SHIP THAT NEVER SINKS

Storm! Storm!! Storm!!! An alarm was sounded,
Eerie, panic and confusion, left me dumb founded.

Gathering all my wits, I make a very hasty decision:
To pick up the belongings and race out of my cabin.

‘What is it young man ‘,a confident voice did irritate?
"Storm! Sir!! ‘Storm", I divulged my hysterical state.

‘Crisis when they come’, old man’s sermon thus began –
“Respond to them with resolute mind and dismay san.

Do not show any grief, for, crisis unleash without a trace;
Self-confidence would soon steer us all to a safer place.

Storms come; waves do race when on sea one sets sail;
Life meanders on 'roughs and troughs' through unknown trail.

“Be calm and stay composed", the man continued without a blink:
Storms and winds come and go, mine is the ship that never sinks” .

Waves grew tall in ocean; suddenly shaking every bit of the ship,
My fears get the hold of me and I go flying into the water, for a dip.

On the ferocious waves as I struggle, I heard the captain say:
“Hope is pivot of life and life is to fight; fight on, fight on, till you stay” .

Away, away the ship goes on; fighting the waves, I realized the gravity –
“To a large vessel, no storm is strong; scattered pieces have no safety” .

Read more...

I HATE MY DARING GUTS!

I HATE MY DARING GUTS
You don’t understand, you would never do,
If God is wrong, I would question Him, too;
No wonder, most people think that I was nuts:
In my leisurely hours, even I hate my daring guts.

I never do care, if my dearest friend turns my foe:
Because truth is bitter and it would always be so;
Injustice does enrage me and my mind gets hurt:
How boldly I face it, even I hate my daring guts?

I never hate sinners nor, like others, I keep grudges:
But I match wrong-doer’s sledges with my sledges;
I have no time to waste when the said case gets shut:
However I do introspect and then I hate my daring guts.

Let me do ascertain that I was always not like this:
Avoiding conflicts, never in public, I flashed my fist;
Then, a realization came: ‘silence’, often, crime abet--
Now I fight tooth and nail, I often hate my daring guts?

It is no good to fight evil because of personal causes:
Making virtue out of individual motives as thing of roses;
Silence is no gold, if they burn your neighbor’s hut ----
To pre-empt my turn I fight, later I hate my daring gut.

Swami Vivekananda exhorted,“Hate the sin and not sinner”,
I would not abuse a sinner even in jest,just to be a winner;
Double-faced people often play the game of “Jeff”’& “Mutt”:
I would fight them to any extent, even if I hate my daring guts.
Read more...

INQUISITIVE MIND

"WHO ARE YOU?",A "VOICE" ASKED.
"I AM A HUMAN BEING",I DID RETORT.
"WHO?", IT VIGROUSLY REPEATED.
"A HUMAN", I VEHMENTLY REITERATED.

"SAY IT AGAIN", IT MADE A DELIBERATE RECENSION.
"ARE YOU HARD OF HEARING?", I COUNTER QUESTION.
"NO. NO, NO!" CAME THE PROMPT ASSERTION.
"THEN, WHO ARE YOU?" I REPEAT HER QUESTION.

"THANK GOD, I AM NOT HUMAN", THE VOICE GOES ON,
"PREY, WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE", MY ANGER SHOWN--
"THANK GOD, YOU ARE NOT GOD", THE VOICE HAD DARED;
"YOUR FUNNY RANTS MAKE NO SENSE", I, TOO, DECLARED.

"AREN'T YOU AN ANIMAL?", IT LET GO A MISSILE,
"YES, 'SOCIAL' THEY SAY", I THOUGHT FOR A WHILE;
"YOU CRAVE FOR MONEY", IT MADE AN ALLEGATION,
"I NEED NOT DENY", I HONESTLY MAKE A SUBMISSION.

"WHERE DOES GOD RESIDE?" THE VOICE INQUIRED,
"HOW DO I KNOW?", I WAS GETTING BORED AND TIRED;
"HOW ABOUT TEMPLES AND SHRINES?" IT CONJECTURED,
"I REALLY CAN NOT SAY", THE ANSWER I HAD MUSTERED.

"YOU KILL IN THE NAME OF GOD", THE VOICE WAS CLEAR,
"YEA, SO WHAT IS YOUR CRIB ?", I SHOWED NO FEAR;
"AND YOU STILL SAY YOU WERE A HUMAN?" IT SHRIEKED,
"DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER DEFINITION?" I LOUDLY SQUEAKED.

"YOU SPEND SO LAVISHLY ON TEMPLES AND SHRINES",IT THUNDERED.
"YES, WHY SHOULD GOD LIVE IN MISERY?" I GENUINELY WONDERED;
"DOES GOD NEED YOUR LUXURY?" THE VOICE HAD SHOT AGAIN,
"I DON'T KNOW; I DON'T KNOW ", WAS MY CONFUSED REFRAIN.

"IS PRIEST A GOD?" 'VOICE',THUS, BEGAN TO HAMMER A POINT:
FOR,HE LIVES IN A COSTLY BUILDING,WHAT YOU SAY IS A 'GOD'S JOINT',
IN THE NAME OF YOUR 'FAITH' YOU HATE OTHERS AND PUT GOD TO SHAME;
OH! YOU DRUMBEAT YOU ARE 'HUMAN' BUT FOLLOW LAWS OF ANIMAL DOMAIN."

"STOP YOUR DISCOURSE", I HAD SHOUTED AT THE FACELESS VOICE,
"YOU TOLD ME NOTHING NEW", I COULD NEITHER CRY NOR REJOICE;
"HEY,LOOK INSIDE AND YOU WILL FIND",VOICE GAVE ME DITRECTIONS,
"I AM ONLY YOUR INQUISITIVE MIND",FINALLY,IT MADE NO PRETENSIONS.
Read more...

COSMIC AGE COMING--- WITHERING OF RELIGION & NATION STATE

' THE COSMIC AGE’ –WITHERING ‘NATION STATE’ AND DIMNISHING HOLD OF RELIGION!


‘ RELIGION’ has often been wrongly equated with ‘SPIRITUALITY’ and similarly ‘NATIONALISM’ has been synonymous with ‘PATRIOTISM’. This dual synonymy has always been the real cause of human conflict and confrontation.

Religion had been basically designed to perform certain TEMPORAL RITUALS/ PRACTICES which had become utmost necessary as part of human faith and belief to live life in a particular manner. Religion ‘regulates’ daily human life. As against this, ‘SPIRITUALITY’ guides, motivates and drives human beings to rise above narrow and parochial personal motives to synthesize human soul and the Nature. It upholds man’s quest for ‘INNER PEACE’ with self and supports his inquisitive search for ‘Moralistic Answers’ to ‘Humanistic Questions’. Viewed as such, religion might seem to be part of ‘SPIRITUALITY’ but never a holistic canvas covering spirituality. It might be ‘one of the means’ and ‘not the only mean’ to seek inner peace. In a world abounding in ignorance, illiteracy and little-knowledge of not-too-distant past, religion had sought to provide answers to man’s spiritual queries. In the days bygone, knowledge of man was so limited both in extent and depth that religion sought to fill the vacuum by satisfying human curiosity. In other words, where knowledge had failed to provide answers, ‘Religion’ had stepped in with ‘symbolic’ answers.

But answers provided by religion were always stereo-typed and revolved around its ‘Singularity of only Truth’. This became belief and unshakeable faith and anyone suggesting any deviation became the cause of HATRED and CONFRONTATION. RELIGION had left no space in the human mind for alternative and better knowledge. It exploited illiteracy and unawareness of its subjects. Merely acquiring academic knowledge is not the empowerment of human mind. It is the understanding and application of this academic knowledge which enables one to break free of ‘RELIGIOUS-SINGULARITY-OF ONLY-TRUTH’. Those, who still believe in the religious singularity of only truth, are as illiterate as were the people in the medieval periods. Knowledge has many truths about itself which the bigots can hardly understand. But, today, the scene has changed many times over and the onrushing DELUGE OF KNOWLEDGE is pushing religion now into background.

Similarly, “Nationalism” was a product of Industrial revolution in the 18th Century. The coming of the machines had standardized production and enhanced human capacity to produce more consumable goods in a lesser time period. Standardized processes led to production of goods in bulk. MASS PRODUCTION became the order of the day and this unleashed a competition for more raw material and resources. More and more groups of people merged into one ‘key social mass’ to produce larger socio-geographical identities. This ‘Massification’ of people and societies led to bigger socio-politico communities. This gave birth to the concept of a ‘NATION STATE’—where geography, ethnicity, military prowess, lingual similarities and cultural affinities played greater role in defining national boundaries. This emotional sense of belonging to something supreme generated a feeling of ‘SUPERIORITY’ and greatness. It became the duty of every single man within the borders of such geographic descriptions to protect its territorial integrity at all costs—even with supreme sacrifice. This came to be called PATRIOTISM. Thus, man had acquired different national identities—each one claiming superiority and greatness. Such competitive thoughts had to spark hatred and dislike amongst humans. Industrial revolution gave rise to organized CONFLICTS and WARS between nations as ‘expansionist interests’ clashed.

Both ‘Religion’ and ‘Nation State’ had divided humanity into different ‘GHETTOES’—always hating and fighting against one another. Ignorance and ‘Lack of Awareness’ had often made man his own worst enemy. Man fought for GERMANY, ENGLAND, AMERICA, RUSSIA, ITALY, JAPAN, CHINA, INDIA, FRANCE and PAKISTAN etc. Man even fights for ISLAM, CHISTANITY, HINDUISM, BUDDHISM, SIKHISM, COMMUNISM and CAPITALISM et al. All this he resorts to because he was given these identities at the time of his birth. These “BIRTH-TAG’ identities had pushed man far away from the basic tenets of ‘HUMANISM’. But all this is now going to change as KNOWLEDGE REVOLUTION has FLATENED THE WORLD and there is no scope for emotional frailties of IGNORANCE and UNAWARENESS.

‘Man’ has been ‘individualized’. Societies and families have broken up under the pressure of ‘INDIVIDUALISATION’. Zeal for ‘Self-promotion-at-all-costs’ has sent ‘individualized man’ globe-trotting to serve personal interests better. Societies and polities are getting tailor-made for globe-trotting man. Such a ‘Globalised man’ views ‘NATIONALISM’ and ‘RELIGION’ as outmoded philosophies which put him at a utter disadvantage because they narrow down his sphere of activities and opportunities in an otherwise leveled playing field of a FLATENED WORLD. A school of thought is emerging that those who do not join the band wagon will lose out. The message is clear: either HOOK ON or be LEFT BEHIND in the IGNONIMITY of the ‘Grand Canyons of Times’, when your other contemporaries elsewhere were now moving past the KNOWLEDGE AGE and riding into the COSMIC ERA.

Thomas R Friedman has postulated three stages of GLOBALISATION in his book, “THE WORLD IS FLAT”. The first stage he says started around 1492 AD when COLUMBUS hit the coast of AMERICA. This was GLOBLISTION 1.0. It was spearheaded by countries trying to turn the LARGE world into MEDIUM. It lasted around 300 years till about 1800AD. This was the time when INDUSTRIAL revolution had galvanized EUROPE and the concept of NATION STATE was born. Industrial Revolution gave rise to MULTI NATIONAL COMPANIES or MNCs. The GLOBALISATION 2.0 was sparked by the MNCs and it turned the world from MEDIUM to SMALL. It ended around 2000 AD. The GLOBALISATION 3.0 was spearheaded by INDIVIDUAL who had been empowered by COMPUTERS, INTERNET and WEB to be his own player in a FLATENED WORLD—where everyone was having a level playing field to do what he wants to do. The world had been turned from SMALL into a TINY node in the universe.

Alvin Toffler in his trilogy of books, namely, “Future Shock”, “Third Wave” and “Power Shift” talks at length of the THREE WAVES of growth and development mankind has undergone since its inception. Each wave had a dominating philosophy. FIRST WAVE was dominated by AGRICULTURE or physical force. SECOND WAVE, which coincided with GLOBALISATION 1.0 and GLOBALISATION 2.0 of FRIEDMAN, was dominated by MONEY or mass production. THIRD WAVE, almost synonymous with GLOBALISATION 3.0, is associated with INFORMATION or the KNOWLEDGE.

Accordingly, each wave described the society as such i.e. AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY, INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY and the INFORMATION SOCIETY. The First Wave lasted around 1500 years--- up to the start of Industrial Revolution in Europe. The Second Wave began around 15th Century and it carried on for almost four hundreds and fifty years and it lasted till mid Twentieth Century. The Third Wave or the ‘Information Age’ began around the end of Second World War and it unleashed an era of ‘Total Transformation of the Society’. As the mankind entered 21st Century, the THIRD WAVE was also seemingly drawing curtains on itself. We are now entering the FOURTH WAVE ---‘THE COSMIC WAVE’.

The process of GLOBALISATION and KNOWLEDGE REVOLUTION has shrunk the world to a level where the world is heading into borderless landmass of free flowing GLOBAL CITIZENS. Man has ventured into space. He is now looking beyond the earth. There are tell-tale signs of some form of intelligent life in the outer space. We are sure heading into the COSMIC AGE where man could think of ‘GALAXY-HOPPING’ in the not-too-distant-future. We are now capable of imagining the mythical characters of VEDIC PEOPLE who could move into THREE WORLDS with the twinkling of an eye. We have been able to identify EARTH-II which lay at some 20.5 LIGHTS YEARS away from us. It could have some form of life. May be in next 50 years manned mission could be sent to this planet to find if there were any homosapiens there.

We are sitting at the edge of a revolutionary change in our ‘Ways of Life’—when ‘Religion and Nations’ would become irrelevant in our daily chores. We will THINK GLOBAL and ACT GLOBAL in everyway. THIRD WAVE and GLOBALISATION 3.0 are shaping the future of the COSMIC MAN who is looking beyond the mundane frontiers of the EARTH and thinking of enmeshing into the SPACE. In such a scheme of things, RELIGION and NATION STATE would have NO PLACE. Some of us have already leapfrogged into the FOURTH WAVE of COSMIC AGE. The transient period is of GLOBALISED MAN and he has already hit the economical fabric of the GLOBE.

Nixon Bostorm, Director of FUTURE OF HUMANITY INSTITUTE at OXFORDUniversity has postulated that the day was not far when a robotized man could actually become a reality. In other words, activities of a ‘BIO-TECH’ man could be simulated. This is heralding characters of the movie MATRIX in reality for you, when you could be doing things in a ‘Virtual World’. Bostorm even goes to the extent of saying that 20 percent chance exists when ours could be a SIMULATED WORLD. It means it could be switched off like our computer screen goes off when we log off. This view could be strengthening the “ID THEORY” of the creation of universe as against the “BIG BANG THEORY”. I leave it at this.

But the fact remains BIO-TECH BRAINS, as in the movie MATRIX, could be created who would be able to simulate a physical body and move around in a simulated world. Time and space to such VIRTUAL HUMAN BEINGS would be a matter of no significance. They would move from place ‘A’ to place ‘B’ with the twinkling of an eye. We are heading into the age of COSMIC TRAVELLERS who would go ‘GALAXY HOPPING’ as the modern man goes ‘CONTINENT HOPPING’ today. ‘Cosmic travelers’ would provide us real time information on outer space. Where would, then, be the time for EARTHLY BOUNDARIES of MIND and Physical SPACE? Religion and Nation State would have no identity in the VIRTUAL WORLD of TOMORROW.

The advent of FLATENED WORLD has already produced a class of ‘CONTINENT-HOPPING-CITIZENS’ who have hardly any strong affiliation or ties with one particular nation. They are a class of ROVING HUMAN BEINGS who are more inspired and fired by ECONOMIC zeal. In a level-playing field, they look for opportunities to find cheapest ways of wealth creation. BPOs, KPOs and IT industry have revolutionized the concept of manufacture and production at the global level. Borders have begun to disappear and the walls separating people are collapsing everywhere. The day is not far when the NATIONAL BOUNDARIES WOULD merge into one another and the concept of NATION STATE would be consigned to dustbin of human history. The world is likely to be broken into thousands of interdependent and interconnected economic nodes with no predominant political ideology as the governing philosophy. Alvin Toffler has predicted the rise of some 5000 City States with their own economic agenda. Their emergence would really not spell a death knell for the religion but it would push it into insignificance. Religion might not play as significant a role in man’s spiritual life as it does today. It would become a private affair.

The recent upsurge of the RELIGION and the NATIONALISTIC EMOTIONS are the clear-cut signs of dying philosophies. The desperation is to protect the banishing identities in a GLOBALISED WORLD. The OFFICIALDOM everywhere is trying to use FORCE to keep the ‘breaking unit’ under its wings. Nations after nations are falling prey to this. Call it insurgency, militancy, terrorism or what have you? The fact remains: NATIONS ARE UNDER ATTACK FROM WITHIN.

The GLOBE is currently transiting through a PROCESS of POLITICO-RELIGIOUS ‘Fission’ and ‘Fusion’ at the same time. While geo-politically, ‘LARGE’ is breaking into ‘SMALL’—it is leading to tension and violence in these nations. The process of FISSION is on. Slowly and slowly all big or small nations will splinter into small economic nodes. This is the call of the GLOBALISED WORLD. While on one hand process of FISSION is on, on the other hand, the process of FUSION at the GLOBAL LEVEL is also working simultaneously, where these tiny economic nodes will be sewn into one big GLOBAL UNIT. These will be interconnected, interdependent and synchronized dots on the GLOBAL CHIP. Global dynamism will ensure that none could exist in a vacuum—they will exist with each other—supplementing and supporting.

It may sound funny but it is a truism that a dying insect grows wings and flutters more. Same is true of religious fundamentalism. Its sound and fury is basically to preserve its banishing identity in the wake of on-going globalization. It is true of all religions. I reckon Twenty First Century will pull the curtains on religion once for all. The coming of the COSMIC AGE is sounding of the LAST POST for Religion and the Nation State. Witness their demise in the coming decades.
Read more...

DIGITALISING HUMAN BEING !

DIGITALIZED MAN --WHERE DO WE STAND?

We have come a long way in human history when man can live in a VIRTUAL WORLD. Human DNA has been mapped. BOSTORM, Director of Future Of Humanity, at Oxford, talks of a SIMULATED WORLD. How would it be? Let us have first view of this. This artile is by ABHILASH KUSHWAHA ,posted on his blog :
www. abhikush.blogsot.com The link is: http://abhikush.blogspot.com/2007/01/new-cosmopolitan-man.html
I can only say that with the advances in DNA MAPPING and DIGITALISATION OF HUMAN LIFE ,one could also think of RECYCLING one's life through his robotised duplicate or the clone. MAN WOULD BE REINCARNATING HIMSELF. REBIRTH WILL NOT BE A MYTH, THEN. Isn't it? This is a revolutionary concept. This article gives the time frame when technologically man could think of digitalising himself and his life. Read on . If you have any querry kindly post the question to him on his blog.


The New Cosmopolitan Man

In this article David Vekslar debunks many predictions and advances some of his own. I particularly found the following interesting: "The New Cosmopolitan Man"

A number of researchers are working on video cameras integrated into clothing or eye-ware that can record a 24/7 video stream from the wearer's perspective. They predict that an entire lifetime of such recordings will be able to fit into a small device within 10 years. When this technology is combined with GPS and computervision software and cross-referenced with our contact lists and email, a complete digital record can be created to supplement our memories. Imagine being able to search for and review anything experienced during your
digitally-enhanced life.
The building blocks are already in place — my Google accounts make every email, chat, and web search of the last three years instantly searchable and available. My Flickr account serves as a geographically tagged diary of my life. A tiny device records all my bike rides and sends a map tagged with my performance statistics to mycomputer.
The sum of all these innovations will gradually change the way we define ourselves. Our consciousness becomes the central processing unit of a complex system, with external storage and sensor facilities spread across the world and to other people. As human-computer interfaces improve, our sense of self will evolve to include our digital memories as well as those of others. Initially, people had to talk to each other to share information. Then they could look it up in a book. Now you can search for it in Wikipedia. Imagine when you willbe able to instantly look it up as an extension of a thought process using some successor to web services.
Thanks to globalization, such tools for sharing knowledge and experience will be available worldwide. It will not be a "hive-mind" (another common sci-fi scenario) because our own sense of self will be enhanced in parallel with our connections to others. A revolutionary concept particularly "They predict that an entire lifetime of such recordings will be able to fit into a small device within 10 years." Can this be possible?
I recently recorded some moments of my Hawaii trip with Sony Mini DV. While transferring it to my computer using a USB cable Windows Media Maker said it will take 5 MB to record a minute of recording. The quality was good enough to be shared through you tube. However, I would like to store my digital life in DVD quality i.e. 4 GB for 100 mins (using firewire and a good software) or 40 MB for 1 min. What the heck? Let's make it 50 MB / min.

Let us assume an average age of 75 years or 75*365*24*60 = 39420000 mins
Total storage at 5 MB / min (you tube quality)
197100000 MB or 197100 GB or 197.1 TB
Total storage at 50 MB / min (you tube quality)
1971000000 MB or 1971000 GB or 1971 TB

The current capacity of external hard disk available on market will soon be 1 TB. According to Moore's law for hard disk (Kryder's law) the hard disk capacity should increase by 1000 times every 10 years. Therefore, in 10 years we could have a 1000TB drive.
Applying Moore's law capacity will double every 18 months i.e. will increase 1000 times in 15 years. However, Kryder's law may not be true and infact Moore's law which equates to a 54% per annum increase would also be in doubt. The article states "Drives have failed to meet the 54% level for the last 3 years and they are also not expected to meet it for the next 3 years".
The article analyzes trends for annual "sweet spot" (in demand storage drive) capacity increases. Assuming similar trend for high end capacity increases we get the following picture:-

THIRTEEN years average increase is 105% per annum ==> 1000 TB reached between 9 & 10 years. However, last 2 years growth has been 29%. Assuming that the growth does not slow further then this is what will happen?

At 29% growth time to reach 197 TB (you tube quality) --> 20 to 21 years from 1st half of 2006.
At 29% growth time to reach 1971 TB (DVD quality) --> 30 to 31 years from 1st half of 2006.
And this is the time when the capacity will be 1st available. If you consider "sweet spot" (drive commonly available for public) then the results are:-

At 29% growth time to reach 197 TB (you tube quality) --> 20 to 21 years from 1st half of 2012.
At 29% growth time to reach 1971 TB (DVD quality) --> 30 to 31 years from 1st half of 2012.

Assuming that people will not start recording until they are sure they can store their entire life; the first recordings on a you tube quality video will begin between 2026 and 2027. It may not catch on with general public between 2032 and 2033.

Digital life in DVD quality will begin between 2036 and 2037 with general public starting between 2042 and 2043.NOTE: I have just analyzed the capacity to record the data. I haven't factored how long it will take to make a camera which you can wear all day long. And transfer it to the storage device. Hopefully, one should be available by the time the storage capacity becomes available.Moreover, this analysis is for entire lives. People could actually start earlier and keep migrating data as moreand more storage becomes available but then that would depend on how soon the technology (camera) is available.
.
Posted by abhikush at 4:46 PM on his Blog: www. ABHIKUSH.BLOGSPOT.COM
Labels: Technology .Link is : http://abhikush.blogspot.com/2007/01/new-cosmopolitan-man.html
Read more...

ISN'T HINDUISM SAME AS 'INDIANISM'

My quest is to know what the heck is 'HINDUISM'? Is it really a RELIGION? To all its detracters and also its followers, it would be an interesting exercise to know that the word 'HINDU' was not to be found in any of the ancient literature of this so called religion. The origional text of 'VEDAS', 'EPICS'( RAMAYANA & MAHABHARTA), Holy Book 'GEETA', 'UPNISHADS', 'PURANAS or even 'BRAHMANAS' do not have a mention of the word 'HINDU' even once. According to famous INDOLOGIST and a renowned historian, Mr JOHN KEAY, first time this word appeared in the written form was in 518 BC.(Refer to pp 10 of HISTORY OF INDIA by JOHN KEAY.) It was on a tablet by King DARIUS-1 of ancient PERSIA ( IRAN). According to the tablet, the DIKTAT on it had said that King DARIUS-1 ruled upto and beyond RIVER 'HINDU' (SINDHU/INDUS). John Keay goes on to explain that the word 'HINDU' was, in fact, a corruption of the SANSKRIT word, "SINDHU" . It is believed that the ancient PERSIANS pronounced 'S' with apostraphe 'H'. Thus River "SINDHU" became River "HINDU".

This has been also authenticated by the renowned Indian ARCHAEOLOGIST, Sh. Rajesh Kochhar, in his book," A VEDIC HISTORY OF INDIA". In the book , a number of such examples have been given---such as 'ASURA' in SANSKRIT as 'AHURA' in ancient Persian ( Avaistic Zenda) or DASYU in Sanskrit as 'DAHYU'. Actually Rajesh Kochhar goes on to say that Ancient PERSIANS belonged to the same branch of the ARYANS who came to India.( By the way, PLEASE NOTE ARYANS WAS NOT A RACE AS IT IS THOUGHT TO BE; IT WAS SIMPLY A LINGUAL FRATERNITY!) More on this, some time later in the future.

Therefore, the ancient PERSIANS called, anyone living EAST of the RIVER "HINDU" (SINDHU,) as a 'HINDU'. Please note, it was a GEOGRAPHICAL CONNOTATION and it had a FOREIGN ORIGION. According to JOHN KEAY in his another book, 'INTO INDIA' the word HINDU was used for describing the "Geographical & Cultural Identity" of a person as and at par with 'INDIAN' today or as a 'BRITON' or an 'AMERICAN' would mean to us now-a-days. People in the olden days, followed a number of TEMPORAL SECTS with separate identities such as 'SHAIVISM', 'VAISHNAVISM', 'BUDDHISM' Or 'JAINISM'. They were all called HINDUS as late as till 18th CENTURY.

Further, it may be noted, when the ancient PERSIANS interacted with the GREEKS, the word 'HINDU' lost its 'H' and became "INDIE", "INDIC" Or "INDIA". 'Alexander the Great'( SIKANDER-E-AZAM) called it the land of INDIA. From the GREKS the word travelled further WEST and they named this land as INDIA. But the PERSIANS and the ARABS kept on calling it 'HINDUSTAN'( LAND OF HINDUS). It was never a religious identity. It was purely a GEOGRAPHICAL AND CULTURAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PEOPLE LIVING HERE. People followed VAISHNAV (VEDIC) and SHAIVITE (NAGA) practices. The VEDIC people called this land as "ARYAVRAT" and SHAIVITES called it as,"BHARATVARSH". ( SHAIVITES WERE THE FOLLOWERS OF LORD SHIVA and belonged to a race called NAGA--who were scattered from AFGHANISTAN in the WEST to ASSAM in the EAST to MAHARASHTRA in the South--their philosophy was LIVE TODAYi.e. EAT(also meat) , DRINK and BE MERRY--as opposed to VAISHNAVS, who were not only 'pure Vegetarians' but also WORRIED OF THE FUTURE.)

Later came the BUDDHISTS AND JAINS who were in reality an off-shoot PRODUCT of the SYNTHESIS OF VAISHNAVISM and SHAIVISM. Synthesis only led to new TEMPORAL PROCEDURES WITOUT CHANGING THE GEOGRAPHICAL or THE CULTURAL IDENTITY OF THE PEOPLE OF THIS LAND. So, the FOREIGNERS, particularly the ARABS & PERSIANS, continued to referrto them as "HINDUS" only. Slightly digressing here to press home the point. Please note Dr SIR IQBAL MOHAMMED's famoous poem "HINDUSTAN HAMARA'. He was a man of history and he knew his origion. This is why he exhorts our people, "--------MAZHAB NAHIN SIKHATA AAPAS MEIN BAIR RAKHNA, 'HINDI' HAI HUM WATAN HAI HINDUSTAN HAMARA----" ( THE RELIGION DOES NOT TEACH US TO HAVE ANIMOSITY TOWARDS EACH OTHER; WE ARE 'HINDI' AND OUR NATION IS 'HINDUSTAN'). I would like to draw your attention to the word "HINDI" meaning "WE ARE ALL HINDUS!". Unfortunately, religious BIGOTS got the better of him, as they do even today of the most sensible people in various religions in India.

How did the word "HINDU" acquire religious connotation? After the word came into existence around SIXTH CENTURY BC as a GEOGRAPHICAL & CULTURAL IDENTITY OF THE PEOPLE LIVING EAST OF THE RIVER "SINDHU"( HINDU Or INDUS), it continued to carry same meaning for another 1000 years. Around 530 AD, a HUN Prince, GOPALDITYA, was corronated as king of KASHMIR. He was son of 'MIHIRKULA'---a tyrant HUN king of Kashmir. Gopalditya was a very learned man and a good administrator. One day while going around his capital with his minister, he saw people following weird TEMPORAL practices. Some were worshipping IDOLS. Some were advocating eating of meat and drinking of intoxicants, while some others totally preached against it. He noticed, despite all these differences and opposing views, people lived in harmony and peace. He was impressed with such neighbourly CO-EXISTENCE. He asked his minister on the weird ways of the people. Minister said," THEY ARE 'HINDUS' and they do not follow one temporal practice. THEY TOLERATE OPPOSITE VIEWS AND DISSIDENCE. It is THEIR WAY OF LIVING." "Oh, great! THEN I WILL ALSO BECOME A HINDU.", He had said. This is how then the word 'HINDU' began to acquire RELIGIOUS meaning. It must be said that it was then a CONFLUENCE of various TEMPORAL practices---particularly 'SHAIVISM' and 'VAISNAVISM'---widely and diametrically opposite thoughts. All the same the word continued to carry its old PERSIAN identity of 'CULTURAL NATIONHOOD' --right upto the 18th Century.
Therfore, it must not be seen as a religion--because there are no uniform temporal practices amongst HINDUS, from region to region; caste to caste; class to class; sects to sects; language to language. Its APPARENT DISSIMLIARITIES MAKE IT A GREAT TREATISE ON LIVING A LIFE IN A COLOURFUL MANNER. IT advocates UNITY IN DIVERSITY IN TRUE SENSE. Unfortunately, inspit of all this, it continues to be the FAVOURITE WHIPPING BOY OF PSEUDO-INTELLECTUALS AND HALF-READ educationists. But it MOVES ON. AND KEEP GROWING. ITS PROTECTION IS ITS "NO-DEFENCE" BY ITS FOLLOWERS. The rising trend to defend it, would make it WEAK and RIGID. It has survived thousands of years of onslaught and each time it has emerged STRONGER.

We must know that 'HINDUISM' as a TEMPORAL & SPIRITUAL philosophy,Known as today, was never FOUNDED BY ANY ONE SAINT/ MESSIAH or a PROPHET as almost all other known religions and sects have been. IT EVOLVED ITSELF. IT DOES NOT BELONG TO ONE SECT OR SET OF SECTS. THE MULTIPLICITIES OF ITS GODS IS A TESTIMONY OF ITS EMPHASIS ON THE COLLECTIVE WISDOM. THIS VERY FACT MAKES IT FLEXIBLE AND SECULAR. IT CONTINUES TO GROW AND EVOLVE. HINDUISM IS A CULTURAL ENTITY; it is not a RELIGION. It encompasses in its fold a whole philosophy of living SPIRITUAL, INTELLECTUAL, MATERIAL, SOCIAL, POLITACAL AND MILITARY LIFE. It is more than the word "RELIGION"--which simply means FOLLOWING RITUALS and TEMPORAL PROCEDURES. IT is, in fact, emancipation of the word "DHARMA"--which includes in itself parameters of Social, Political, Economic and spiritual conduct of a man. It defines social/familial/ national responsibilities and duties.
The word "HINDU", in fact, is THE LOST ELDER BROTHER of the CURRENT TERMINOLOGY of "INDIAN"--which substituted it. This is also given by the FOREIGNERS only-- more particularly by the GREEKS. From the GREEKS it travelled further WEST AND GOT POPULARISED amongst the EUROPEANS. AS WEST RULED INDIA for almost 200 yers, THE NAME 'INDIAN or INDIA' GOT STUCK AND 'HINDU' lost its shine. But amongst the ARABS and PERSIANS IT IS STILL KNOWN AS 'HINDUSTAN'--THE LAND OF HINDUS.

Please note I am only trying to clear out certain misconceptions about this MOST SECULAR and FLEXIBLE TREATISE ON HUMAN CONDUCT AND BEHAVIOUR WITH MALICE TOWARDS NONE. It not ONLY SHOWS THE WAY AS HOW TO LEAD A HUMAN LIFE BUT ALSO ACCEPTS NEW WAYS WITH PASSAGE OF TIME. We must understand:-

-It encourages CRITICISM and DISSIDENCE.

-It does not CLAIM ITS PHILOSOPHY AS 'ULTIMATE AND FINAL' .

-It doesnot ENCOURAGE HATRED FOR YOUR RIVALS and ENEMIES.

-Its much maligned CASTE-SYSTEM was a social division of work to achieve 'SPECIALISATION' in family work---IT IS SAME THING AS YOU SEE IN VARIOUS PROFESSIONS OF TODAY. An ENGINEER's SON GOES FOR ENGINEERING. A DOCTOR'S SON GOES FOR MEDICINES. A POLITICIAN's SON GOES FOR POLITICS.A 'FAUJI's SON GENERALLY. TILL DATE, WENT FOR 'DEFENCE SERVICES' CAREER. IN fact these are the MODERN CASTES OF INDIA. No upper caste boy( STARVING OF HUNGER) would mind marrying GRAND DAUGHTER OF BABU JAGJIVAN RAM. Where is the caste system? Only IN THE PAGES OF CONSTITUTION WHICH KEEPS IT ALIVE THROUGH THE BOGEY OF RESERVATION. HAD THE PROVISION OF RESERVATION NOT BEEN THERE, THE OLD CASTE SYSTEM WOULD HAVE DISAPPEARED LONG TIME BACK. BUT IT HAS BEEN KEPT ALIVE BY VOTE BANK POLITICIANS.

-SOCIAL DIVISIONS IN HINDUISM' were to promote & IMPROVE QUALITY OF WORK THROUGH HERIDATORY PROFESSION. It is a different matter that it fell victim to monoply of a class.

-Much CRITICISED IDOL WORSHIPPING is actually a sign of inability of others to be definitive about their GODS. IDOLS ARE REPRESENTATION OF GODS OF YOUR PREFERENCE. IT IS A SYMBOL WHICH GIVES YOU FREEDOM TO CHOOSE YOUR GOD. 'OTHERS' do not provide this freedom to their followers. They do not know the SHAPE of their GOD. It is law of nature that SHAPELESS THINGS DO NOT EXIST. IF A THING DOES NOT EXIST, WHY DO YOU WORSHIP?

- In any case, WHAT IS THERE IN THE MOSQUE AT MECCA? WHAT ARE THE STATUES OF VIRGIN MERY OR LORD JESUS or THE CROSS DOING IN CHURCHES? HOW ABOUT THE GODDESS OF LIBERTY & FREEDOM? WHAT IS IT DOING IN THE MOST ADVANCED NATION--NEW YORK--NEAR CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. IT IS A SYMBOL---A SYMBOL OF SUPEREMACY OF HUMAN SPIRIT---- ISN'T IT? Symbols are reminders of the faith to the faithful. Why are we criticizing HINDU symbols, if others also do it?
-The multiplicity of gods/godesses speaks volume on the DEMOCRACY, FREEDOM & LIBERTY OF SPIRITUAL THOUGHT in the HINDU CULTURAL and SOCIAL WAY OF LIFE. It does not bind you to the fallacy of ABSOLUTISM like others.

Read more...

LAWS OF ABSURDITY!

LAWS OF ABSURDITY & ‘ENB’ SYNDROME

In my 40 years dealing with human beings, both in the civil and military arena, I had come across certain unique features of human conduct and behaviour. I formulated them as three LAWS of ABSURDITY. To me, they characterise the EXTREME NEGATIVE BEHAVIOUR of a normal human being. I had posted this last year, too, but I feel it is relevant for all times, so re-posting it after refurbishing.

‘Extreme Negative Behaviour’ (ENB) is a mental posture of a normal human being, whereby he tends to display negative responses in all sorts of situations. He might not be suffering from a psychic disorder. Do not also confuse with a schizophrenic personality. They are mentally sick people. I am talking about a PERFECTLY NORMAL PERSON with no abnormalities. You will find such persons in your day to day dealings, who will announce their disagreement with you even before you have completed your argument or statement. These ‘CONSTANT NUT SHAKERS’ have a perennial ‘NO’ on their lips if you suggest anything new to them. They become habitually negative. When the NEGATIVITY takes an EXTREME STAND in their day to day conduct we refer to them as afflicted by ENB syndromme. Basically, this bulging club of people suffering from ENB Syndrome includes in its ranks government servants and professionals alike. There are no exceptions.

Having had dealt with thousands of human-beings over a career span of 40 years under different kind of situations, ranging from ‘death-defying missions’ through ‘Film Stars Nights’ to whimsical needs of ‘Hospitality Industry’, I have observed that ENB syndrome is more pronounced in an age group of people between 30-60 years of age. It is because of the auto-activation of ‘defence mechanism’ in the man suffering from ‘social and financial insecurity’. Ironically, this is the age group which is hyperactive in all spheres of human activity, at any given time. All of them might not be victim of ENB but bulk of them will display some tinges of ‘Negativism’ in their conduct.

While some amount of ‘Negative’ behaviour is not bad but its repetitive streak pushes man into the sphere of ABSURDITY. Generally, the man suffering from ‘ENB syndrome’ will be governed by the LAWS OF ABSURDITY. In my experiences of dealing with human beings, I have found there were THREE ‘Laws of Absurdity’ which characterize the general conduct of people under the spell of ENB Syndrome. These are: namely, Law of BIASED MIND, Law of PARANOID MIND and the Law of LOVE-FAILED MIND. I will briefly explain them in the paragraphs appended below.

‘THE LAW OF BIASED MIND’. They are prejudiced people who eat, drink, sleep and dream “HATE”. They are people with a mental disposition of, “I HATE EVIL BUT YOU ALONE ARE THE EVIL.” Their mind functions only one way----any other way, they come under ENB spell. They are UNI-DIRECTIONAL in their conduct. The moment they get into unfamiliar grounds they switch on their ENB button. The conduct and behaviour of our political parties and leaders, today can be described as such. They suffer from fixation of mind which guides them in their conduct. These people are always focused on their well set targets. They can be ordinary people or most powerful personas. Pakistani military leadership’s anti-India disposition is reflective of the biased mind which will never allow any peace in the subcontinent. Modern electronic ‘media rivalry’ is another example of prejudiced and biased people drum-beating their piety while exposing others. They have an agenda to pursue which they do relentlessly. All their noise on the ills of others is basically aimed at hiding their own weaknesses. These kinds of people can be talked out of their mental state if one shows empathy towards their cause. They ought to be persistently told as to how self-destructive their hate could be? They must be made to realize that their hate is more harmful to them than their intended target. If not handled properly and allowed to pursue their agenda with impunity they graduate into the second law of absurdity, which is Law of Paranoid Mind.

‘THE LAW OF PARANOID MIND’. They are mentally hardened and stiffened people who have a negative world view. Their excessive hatred galvanizes them into thinking that they alone were the indispensable tools of “goodness”. These are the people who think the world around them was terribly wrong and they have the charter to do something to bring order to it. They suffer from ‘self-righteousness’. They move around with the DROPPED SHUTTERS of mind. In fact, they are best described by Thomas Harris as people with mental dispositions as “I AM OK, YOU ARE NOT OK”. Despots, Dictators, Powerful-Men around the world might display this inclination and tendency. Hitler’s hatred of Jews or George Bush’s obsession with late Saddam Hussein and Ossama Bin Laden’s hatred of Americans are some of its finest examples. Initially, this impelled them into their infamous acts, later when they graduated into third law , it became their addiction. These people are inebriated with self acclaimed virtues of self- greatness and self-righteousness. They disdain dissidence and difference of opinion. Intolerance is their chief characteristic. Such people are murderers and killers at large. Fundamentalists, Religious-Terrorists, Militants and Radicals also fall under this category because they are regimented for a cause and desensitized of human compassion. To them it is always “Us versus They”. While ‘us’ denotes ‘Puritanism and Good’; ‘they’ stands for ‘Satan and Evil’. So, their simple analogy is EITHER YOU ARE WITH THEM OR YOU ARE AGAINST THEM. There is no third option. You got to deal with these people firmly and carefully. They need to be constantly bombarded with the view that the world ought to be seen without their tinted glasses. Squeeze out the sense of self-righteousness in them. The destructive tinge acquired by them, if not corrected, leads them into the third law of ‘Love Failed Mind’. This is the most dangerous state of a human mind.

‘THE LAW OF LOVE-FAILED MIND’. It states: “IF ‘SHE’ CAN NOT BE MINE, SHE CAN NOT BELONG TO ANY ONE ELSE, TOO. KILL THE DAMSEL”. This is a destructive mind at its best. It has no logic and it follows no logic other than the one to destroy the ‘object of desire’, it could not procure or acquire. To be very frank, they do not listen to logic and it is pointless engaging then in discussion. They are totally desensitised and dehumanised. While dealing with them---- EXPECT NO MERCY AND SHOW NO MERCY. Some of the hard core killers and terrorist leaders fall into this category. Pakistan’s Kashmir policy, since 1990, is the result of failed romanticism of the ‘unfinished agenda of 1947’. Talks or no talks, it will 'blow hot and cold' on Kashmir only to surprise uncouth Indian Leadership. In the wake of rising clout of MULLAS and TALIBANS in Pakistan, India’s pipedream of peace in the subcontinent is a distant far-cry because with the rise of the religious fanatics in Pakistan, the threat of a civil war there is highly on the cards. President ZARDARI is tottering on one leg since the end of his honey moon with NAWAZ SHARRIEF. He might collapse any day due to inherent imbalance in his posture.

You will thus see that ENB syndrome gradually leads a person to dangerous and diabolic actions. The acid test to identify them in the early stages is their failure to appreciate the ‘do-gooders’ of society. They can not praise anyone. In every “GOOD” they will find “UGLINESS”. In a lighter vein though, I find the leaders of two major national parties i.e. CONGRESS and BJP actually suffering from tinges of ENB. They just can not praise each other's good. So is true of MULAYAM SINGH YADAV and MAYAWATI. Now KARAT's Left has joined this "ENB Brigade" as is the case of MAMTA BANNERJEE of TNC. I won't find DMK & AIADMK in Chennai any different. Somehow they see all "red "in each others "blue". Such an irrationality and negativism can not allow INDIA to deal with TERRORISM effectively.
The people suffering from 'ENB Syndromme' will be virtually cribbing, crying and criticizing everything. It is easier to cure them in the initial stages. As soon a man shows negative trends, remedial measures must be initiated to guard him against falling prey to ENB. Once they pass on to "Second law of Absurdity", they become difficult to handle and endanger the society, both locally and globally. India suffers because of this syndromme afflicting its political leadership. What is your take?
Read more...