation of Adam” panel resembled a cross-section of the human brain.
http://www.hindu.com/yw/2005/06/24/stories/2005062400970300.htm

THE QUEST for a single theory that unites all of the universe’s fundamental forces has thus far eluded physicists.

Research that improves our understanding of how tiny objects placed very close together can influence each other has recently been completed by the group, which includes Purdue University’s Ephraim Fischbach.

The behaviour of a minuscule gold ball as it moves over different substances was observed, showing that gravity behaves exactly as Isaac Newton predicted, even at small scales.

Ruling out exceptions

The finding would seem to rule out the exceptions to his theories that physicists believe might occur when objects are tiny enough, unfortunately for those in search of the so-called `Theory of Everything.’

But in the process, the team has measured another, less familiar, force that does influence small objects, and at those scales is more influential than gravity.

Their precise observations of this Casimir force could make life easier for nanotechnologists, whose tiny creations will be subject to its effects. “We have measured the Casimir force with greater accuracy than has ever before been achieved,” said Fischbach, professor of physics in Purdue’s College of Science.

“Because this force can push small objects around, a clearer conception of its effects will be useful to the nanotech industry. Anyone creating a nanodevice will have to consider the Casimir force. ”

The research teamwanted to minimise the effects of the Casimir force, which is expressed as a powerful attraction between tiny objects that are separated by a few hundred nanometres, or billionths of a metre.

The scientists not only measured the Casimir force, but also went beyond to study the fainter effects of gravity in the nanoworld. Their work was published in Physical Review Letters.

“We’re doing work that could have cosmological implications, but it rests on the behaviour of objects too small to see with the naked eye,” said Ricardo S. Decca, Assistant Professor of physics at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) who designed the experiment. ”

Though measuring the Casimir force has practical value for today’s nanoengineers, what we are trying to do is find out whether gravity behaves differently than we think it does if the scale is small enough.

The trouble is that the Casimir force is so strong at that scale that it virtually drowns out gravity to the point where it is unobservable.”

Solving the problem

To solve the problem, the team placed a tiny sphere made of gold on the tip of a flexible cantilever, giving the impression of a ball on the end of a diving board.

A few hundred nanometres beneath the sphere was a plate made of two different materials — gold on one side, germanium on the other — both of which were then covered in a very thin layer of gold.

Because the influence of the Casimir force is noticeable over distances of only a few hundred nanometres, its effect between the gold surfaces of the ball and the plate were equal regardless of which material lay beneath the gold layer, according to an IUPUI press release.

The team tested the effect of gravity while moving the spheres back and forth over the plate. “Germanium has different mass than gold, so we knew the cantilever would bend further on one side than the other if gravity behaved as expected,” Fischbach said.

“The question was whether it would bend differently than Newton predicted because of some undiscovered exception to gravity’s behaviour on the quantum scale.”

If seen, such a variation would have been a revolutionary discovery as it might have allowed perception of the relationship between the quantum world of elementary charged particles and large-scale gravity.

“Gravity often seems to be the odd force out because the other forces are primarily visible on the quantum scale. Connecting it with the quantum world is the holy grail of physics, and we hoped this experiment would give us a clue of how to do it.”No deviations from the expected behaviour of gravity showed up in the experiment, but the team has plans to improve its methods to make even finer observations next time around. “We are trying to improve our experiment so it will be a million times more sensitive than it is now, which is already far more sensitive over this distance scale than anything done before,” Decca said.

“We think that is feasible with our technique. If we do find deviations then, it will give us a lead into what direction to look for the Theory of Everything.”

Until then, Fischbach said, the improved understanding of the Casimir force was an accomplishment that could assist both his group and more business-oriented researchers.

“Without compensating for the Casimir force, nanoparticles might clump together, nanogears might jam and adjacent nanowires might short out due to its attraction effects,” he said. “This study will hopefully bring a useful piece of information to design labs all over the still-nascent nanotechnology industry. And since our team is working with such small tools, it will likely help us the next time we redesign our experiment.”

— Our Bureau

http://www.hindu.com/seta/2005/06/23/stories/2005062300801500.htm

Veda:
Iyya current topic point is “Veda”. he says, ‘paarunga paathuttu irrokom, correcta varudhu. nethu pesinom as what veda is, now for explaining you all it is coming.’ (A post landed to Iyya which was addressed to somebody, which contained info on Veda)

Veda is vibration, without vibration there is nothing… (Blink of Eye, naadi thudipu, brain functioning, all are vibration only). veda is eternal, comes as a flash to eligible seeker during contemplation.

Hindu news article reference - Exortic force is vibration (Hindu news article was on Nano technology)

Creation:
How a spider builds its web and takes in when shifting similarly universe unfolds and folds…

Iyya said, one day sun would take in everything into itself.

Angirundhu thaananga vandhom, anga thaanae poganum….

The WORLD is the true book of knowledge.

TheTacuinum Sanitatiscontains a mix of good sense and utter nonsense.

WHEN IT comes to lifestyle gurus, you can forget Kabbalistic rituals, Atkins diets or total-makeover TV shows, because a Renaissance manuscript, the Tacuinum Sanitatis (Table of Health) got there first.

A series of 130 coloured drawings (on view at a London gallery next month before being sold), it contains all you need to know about living a more “balanced” life and covers anything from what not to wear, to how to exercise, eat, farm, shop and cook. It is, according to medieval manuscripts specialist Alixe Bovey, “a cross between Gillian McKeith’s You Are What You Eat and Mrs. Beaton’s Household Management” and like all good lifestyle manuals it has “some highly sensible advice and some absolutely crazy stuff mixed in.”

It is certainly based on notions of moderation and balance that would not be out of place in your average Sunday colour supplement. Health essentials include air, food and drink, movement and rest, sleep, and the moderation of extreme emotions. “The secret of health,” it maintains, “is the proper balance of all these elements.” Specific advice — all beautifully illustrated — ranges from what to wear in different climates; how pasta can upset the stomach, and the benefits of a good chat. The manuscript, produced in Renaissance Italy by a group of artists in Andrea Mantegna’s circle, is one of four (the others are dotted around Europe) and together they are the main surviving visual record of the rural and urban environment of that time.

“The whole idea of keeping everything in balance,” says Dr. Bovey, “is really very contemporary given our interest in holistic and preventive medicine.” Our latest dieting trend, for instance, is “mood food.” Indeed, the Food and Mood Project, a web-based dietary self-help service backed by the mental health charity Mind claims that research shows “low-fat diets can make you depressed.” Shocking news, but the Tacuinum got there 500-odd years ago when it advocated “duck rubbed with oil and stuffed with spices” as the ideal food for “fattening up a melancholic person.”

The Tacuinum (which Dr. Bovey says would have sat on the shelves of very wealthy art patrons next to an illustrated herbal) also contains a wealth of advice on herbs. In one picture, a man dressed in red is harvesting fennel, which, the text claims, is good for the eyesight and for fevers but can impede menstruation. Take a look at one of the zillion health websites, and fennel still figures large with claims that it can regulate hormone levels, ease stomach cramps and counter high blood pressure.

Similarly, our recent scientific breakthroughs when it comes to exercise and mood would be unlikely to raise an eyebrow in 15th-century Padua. Exercise can be a fantastic weapon against depression, recent studies have shown. But the Tacuinum could surely have saved our researchers years of data collection.

Of course, like all great lifestyle manuals, there is some barmy stuff to contend with. No modern-day doctor would be likely to advocate eating (frequently poisonous) lupins to “thicken the blood.” And even the most unhinged modern naturopath would surely balk at suggesting a link between egg whites and the development of freckles.

Sadly, lifestyle nonsense is not confined to the Renaissance. Far from it. Martha Stewart, middle America’s favourite felon, is currently advising us in her online Whole Living Action Plan that “mould and mildew are more than creepy looking. They can zap your physical and mental energy.” Eradicate your mould and your life will be transformed. She should, perhaps, have checked the Tacuinum, as it is far more sensible on the subject of damp, pointing out that winter is dangerous for old people, who should sit by the fire in a warm room.

Still, the manuscript shows that Renaissance society was no less concerned with bizarre lifestyle advice than we are.

http://www.hindu.com/2005/06/22/stories/2005062204891100.htm

IF YOU have been a worker bee for several years you will know your strengths and your limitations. Over the years I have realised that I can be a decent worker, I can be conscientious and careful about the work I do and I can be a great follower. But not in me are the qualities that leaders are made of. We hear people say, `Be a leader’ but how often do we get the advice, `be a follower’? Well, I have heard it!

Leader-follower relationship is a unique one as a leader can be as good (or as bad) as his followers. Successful leadership is the outcome of a fruitful interaction between the leader and the follower. Trust is what binds the two. However, the perfect relation still remains a Utopian dream. Hence this piece today — an effort to give all those nameless followers their place under the sun. Being a follower is no easy task. They have their share of `traits-to-have’ too. Most times it is a natural progression from being a follower to a leader (unless you are me when it is the most unnatural). They are people who are good followers but do not make good leaders, or even want to be one; but it is rare to find a good leader who was not a good follower. Evidently, the attributes that make for a good leader make for a good follower too. So, if effective leaders are made, can effective followers be far behind?

Successful followers come with a wide range of personal characteristics. Motivation, reliability and loyalty are three traits that are on top of every follower’s list, which will eventually lead to a leadership position.

The art of following

Unfortunately, everyone believes that a follower is a person who simply does what he is told because he is incapable or unwilling to play a more decisive role in the team. It is seen as a passive role— trivial and lacking in substance. It’s considered degrading — who wants to be a pathetic, weak, spineless follower when one can be a dynamic and maverick leader? But to be a good leader, you must be a good follower. In many cases, followers are a lot closer to the situation and know first-hand the consequences of a decision. There is nothing particularly weak about that. Followers are critical to the success of any project. After all, if everyone tried to be a leader, all at once, little will be accomplished.

Person and personality

A genuine liking and respect for others is a wonderful asset, which will help one work well in a team. Being able to communicate with the leader and others is an ability that’s needed the most. The follower has to keep the leader informed on what is working and what isn’t. This takes considerable skill. How do you tell someone that he is in the wrong or that his tactics are not working? Leaders are notoriously touchy about such issues.

Dependable and loyal

Leaders count on their followers to be there for them. So, be there. You cannot be much of a follower if you are not cooperative and a team player. Also, your loyalty to your leader must be absolute. However, let your loyalty not be blind and limitless.

Perspicacious and persistent

Being a follower should not stop you from thinking critically and impartially. It must not stop you from being sensitive to other people’s needs and wants and any changes that may occur. The ability to listen is what makes a good follower.

Honest and honourable

Be honest, artfully. Your leader depends on you to tell him the ugly truths— as candidly and sensitively as you can. The art lies in telling things without hurting his feelings. Acknowledge the contributions made by your leader in your growth; give credit wherever and whenever due. Also speak up when it is necessary even if it means putting your job on line in the course of speaking up.

If you do not like the epithet `follower’, then call yourself a supporter.

Because support is what your leader expects from you. You may never make it as a leader of men, but you can always lead by example. And you can do this if you understand the principles of leadership and `followership’. You will understand that both need loyalty, dependability and unselfishness. And whatever position you are in, you will make the lives of people around you better.

And for that you have to love the childhood game - Follow the leader!

PADMA RAMESH
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/jobs/0506/2005062200720900.htm

THE JAPANESE have a nice sounding word for `death by overwork’— it is called karoshi. They always do have nice sounding words for such deathly effects; hara-kiri is one that leaps to mind. Dropping dead due to work overload is a thoroughly modern way to die. Come to think of it, for workaholics there couldn’t be a better way of passing on to that Happy workplace in the sky!

We have been told often that nobody dies of hard work. But this adage has now passed into the realm of myth. A survey in UK has found out that there has been a steep rise in the number of people working excessive hours and dropping dead as a result (what did we tell you?). A cynic may point out that this particular affliction has little hope of troubling us, but the fact remains that we are experiencing higher levels of stress today than we did five years ago. And if it is happening in the US, UK, and more so in Japan, can we be far behind?

Incidentally, did you know that we are putting in more hours on the job than we have since the early 20th century? The Washington Post was moved to moan the fact that Americans (those lovers of the good life) live with the stingiest vacation time of 8.1 days after being one year on the job? And it’s getting worse.

People, who believe that long weekends can rejuvenate their bodies and souls, are in for a shock too. Studies have proved beyond any doubt that short vacations are not only bad for productivity but not too hot for health either.

Managers (those wily creatures) are not above using tools like guilt, fear and the insecure job climate to trick employees into shortening or cancelling their leave. What they don’t realise is that overwork doesn’t just cost employees; it costs the employer a hefty tab too (as mentioned elsewhere).

Feeling overworked is as pervasive as feeling stressed out and the panacea is something similar too. Here are a few things you can do if you do not want to `karoshi-out’.

Establish some rules for yourself. Reserve some time during the day when you will not take calls or be interrupted by colleagues, clients and sundry others. Place a filter on your calls (turn off your mobile if you dare) as well as your e-mails. You don’t need to answer them all immediately.

Ingrain the words `filter’ and `prioritise’ in your heart and mind. Another term necessary in your lexicon is a `to-do-list’. Prioritise your tasks with the help of your kind boss and delegate less important jobs to others.

Focus on one task at a time. Chronic `overworkers’ juggle so many tasks at a time that they end up dropping all the balls. Efficiency is all about doing one thing at a time.

Schedule a meeting with your boss to discuss all your workload gripes.

It could be that he is not aware of how overloaded you are with the trivial tasks he has burdened you with. Speak now… or you may have to forever hold your peace.

Get organised and cut down on the water cooler chats

Finally, if all else fails, cajole your boss into letting you have an intern. They are eager to work, willing to learn, cost little and look up to you, too. Work overload has a ripple effect that can wipe you out and turn you off your job. Re-invest the time you waste into improving your work and see how life at work improves for the better.

Note: If I don’t get published for the next few weeks, one may safely presume that I have succumbed to karoshi.

PADMA RAMESH

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/jobs/0506/2005062200060100.htm

Iyya’s Comment (precisely):
Ayyathai vitta podhum, one has vaanam here next to him.

Many attempts have been made over the years to evolve guidelines for obtaining freedom from the retarding and binding effects of the conditioning and stressful experiences of the past.

While there appears to be no panacea, Buddha’s teachings on Living In The Present offer a simple, yet effective guideline in progressing towards this objective.

Buddha’s aphorisms (Sutras) and his injunction on “not pursuing the past” have been dealt with by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk in his book, Our Appointment With Life.

It is common experience that it is very difficult to stop thinking of or not remembering the hurtful, painful and unpleasant aspects of the past.

Therefore, Buddha states clearly that one can still think of or remember even unpleasant aspects of the past and yet not be adversely affected as long as the mind is not enslaved while thinking of these and the person is also “not attached to the things which belong to the past”.

If this could be ensured, then, he is not “pursuing the past” and thus not affected by the past. One gets enslaved by the various aspects of the past, Buddha observes, only through the internal mental formations (Samyojana), which actually give rise to damaging and unhealthy reactions on the personality.

The way out is to keep clear of these mental formations, one’s opinions, conclusions and beliefs when the mind is led to think of or remember past events, associations, relationships or persons.

Thus one can view the internal goings-on in a detached manner and as a witness (Sakshi–bhava). This process would confer broadness in outlook and freedom from preconceived notions, prejudices and self-centredness.

In this altered perception, many of the past developments could be viewed as a kind of fun, as necessary stages in one’s evolution and as opportunities for growth and obtaining maturity and wisdom.

Various past memories would, in this state, also become less condemnable and less evil.

Harmony, focus, control and effectiveness, which would naturally ensue, would bring greater accomplishment, joy and fulfilment.

These would further ease and neutralise resentments and grudges within, thus yielding more and more of peace, joy and enthusiasm.

This virtuous cycle indeed is the practical working of Buddha’s concepts of “Not pursuing the past”, “Living in the present” and “Dwelling in stability and freedom”.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1148910.cms

What is the spelling to be used for Iyya was discussed with Iyya. various options were Ayya, Aiya, Iya. Iyya said use “Iyya”, moreover he said u use anything, people who reads will understand, “Enna spelling use panna ennanga”, but dont put ‘O’ instead of ‘A’. Iyya also suggested hiyya. (hi=highness)

Iyya said, it is told that people who are born during winter tend to be lazy. Coincidentally two things:
1. its now winter
2. its Roopa’s birthday

you can arrive at the corollary

PS: Though Iyya supported Roopa, saying “lazy illeenga”, lets leave that…

What is happiness? What is the yardstick to measure it? How can it be achieved? Though these questions sound simple, it is not so easy to get an answer.

If happiness was the objective, all those who pursue their dream careers or those who acquire a house or vehicle of their own should have been happy. But this does not happen.

The reason, our needs keep changing as we are changing every moment. Happiness should come from within. But how many of us realize this?

In this modern, industrialised society with its ‘high-speed’, ‘killer instinct culture’, sophisticated living styles and ruthless competitions, everyone is a part of the rat race and it has become difficult to lead a simple, stress-free, healthy, happy and peaceful life.

This fast life style creates tremendous stress within and without, leading to utter frustration. Finally people become completely drained of all physical and mental energy, incapable of clear and right perception and therefore understanding.

We are all human beings first and then only managers, executives, scientists, businesspersons, doctors, teachers, engineers and so on.

It is in this perspective, a programme like self- awareness acquires importance. Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Deemed University included a unique learning programme called Self-Awareness and Personal Growth (SAPG), in 1996, when they started their school of management, as part of its curriculum. Later this was made part of other courses like MCA and the recently started Journalism course.

The course on SAPG is essentially an experiential learning programme in which the primary emphasis is on the individual and his or her entire personality both the inner and the outer. It involves interactive sessions to create a congenial ambience in which both the teacher and the taught discuss a range of topics, without getting carried away by superficial explanations and verbal wrangling. The students are encouraged to begin a process of self-study and self-observation for eventual self-realisation. The course is meant to instil a firm foundation for holistic development and growth of the individuals in all spheres and dimensions of existence.

“In today’s educational system, academically successful, inwardly withered, emotionally unstable weaklings are produced. It is designed in such a way that people apparently know about everything, except themselves. This creates a great void in their lives. It is high time we ask ourselves whether we are really growing- not physically, materially but inwardly,

psychologically? We remain unaware of the infinite possibilities of our own self. Without self-knowledge, one cannot discover the art of living,” says Mr.C. S. Udhayakumar, Assistant Professor of Yoga, Self-Awareness and Personal Growth in Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Ettimadai, Coimbatore. He is also the founder director of Yogakshethram, Foundation for Yoga studies, Madras.

Objectives

“We started this programme to explore the possibilities of ways and means that would help the individual to bring out his or her hidden potentialities and creativity and pave the way for an integrated, harmonious and total human growth.

It also aims at developing a keen sense of observation and to make the students learn about themselves, initiating a process of self-inquiry, leading to self-awareness and the awakening of inward perception,” he says.

The course focuses on the fact that until and unless you understand yourself, you can never understand another person. And if you understand yourself, you understand everything. “Many have a wrong conception, that knowing oneself is something related to religion or it is to be practiced after retirement. Without self-awareness education becomes mere information gathering.

This will burden your body, mind and intellect. In today’s educational system, no transformation occurs, but mere information. Through this type of a system, self-fulfilment won’t be achieved,” says Mr. Udhayakumar. True education, which means drawing something from within, should enable people find their true self.

Mini K.

http://www.hindu.com/edu/2005/06/13/stories/2005061300150400

Of all the faculties a human being is endowed with, the ability to think is unique and powerful. It can be harnessed to lead an individual to any path, either right or wrong. There is every possibility of a person going astray, if one is not sure of the right path. It is here that the guidance of a truly learned teacher, a Guru, can make all the difference. Preceptors serve as signposts, showing the right direction to one who is ignorant, confused or at a crossroads. If the state of Arjuna’s mind, as the warrior stands in the Kurukshetra battlefield, typified the predicament in which everyone finds himself quite often, the way Lord Krishna, his charioteer, clarified his doubts and dispelled all his wrong notions about what constituted Dharma, best illustrated how valuable and necessary is the guidance of an Acharya.

Dwelling on the mental state of Arjuna, Swami Mitrananda said in his lecture that the Pandava warrior was overcome by a sense of despondency. Arjuna is absolutely demoralised, almost hysterical and argues with Lord Krishna against waging the war, harping on the principle that fighting one’s kinsmen can be the worst of crimes. Arjuna displays a mental weakness caused by confusion and hallucinates in this fashion.

The power of thought is stronger than many things, and can be dangerous when it coloures one’s judgement, by causing confusion. It is easy for the average human being to slide into depths of ignorance, feel depressed and wretched, thinking of one’s limitations, faults and incompetence. Repeatedly giving vent to such thoughts can easily lead a weak-minded person into believing that what he thinks is true. Such a miserable state is equal to being in hell.

Arjuna is in such a fix, when he is absolutely convinced about his point of view, and is unable to come out of this pathetic state. To enable Arjuna to come out of this state of sentimental self-pity and to take control of his mind, Lord Krishna appeals to his sense of honour and prowess as unparalleled warrior, while pointing out the fainthearted nature of his pessimism. He gently reveals to Arjuna God’s purpose and the indestructible nature of the Self. In the Bhagavad Gita, God, the greatest teacher, has shown the right path to the ultimate goal, liberation from human bondage.

http://www.hindu.com/2005/05/25/stories/2005052500210900

Cosmic oneness in a piece of stone

The small cylindrical stone has been polished smooth in the river Narmada for aeons. It’s like a chocolate lingam marked with delicate black lines. As I pay for it at the Crafts Museum in Delhi, the lady at the counter asks if it’s for worship.

The stone’s symmetry represents for me the essence of change. I imagine that when it first hurtled down into Narmada from the Vindhya Mountains, dinosaurs roamed the banks of the river.

Then a fire must have come down from the skies, spreading darkness at noon and death among the saurians great and small. Mammals took their place. Neolithic human settlements appeared only 35,000 years ago.

Through all this, the baby rock slept on unperturbed in the river. Still, it was being ground down, atom by atom, by the awesome forces of what is arguably the oldest river on earth.

When I unpack the stone at home in Mumbai, Mom’s reactions remind me of what had been said at the museum in the morning. She whisks the nut-brown banded pebble out of my hands. She touches it with a drop of sparkling gangajal from a small silver jug kept in the family shrine and flecks it with vermilion and turmeric powder, before placing it reverentially in a yoni-shaped brassware stand that’s stood empty for as long as I can remember.

“You’ve brought home a Narmadeshwar,” she says. “We now have a complete Shiva-Shakti pair.”
“But I bought it from a gift shop in Delhi,” I argue. “All that is allowed, as long as you picked it up yourself during a journey to the North,” Mom replies. For this is just what the tradition enjoins for Narmada stones revered all over India as sacred symbols of Siva. I discover later that it was the organising genius of Adi Shankaracharya, who formalised the practice and gave it great spiritual weight in daily worship.

“By doing so, the far-sighted Acharya turned these seemingly humble stones into icons of great geographical and religious unity for India at an extremely turbulent moment of her history,” says Parivrajak Swami Gyanananda Saraswati, founder president of the Shankaracharya Vedic Research Centre in Varanasi.

The Acharya was a champion of Advaita or Oneness so inclusive that it transcends all boundaries and labels. Yet it exists as the eternal truth - Brahma Satyam - that even a little polished rock can symbolise and reflect back.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1129577,curpg-2.cms

If you think that the universe is just one big thought, whose thought do you think it is? In Kansas, USA, the evolution vs intelligent design debate is on the front burner once again, with anti-Darwinists arguing against scientific deduction.

And scientists who consider the evidence of the chemical and biological origins of life to be beyond dispute refuse to be part of what they say is essentially nothing more than a diatribe against atheism.

Should Darwin’s theory of natural selection be struck off from school curricula as something that undermines the theory of Divine Creation? Are we creatures born of Divine Grace or are we, Matrix-like, simulated creations of more scientifically advanced minds? In all likelihood, we’re just unplanned by-products of repeated experiments in a cosmic kitchen where the primordial soup forms the basis for a range of beautiful life forms.

Whatever our origins - by choice or chance - every one of us across species is an intrinsic part of the dynamics of constant evolution.

Call it the Big Thought, the Big Illusion, or the Grand Experiment, our existence is a given: illusory or real. So why not make the most of it? Why do children have to be taught only one theory of creation?

Often, children pick up several languages simultaneously as naturally as they are able to relate to the different value systems of adults they relate to at home and in school. Learning or understanding multiple theories of creation and evolution shouldn’t be a problem.

To them, any story, whether fact or fiction, is only one of two things: interesting or boring. Either it holds their attention or it doesn’t. And once it does, the story is never the same. It is just a spark that fuels the child’s imagination, and in the process, acts as a catalyst of ideas.

Out shopping with his father, my eight-year old nephew in San Francisco picked up a DVD whose cover had pictures of animals, humans and birds. Titled ‘The future is wild,’ it offered a peek into the future - several millions of years - into the habitat, flora and fauna of Earth.

The time when the human species become extinct, taken over by a new species. Discussing the film after he’d seen it, the little one said it ended with a suggestion that humans might appear again in the evolutionary cycle.

“Did it say whether we will we carry the memory of our extinction and why it happened?” I asked him. “Don’t be silly,” he replied. “You’re taking all the fun out of it!”

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1115029