Mind - An Enigma !!!

Our Mind is a 4 letter enigma that carries limitless power to guide the very reason of our existence from being meaningful to being unworthy. It has the potential to make a person understand, assess and be the best a situation would ideally demand him to Be.

On the other hand, it has the potential to make a person take a remorseful attitude towards a situation - even though in realty, it never is - and be the worst a situation would ideally never expect him to Be.
A moment, it seems to be in control and the next jiffy, its controlling us. It is kind of a paradox that carries utmost significance in making a great, average or mediocre personality of a being.

It is like a primate, swaying from tree to tree and the owner does not have any say to its movement. However, it is upto the owner to let the ape take the initiative and guide the subject to the Ultimate Path or the Owner takes responsibility to train the being and make the most of this instance of life.

It was never meant to be easy from the start but honestly we all know, if we do our best and train the Mind in such a way that we replace its action by being a Simian to being an Anchor, sooner or later, we should end up farther than we ever thought We would be.

Ponderings On the Road - Act 1

I was going to office in the morning hours and the Traffic signal became Red, albeit slowly, as always it does whenever it spots me from a distance. Mind you, it does takes its own sweet time to change the colors (Green--> Yellow--> Red) and it all depends on the speed level of my bike. All vehicles stopped at this moment along with their drivers. People start looking around - Cars, Trees, Pollution, Beautiful Face (if any), and when nothing of interest could catch their mind, they start looking themselves in mirror and lastly their own vehicle.

In front of me, an auto rickshaw and a bike were standing side by side. The biker must be having a heavy work schedule, else he would not have pounced on taking a pen and paper out of his pocket, to scribble something. And then, the pen fell to the ground. The biker tried to bend down but could not reach the level of the pen. The auto driver, with a whisker, gets out of his auto, takes the pen and hand it over to the guy. They exchanged a friendly smile and then the signal became green. Vehicles started moving forward and then both the vehicles went in their own directions.

Nothing unusual about it, right. A person handing over a pen to the other when it falls down. Even I think the same. What really made me ponder here was the split second taken by the auto driver to react for the need. It seemed and looked so obvious for him to do what he has to do. If you ask me, it was like getting up in the morning and with our eyes still closed, going to the bathroom. No part of brain is utilized for this requirement.

We all find ourselves in so many such situations but how many of us think clearly and does the best thing we can, at that moment of time. Does it make any difference. Not sure, it sure would make us feel good.

The Sandwitch Makes A Difference

While going to my office there was a traffic signal, wherein all vehicles were waiting for the Green Signal to be up. Everyone was waiting to start the push buttons or the pedal kick (for bikes) and the ignition switch (for 4 wheelers and likewise). Usually it is a 90 minutes halt and riders have plenty of time to relax and ponder on things around.

There was one couple in front of me who were perhaps going to their offices as the lady carried tiffin box on her lap which signified that it was for both of them. Anyways, usually at these times, we see beggars who come and ask for the minutest monetary help that anyone can give.

There were 2 kids this time who were maybe only 4 year olds and they were asking all the vehicle owners for some help. Of course, they have been asked to do so by someone - be it their parents or maybe someone else. Anyways, what was heart touching was that these little kids were more keen on the vehicles parts than their real act.

When they came to the couple in front of me, the lady thought for some time, murmurred something to her husband and opened her tiffin box. She took out a bread sandwitch and hand it over to the kids, a piece each.

I can still remember the bewilderment in the eyes of the kids when they saw the sandwitch. It was clear that this was something to eat but what exactly was it, none of them knew. Before I could see what they would have done next, the signal was green.

The kids promptly gave way to the vehicles and after getting on to the sides, as I could see from my rear view mirrror, they first smelled and quietly started eating the sandwitches.

I am not sure as to what does these kids get after they handover the money to someone. But this generous act could be the best way possible to help these needy people, if at all we want to get rid of our doubts (of whether the money we give would be utilized for them or not).

I guess this is the best way that we can help the needy and we can get the satisfaction that someone had soulful food because of us. And that's how we feel that we made a small difference to someone just for a moment perhaps, but that carries the reverberation that would satisfy yourself from you.

How to Become Krish, If Not Lord Rama

I have come across so many kinds and types of people in my life that it is almost impossible to contain or write the characteristics of each one of them.

There are people who are always happy or atleast they seem to be happy but by seeing them you feel that this is a beautiful world, indeed. Suraj Bharjatya's Hum Saath Saath Hai types.

There are people who always look sad and arrogant as though the whole world is a metaphor for Hell.

There are people who are doubtful to be happy or to be sad because they are too emotional to let their feelings out or to keep them in. Its almost like standing in the middle of the road.

There are people who are extraordinarily introvert and sometimes makes you feel that why does NASA spend so much to find something on other planets when the UFO species are beside us.

There are people who are I-will-break-my-head-and-yours extrovert that you feel that this person is run perhaps by a Duracell battery and definitely not by the elements of air for their dictionary does not know the meaning to stop.

There are people who are the perfect fits for the role of Pinnochio and their whole world is full of lies, including they being themselves.

There are people who are the softer and nicer categories who are born to foray on non violence path and for obvious reasons usually ends up at the receiving end.

The list goes on and on....

But there is one thing which is common to all of us and that is our goodness. We all have somethings that we can always learn from others - its upto us whether we take a note and imbibe the goodness in a person or rue about the person's insignificant personality traits.

Choice would always be ours and this small act of imbibing goodness in others and excluding the badness in them will make us improve our own selves as human beings in all aspects. Of course, we can never be like Bhagwan Rama (for he is the Supreme) but yes atleast we can become Krish and be a superhero, if not in the eyes of others but atleast to our own selves.
 

Ode To The Lesser Knowns

I was having lunch in my office cafeteria and was viewing the whole cafeteria hall, seeing faces which were familiar and some unknown. Just then I happened to glance upon the far corner of the hall wherein a lady was standing.

Everyone is supposed to give their completed lunch plates to her where she segregates the waste stuffs on one side and the plates. Waste stuff would later be carried in waste bins and disposed while the plates would be driven (via a wheel - carrier) to the washable area.

The lady has been gathering the waste from so many people. I am not sure as to how many people would really think that she has been making her contribution which many of us would not like to do. Of course the lady is getting paid for the job but just for a moment think on the same lines of the people who cleans our sewage when it gets clogged. There are people who takes up jobs of brooming the roads in the early mornings to make sure that we ply on roads with less dust and pebbles on the road.

Think for a moment that we all help each other in one way or the other and in the whole picture of the world, everyone of us are intertwined in howsoever small way it may be. Let us respect the people who have taken up jobs for their livelihood which I guess, if given a chance to change, they would not think otherwise.

A humble ode to every such person who makes a simple yet big difference in the life's of us to make some things around us in a very comfort enhancing manner.

Who is knocking on the door

 
Someone was knocking on the door,
To Clear things off the floor,
Sometimes meek, sometimes strong,
Voices were longing for long

Someone was knocking on the door,
To Take things off the roof,
Sometimes big, sometimes small,
Prioritize - was the call

Someone was knocking on the door,
Should anyone answer the roar,
If you hear, this will Be The Time,
When mind and heart arrives in Chime

By the way, Who is knocking on the door,
None other than you should answer the More,
For it is You who should enter Yourself,
For it is Me who should knock on Myself,
For it is Him who should Understand Himself,
For it is Self who should Attain Our Selves

A Simple Work Ethic

This was an incident told to me by one of my colleague. She happens to be a developer and had narrated an incident which made me take note of one of the aspect of work ethics that we should all ideally follow.

There was some mail chains and discussions going on for the implementation of a goal in the coming release cycle in her project. It so happened that the developer and two of the Production Users happened to be in the same lift while all were going to have lunch.

One of the production user, upon seeing the developer in the lift, started the discussion about the project. The other user, promptly holded  his friends hand and said "Bro, this is not the ideal time to discuss about of our projects. This is the break time. We should ideally talk about these during the working hours." And his friend had no other option than to abide.

This incident looks small and non-significant but what has happened here was a simple work ethics was demonstrated. Sometimes in our IT Industry, being a Quality Analyst or Business Analyst or a Developer, we take tasks as personal even during the non-working hours, which is indeed wrong.

Let us keep aside any differences with our colleagues and be a normal human being outside our workplace. It helps maintain the peace and serenity around and helps looking at things afresh.

My First Experience of Something Unexplainable

Some examples in life does leave an indelible mark etched in our minds that it becomes difficult to make distinction between the real and the imaginary. Some things are never explained or can be explained with minimal evidence in place.

I was in Class X and we had planned a trip to Sabarimala, the abode of Lord Ayyappa. I had heard a lot about the temple since it happens to be one of the most visited pilgrimage center in Kerala. And many of our relatives would go every now and then.

Actually, in order to go to Sabarimala, everyone has to take a vratam of 41 days of piousness and sanctity in out body and mind. We have to take bath twice a day and ensure that we have everything taken afresh. There is a custom of putting a Mala, which when put, we are ought to be called "Swami", which means that we are equal to Lord Ayyappa.

Swamis are supposed to wear black dress and while venturing into Sabarimala, have to keep Erumudeketta (a mixture of coconuts - filled with Ghee and rice) on their heads. Logistics would bring us to the foot of Pamba river, where the devotees have to take bath and then start the 5 km journey uphill to Sabarimala.

The serenity and the naturedness around makes you come out of the hues and cries of the commercial plastic world. We had the glimpse of Lord Ayyappa after a long hiatus of 4 hours in queue.  After resting a while, we were coming down slowly. But just at that time I felt that I am about to miss something.

My mind and my heart was experiencing something that I am coming out of something very divine and complete. I said to myself that if at all I will get a chance in my life, I would definitely come back and visit the place.

Years passed and it was almost 6 years after this silent promise which I made to myself, which was forgotten in the times memory. Once when we were visiting Kerela, my parents went to an astrologer to enquire about their children's future.

After coming home, my mom asked me something which brought goose pimples on me. I was shaken from top to bottom. She asked, "Did you ever promise to yourself that you would go to Sabarimala any time in your life".

I was taken aback. The promise which I had taken to myself was known to the outside world. It seems the astrologer had told that I had done a promise that I would come back to Sabarimala. The promise which I had done came back to me along with the serenity and the feelings which I had longed to be cherished, came back to me.

I humbly said "Yes, you are right Ma" to my mom. That was my first instance of experiencing something which was to be called, a divine explanation of the Supreme. I am not sure whether people would believe me or not. But this was something which I experienced and did not had any logical reason to suffice that there is no God.

Since then, I had visited Sabarimala 3 times and believe in God being omnipresent, the nearest being We, within Us.

Elegance and Pride In The Middle Of The Road

Ever since I had set my foot into my new bike, I am now more aware of the traffic signals and is more responsive towards the light turning green, yellow and red. Not to mention the mamu's who are always there to make note that everyone is following their rules and sometimes their rules.

Anyways, in all this traffic snarls, I also became conscious of another usual or rather unusual appearance of a gigantic figure : Buffaloes and Goats. Many a times, herd of buffaloes are enough to make our already jammed roads get more entangled. Forget the horns - these super cool herd would be so non-distracted by anything that come-what-may, they move at their own speed and ease.

Sometimes, it would be a feisty sight to look one or two of this gigantic self's sitting in the middle of the roads as if they are diverting the vehicles on board. Of course, they are dangerous for the people who ply on the roads but these guys dont budge a bit, be it a 2 wheeler or 4 wheeler or for that sake any wheelers.

Today morning, I found a goat sitting on the seat of Honda Activa parked beside my vehicle. For a moment I felt as if some one was actually about to drive the vehicle. The slowness and the grace with which she moved down the Activa made me smile and she walked past me as if nothing happened and everything was normal.

An Instant Righteous

When it comes to doing the right thing at the right time for the right purpose to the right extent with the right people, most of us do flounder on expected occasions.

While commuting from my home to my office in the 147 bus, a bike driver fell down on applying sudden brakes for not being able to adjust himself on sudden change in traffic colour lights to Red. He was struggling to get up. Just then an auto driver beside to him got down down from his vehicle, helped the bike rider get up, asked whether he is fine and then came back to his driver seat.

Exactly at that moment, as though God was operating the traffic signals, it turned green. Everyone left the scene and very few would have seen the instant act of nobleness.

Such acts of helping and caring for an unknown person is what makes me think that brotherhood is still there around us which helps us feel good about ourselves being a part of this beautiful world - sometimes it is evident and sometimes it is not.