$ unmount /dev/2010
$ /dev/null > $HOME/.bash_history
$ echo "Hello NEW World!"
$ mount /dev/2011
$ exit
Friday, December 31, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Heart, we will forget him [Emily Dickinson]
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Trust
An old story...
Baba Bharti had a horse, which he was very fond of. Khadag Singh wanted to buy that horse, but Baba Bharti refused. Once Baba Bharti was going somewhere on that horse. A lame and ill man he met on the way asked him to drop him to some village on his way. Baba Bharti got down and helped the person mount the horse. It turned out that the person was Khadag Singh in disguise. He captured the horse. On realizing this, Baba Bharti asked Khadag Singh for just one thing and that was not to mention this incident to anyone else. Khadag Singh was surprised; he expected him to beg for the horse, at least ask for a price or something like that. He enquired Baba Bharti for the reason of his strange request. Baba Bharti replied saying that if people knew of this incidence, they would stop trusting anyone in need and would stop helping them.
Baba Bharti had a horse, which he was very fond of. Khadag Singh wanted to buy that horse, but Baba Bharti refused. Once Baba Bharti was going somewhere on that horse. A lame and ill man he met on the way asked him to drop him to some village on his way. Baba Bharti got down and helped the person mount the horse. It turned out that the person was Khadag Singh in disguise. He captured the horse. On realizing this, Baba Bharti asked Khadag Singh for just one thing and that was not to mention this incident to anyone else. Khadag Singh was surprised; he expected him to beg for the horse, at least ask for a price or something like that. He enquired Baba Bharti for the reason of his strange request. Baba Bharti replied saying that if people knew of this incidence, they would stop trusting anyone in need and would stop helping them.
Sunday, July 04, 2010
Teaching the ultimate
In early times in Japan, bamboo-and-paper lanterns were used with candles inside. A blind man, visiting a friend one night, was offered a lantern to carry home with him.
"I do not need a lantern," he said. "Darkness or light is all the same to me."
"I know you do not need a lantern to find your way," his friend replied, "but if you don't have one, someone else may run into you. So you must take it."
The blind man started off with the lantern and before he had walked very far someone ran squarely into him. "Look out where you are going!" he exclaimed to the stranger. "Can't you see this lantern?"
"Your candle has burned out, brother," replied the stranger.
[My interpretation of moral of the story: Never get proud of your own righteousness]
"I do not need a lantern," he said. "Darkness or light is all the same to me."
"I know you do not need a lantern to find your way," his friend replied, "but if you don't have one, someone else may run into you. So you must take it."
The blind man started off with the lantern and before he had walked very far someone ran squarely into him. "Look out where you are going!" he exclaimed to the stranger. "Can't you see this lantern?"
"Your candle has burned out, brother," replied the stranger.
[My interpretation of moral of the story: Never get proud of your own righteousness]
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
An excerpt
Excerpt from a piece I wrote:
"..... It had been pouring incessantly in Mumbai and all along the Expressway on both up and down journeys. The torrent, which makes everything murky and dissolved. The river of water flowing on the car windows; creating mesmerizing visual effects on scenery of the lush green landspace outside. The world seemed so fluid through that looking glass. No rigidity, just fluid ease. And the vehicle, cutting through that sea. And I sitting in that cocoon, in a protective shell. Or maybe not a protective shell, but a restrictive shell as it did not allow me to merge with the fluidity outside. If I could dissolve myself with that scene. If I could just be gone with it......"
"..... It had been pouring incessantly in Mumbai and all along the Expressway on both up and down journeys. The torrent, which makes everything murky and dissolved. The river of water flowing on the car windows; creating mesmerizing visual effects on scenery of the lush green landspace outside. The world seemed so fluid through that looking glass. No rigidity, just fluid ease. And the vehicle, cutting through that sea. And I sitting in that cocoon, in a protective shell. Or maybe not a protective shell, but a restrictive shell as it did not allow me to merge with the fluidity outside. If I could dissolve myself with that scene. If I could just be gone with it......"
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
What is your nature?
Story 1:
"Because," the monk replied, "to save it is my nature."
The Scorpion and the Frog A scorpion and a frog meet on the bank of a stream and the scorpion asks the frog to carry him across on its back. The
frog asks, "How do I know you won't sting me?" The scorpion says, "Because if I do, I will die too."
The frog is satisfied, and they set out, but in midstream, the scorpion stings the frog. The frog feels the onset of
paralysis and starts to sink, knowing they both will drown, but has just enough time to gasp "Why?"
Replies the scorpion: "Its my nature..." Story 2:
Two monks were washing their bowls in the river when they noticed a scorpion that was drowning. One monk immediately scooped it up and set it upon the bank. In the process he was stung. He went back to washing his bowl and again the scorpion fell in. The monk saved the scorpion and was again stung. The other monk asked him, "Friend, why do you continue to save the scorpion when you know it's nature is to sting?"
"Because," the monk replied, "to save it is my nature."
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Wolves Within
A grandson told of his anger at a schoolmate who had done him an injustice.
Grandfather said: "Let me tell you a story." "I, too, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But, hate wears you down and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times. It is as if there are two wolves inside me: one is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way. But the other wolf is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights with everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of then try to dominate my spirit."
The boy looked intently into his grandfather's eyes and asked, "Which one wins, Grandfather?"
The grandfather solemnly replied, "The one I feed."
Grandfather said: "Let me tell you a story." "I, too, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But, hate wears you down and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times. It is as if there are two wolves inside me: one is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way. But the other wolf is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights with everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of then try to dominate my spirit."
The boy looked intently into his grandfather's eyes and asked, "Which one wins, Grandfather?"
The grandfather solemnly replied, "The one I feed."
Friday, May 28, 2010
Buddha's algorithm
Following is Buddha's algorithm on what should be "right speech". [The text is part of a Buddhist sutta (sutra) which can viewed here. The sutta takes jibes at motives of a Jain Digambar monk (nigantha) in trying to pull Buddha into a difficult disucssion and thus disparage his teachings. No way to ascertain the validity. Would like to explore if Jain texts take same jibes at Buddha. For now, I am only interested in Buddha's algorithm]
Algorithm:
[1] In the case of words that are known to be unfactual, untrue, unbeneficial (or: not connected with the goal), unendearing & disagreeable to others, do not say them.
[2] In the case of words that are known to be factual, true, unbeneficial, unendearing & disagreeable to others, do not say them.
[3] In the case of words that are known to be factual, true, beneficial, but unendearing & disagreeable to others, have a sense of the proper time for saying them.
[4] In the case of words that are known to be unfactual, untrue, unbeneficial, but endearing & agreeable to others, do not say them.
[5] In the case of words that are known to be factual, true, unbeneficial, but endearing & agreeable to others, do not say them.
[6] In the case of words that are known to be factual, true, beneficial, and endearing & agreeable to others, have a sense of the proper time for saying them.
In this algorithm, there are 3 variable : A (factual, true), B (benfecial) and C (endearing, agreeable). There should exist 8 cases for 3 variables. The sutta refers to only 6 conditions. It missed out on [!A B C] and [!A B !C] case. Assuming that all acceptable cases must have a True value for B, both these cases could also be acceptable. Exploring further:
[!A B C] : Something like what was done in the movie "Life is Beautiful". The father tells lies to his son which are endearing and are meant to keep son's moral high. Are these acceptable? I guess yes.
[!A B !C] : Something like reverse psychology to motivate someone. Army commander saying that all new cadets are deplorable and are wimps as they are not pushing themselves hard enough. Are these acceptable? I cannot make up my mind.
I just added to Buddha's algorithm!!!! :)
BTW, help me with [!A B !C] case if you can.
Algorithm:
[1] In the case of words that are known to be unfactual, untrue, unbeneficial (or: not connected with the goal), unendearing & disagreeable to others, do not say them.
[2] In the case of words that are known to be factual, true, unbeneficial, unendearing & disagreeable to others, do not say them.
[3] In the case of words that are known to be factual, true, beneficial, but unendearing & disagreeable to others, have a sense of the proper time for saying them.
[4] In the case of words that are known to be unfactual, untrue, unbeneficial, but endearing & agreeable to others, do not say them.
[5] In the case of words that are known to be factual, true, unbeneficial, but endearing & agreeable to others, do not say them.
[6] In the case of words that are known to be factual, true, beneficial, and endearing & agreeable to others, have a sense of the proper time for saying them.
In this algorithm, there are 3 variable : A (factual, true), B (benfecial) and C (endearing, agreeable). There should exist 8 cases for 3 variables. The sutta refers to only 6 conditions. It missed out on [!A B C] and [!A B !C] case. Assuming that all acceptable cases must have a True value for B, both these cases could also be acceptable. Exploring further:
[!A B C] : Something like what was done in the movie "Life is Beautiful". The father tells lies to his son which are endearing and are meant to keep son's moral high. Are these acceptable? I guess yes.
[!A B !C] : Something like reverse psychology to motivate someone. Army commander saying that all new cadets are deplorable and are wimps as they are not pushing themselves hard enough. Are these acceptable? I cannot make up my mind.
I just added to Buddha's algorithm!!!! :)
BTW, help me with [!A B !C] case if you can.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
The Cucumber Sage
Abbott of Han-hsin monastery in the
Thirteenth year of the Earth Dragon period (898)
My dear friend, the most reverend master Tung-Wang,
Old and ill, I lay here knowing that writing this note will be my last act upon this earth and that by the time you read it I will be gone from this life.
Though we have not seen each other in the many years since we studied together under our most venerable Master, I have often thought of you, his most worthy successor. Monks from throughout China say that you are a true lion of the Buddha Dharma; one whose eye is a shooting star, whose hands snatch lightning, and whose voice booms like thunder. It is said that your every action shakes heaven and earth and causes the elephants and dragons of delusion to scatter helplessly. I am told that your monastery is unrivaled in severity, and that under your exacting guidance hundreds of monks pursue their training with utmost zeal and vigor. I've also heard that in the enlightened successor department your luck has not been so good. Which brings me to the point of this letter.
I ask that you now draw your attention to the young man to whom this note is attached. As he stands before you, no doubt smiling stupidly as he stuffs himself with pickled cucumbers, you may be wondering if he is as complete a fool as he appears, and if so, what prompted me to send him to you. In answer to the first question, I assure you that Wu-Ming's foolishness is far more complete than mere appearance would lead you to believe. As for the second question, I can only say that despite so benumbed a condition, or perhaps because of it, still more likely, despite of and because of it, Wu-Ming seems to unwittingly and accidentally serve the function of a great Bodhisattva. Perhaps he can be of service to you.
Allow him sixteen hours of sleep daily and provide him with lots of pickled cucumbers and Wu-Ming will always be happy. Expect nothing of him and you will be happy.
Respectfully, Chin-Mang
After Chin-mang's funeral, the supporters of his temple arranged for Wu-Ming's journey to Han-hsin monastery, where I resided, then, as now, as Abbott. A monk found Wu-ming at the monastery gate and seeing a note bearing my name pinned to his robe, led him to my quarters.
Customarily, when first presenting himself to the Abbott, a newly arrived monk will prostrate himself three times and ask respectfully to be accepted as a student. And so I was taken somewhat by surprise when Wu-ming walked into the room, took a pickled cucumber from the jar under his arm, stuffed it whole into his mouth, and happily munching away, broke into the toothless imbecilic grin that would one day become legendary. Taking a casual glance around the room, he smacked his lips loudly and said, "What's for lunch?"
After reading dear old Chin Mang's note, I called in the head monk and asked that he show my new student to the monk's quarters. When they had gone I reflected on chin-mang's words. Han-hsin was indeed a most severe place of training: winters were bitterly cold and in summer the sun blazed. The monks slept no more than three hours each night and ate one simple meal each day. For the remainder of the day they worked hard around the monastery and practiced hard in the meditation hall. But, alas, Chin-mang had heard correctly, Among all my disciples there was none whom I felt confident to be a worthy vessel to receive the untransmittable transmitted Dharma. I was beginning to despair that I would one day, bereft of even one successor, fail to fulfill my obligation of seeing my teacher's Dharma-linage continued.
The monks could hardly be faulted for complacency or indolence. Their sincere aspiration and disciplined effort were admirable indeed, and many had attained great clarity of wisdom. But they were preoccupied with their capacity for harsh discipline and proud of their insight. They squabbled with one another for positions of prestige and power and vied amongst themselves for recognition. Jealousy, rivalry and ambition seemed to hang like a dark cloud over Han-shin monastery, sucking even the most wise and sincere into its obscuring haze. Holding Chin-mang's note before me, I hoped and prayed that this Wu-ming, this "accidental Bodhisattva" might be the yeast my recipe seemed so much in need of.
To my astonished pleasure, Wu-ming took to life at Han-shin like a duck to water. At my request, he was assigned a job in the kitchen pickling vegetables. This he pursued tirelessly, and with a cheerful earnestness he gathered and mixed ingredients, lifted heavy barrels, drew and carried water, and, of course, freely sampled his workmanship. He was delighted!
When the monks assembled in the meditation hall, they would invariably find Wu-ming seated in utter stillness, apparently in deep and profound samadhi. No one even guessed that the only thing profound about Wu-ming's meditation was the profound unlikelihood that he might find the meditation posture, legs folded into the lotus position, back erect and centered, to be so wonderfully conducive to the long hours of sleep he so enjoyed.
Day after day and month after month, as the monks struggled to meet the physical and spiritual demands of monastery life, Wu-ming, with a grin and a whistle, sailed through it all effortlessly. Even though, if the truth be told, Wu-ming's Zen practice was without the slightest merit, by way of outward appearance he was judged by all to be a monk of great accomplishment and perfect discipline. Of course . I could have dispelled this misconception easily enough, but I sensed that Wu-ming's unique brand of magic was taking effect and I was not about to throw away this most absurdly skillful of means.
By turns the monks were jealous, perplexed, hostile, humbled and inspired by what they presumed to be Wu-ming's great attainment. Of course it never occurred to Wu-ming that his or anyone else's behavior required such judgments, for they are the workings of a far more sophisticated nature than his own mind was capable. Indeed, everything about him was so obvious and simple that others thought him unfathomably subtle.
Wu-ming's inscrutable presence had a tremendously unsettling effect on the lives of the monks, and undercut the web of rationalizations that so often accompanies such upset. His utter obviousness rendered him unintelligible and immune to the social pretensions of others. Attempts of flattery and invectives alike were met with the same uncomprehending grin, a grin the monks felt to be the very cutting edge of the sword of Perfect Wisdom. Finding no relief or diversion in such interchange, they were forced to seek out the source and resolution of their anguish each within his own mind. More importantly, and absurdly, Wu-ming caused to arise in the monks the unconquerable determination to fully penetrate the teaching "The Great Way is without difficulty" which they felt he embodied.
Though in the course of my lifetime I have encountered many of the most venerable progenitors of the Tathagata's teaching, never have I met one so skilled at awakening others to their intrinsic Buddhahood as this wonderful fool Wu-ming. His spiritual non-sequiturs were as sparks, lighting the flame of illuminating wisdom in the minds of many who engaged him in dialogue.
Once a monk approached Wu-ming and asked in all earnestness, "In the whole universe, what is it that is most wonderful?" Without hesitation Wu-ming stuck a cucumber before the monks face and exclaimed, "There is nothing more wonderful than this!" At that the monk crashed through the dualism of subject and object, "The whole universe is pickled cucumber; a pickled cucumber is the whole universe!" Wu-ming simply chuckled and said, "Stop talking nonsense. A cucumber is a cucumber; the whole universe is the whole universe. What could be more obvious?" The monk, penetrating the perfect phenomenal manifestation of Absolute Truth, clapped his hands and laughed, saying, "Throughout infinite space, everything is deliciously sour!"
On another occasion a monk asked Wu-ming, "The Third Patriarch said, "The Great Way is without difficulty, just cease having preferences." How can you then delight in eating cucumbers, yet refuse to even take one bit of a carrot?" Wu-ming said, "I love cucumbers; I hate carrots!" The monk lurched back as though struck by a thunderbolt. Then laughing and sobbing and dancing about he exclaimed, "Liking cucumbers and hating carrots is without difficulty, just cease preferring the Great Way!"
Within three years of his arrival, the stories of the "Great Bodhisattva of Han-hsin monastery" had made their way throughout the provinces of China. Knowing of Wu-ming's fame I was not entirely surprised when a messenger from the Emperor appeared summoning Wu-ming to the Imperial Palace immediately.
From throughout the Empire exponents of the Three Teachings of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism were being called to the Capitol, there the Emperor would proclaim one to be the true religion to be practiced and preached in all lands under his rule. The idea of such competition for Imperial favor is not to my approval and the likelihood that a religious persecution might follow troubled me greatly. But an order from the Emperor is not to be ignored, so Wu-ming and I set out the next day.
Inside the Great Hall were gathered the more than one hundred priests and scholars who were to debate one another. They were surrounded by the most powerful lords in all China, along with innumerable advisors, of the Son of Heaven. All at once trumpets blared, cymbals crashed, and clouds of incense billowed up everywhere. The Emperor, borne on by a retinue of guards, was carried to the throne. After due formalities were observed the Emperor signaled for the debate to begin.
Several hours passed as one after another priests and scholars came forward presenting their doctrines and responding to questions. Through it all Wu-ming sat obliviously content as he stuffed himself with his favorite food. When his supply was finished, he happily crossed his legs, straightened his back and closed his eyes. But the noise and commotion were too great and, unable to sleep, he grew more restless and irritable by the minute. As I clasped him firmly by the back of the neck in an effort to restrain him, the Emperor gestured to Wu-ming to approach the Throne.
When Wu-ming had come before him, the Emperor said, "Throughout the land you are praised as a Bodhisattva whose mind is like the Great Void itself, yet you have not had a word to offer this assembly. Therefore I say to you now, teach me the True Way that all under heaven must follow." Wu-ming said nothing. After a few moments the Emperor, with a note of impatience, spoke again, "Perhaps you do not hear well so I shall repeat myself! Teach me the True Way that all under heaven must follow!" Still Wu-ming said nothing, and silence rippled through the crowd as all strained forward to witness this monk who dared behave so bold a fashion in the Emperor's presence.
Wu-ming heard nothing the Emperor said, nor did he notice the tension that vibrated through the hall. All that concerned him was his wish to find a nice quiet place where he could sleep undisturbed. The Emperor spoke again, his voice shaking with fury, his face flushed with anger: "You have been summoned to this council to speak on behalf of the Buddhist teaching. Your disrespect will not be tolerated much longer. I shall ask one more time, and should you fail to answer, I assure you the consequence shall be most grave. Teach me the True Way that all under heaven must follow!" Without a word Wu-ming turned and, as all looked on in dumbfounded silence, he made his way down the aisle and out the door. There was a hush of stunned disbelief before the crowd erupted into an uproar of confusion. Some were applauding Wu-ming's brilliant demonstration of religious insight, while others rushed about in an indignant rage, hurling threats and abuses at the doorway he had just passed through. Not knowing whether to praise Wu-ming or to have him beheaded, the Emperor turned to his advisors, but they were none the wiser. Finally, looking out at the frantic anarchy to which his grand debate had been reduced, the Emperor must surely have realized that no matter what Wu-ming's intentions might have been, there was now only one way to avoid the debate becoming a most serious embarrassment.
"The great sage of Han-hsin monastery has skillfully demonstrated that the great Tao cannot be confined by doctrines, but is best expounded through harmonious action. Let us profit by the wisdom he has so compassionately shared, and each endeavor to make our every step one that unites heaven and earth in accord with the profound and subtle Tao."
Having thus spoken the Son of Heaven concluded the Great Debate.
I immediately ran out to find Wu-ming, but he had disappeared in the crowded streets of the capitol.
Ten years have since passed, and I have seen nothing of him. However, on occasion a wandering monk will stop at Han-hsin with some bit of news. I am told that Wu-ming has been wandering about the countryside this past decade, trying unsuccessfully to find his way home. Because of his fame he is greeted and cared for in all quarters with generous kindness; however, those wishing to help him on his journey usually find that they have been helped on their own.
One young monk told of an encounter in which Wu-ming asked him, "Can you tell me where my home is?" Confused as to the spirit of the question. The monk replied, "Is the home you speak of to be found in the relative world of time and place, or do you mean the Original Home of all pervading Buddha nature?"
After pausing a moment to consider the question, Wu-ming looked up and, grinning as only he is capable, said, "Yes."
Thirteenth year of the Earth Dragon period (898)
My dear friend, the most reverend master Tung-Wang,
Old and ill, I lay here knowing that writing this note will be my last act upon this earth and that by the time you read it I will be gone from this life.
Though we have not seen each other in the many years since we studied together under our most venerable Master, I have often thought of you, his most worthy successor. Monks from throughout China say that you are a true lion of the Buddha Dharma; one whose eye is a shooting star, whose hands snatch lightning, and whose voice booms like thunder. It is said that your every action shakes heaven and earth and causes the elephants and dragons of delusion to scatter helplessly. I am told that your monastery is unrivaled in severity, and that under your exacting guidance hundreds of monks pursue their training with utmost zeal and vigor. I've also heard that in the enlightened successor department your luck has not been so good. Which brings me to the point of this letter.
I ask that you now draw your attention to the young man to whom this note is attached. As he stands before you, no doubt smiling stupidly as he stuffs himself with pickled cucumbers, you may be wondering if he is as complete a fool as he appears, and if so, what prompted me to send him to you. In answer to the first question, I assure you that Wu-Ming's foolishness is far more complete than mere appearance would lead you to believe. As for the second question, I can only say that despite so benumbed a condition, or perhaps because of it, still more likely, despite of and because of it, Wu-Ming seems to unwittingly and accidentally serve the function of a great Bodhisattva. Perhaps he can be of service to you.
Allow him sixteen hours of sleep daily and provide him with lots of pickled cucumbers and Wu-Ming will always be happy. Expect nothing of him and you will be happy.
Respectfully, Chin-Mang
After Chin-mang's funeral, the supporters of his temple arranged for Wu-Ming's journey to Han-hsin monastery, where I resided, then, as now, as Abbott. A monk found Wu-ming at the monastery gate and seeing a note bearing my name pinned to his robe, led him to my quarters.
Customarily, when first presenting himself to the Abbott, a newly arrived monk will prostrate himself three times and ask respectfully to be accepted as a student. And so I was taken somewhat by surprise when Wu-ming walked into the room, took a pickled cucumber from the jar under his arm, stuffed it whole into his mouth, and happily munching away, broke into the toothless imbecilic grin that would one day become legendary. Taking a casual glance around the room, he smacked his lips loudly and said, "What's for lunch?"
After reading dear old Chin Mang's note, I called in the head monk and asked that he show my new student to the monk's quarters. When they had gone I reflected on chin-mang's words. Han-hsin was indeed a most severe place of training: winters were bitterly cold and in summer the sun blazed. The monks slept no more than three hours each night and ate one simple meal each day. For the remainder of the day they worked hard around the monastery and practiced hard in the meditation hall. But, alas, Chin-mang had heard correctly, Among all my disciples there was none whom I felt confident to be a worthy vessel to receive the untransmittable transmitted Dharma. I was beginning to despair that I would one day, bereft of even one successor, fail to fulfill my obligation of seeing my teacher's Dharma-linage continued.
The monks could hardly be faulted for complacency or indolence. Their sincere aspiration and disciplined effort were admirable indeed, and many had attained great clarity of wisdom. But they were preoccupied with their capacity for harsh discipline and proud of their insight. They squabbled with one another for positions of prestige and power and vied amongst themselves for recognition. Jealousy, rivalry and ambition seemed to hang like a dark cloud over Han-shin monastery, sucking even the most wise and sincere into its obscuring haze. Holding Chin-mang's note before me, I hoped and prayed that this Wu-ming, this "accidental Bodhisattva" might be the yeast my recipe seemed so much in need of.
To my astonished pleasure, Wu-ming took to life at Han-shin like a duck to water. At my request, he was assigned a job in the kitchen pickling vegetables. This he pursued tirelessly, and with a cheerful earnestness he gathered and mixed ingredients, lifted heavy barrels, drew and carried water, and, of course, freely sampled his workmanship. He was delighted!
When the monks assembled in the meditation hall, they would invariably find Wu-ming seated in utter stillness, apparently in deep and profound samadhi. No one even guessed that the only thing profound about Wu-ming's meditation was the profound unlikelihood that he might find the meditation posture, legs folded into the lotus position, back erect and centered, to be so wonderfully conducive to the long hours of sleep he so enjoyed.
Day after day and month after month, as the monks struggled to meet the physical and spiritual demands of monastery life, Wu-ming, with a grin and a whistle, sailed through it all effortlessly. Even though, if the truth be told, Wu-ming's Zen practice was without the slightest merit, by way of outward appearance he was judged by all to be a monk of great accomplishment and perfect discipline. Of course . I could have dispelled this misconception easily enough, but I sensed that Wu-ming's unique brand of magic was taking effect and I was not about to throw away this most absurdly skillful of means.
By turns the monks were jealous, perplexed, hostile, humbled and inspired by what they presumed to be Wu-ming's great attainment. Of course it never occurred to Wu-ming that his or anyone else's behavior required such judgments, for they are the workings of a far more sophisticated nature than his own mind was capable. Indeed, everything about him was so obvious and simple that others thought him unfathomably subtle.
Wu-ming's inscrutable presence had a tremendously unsettling effect on the lives of the monks, and undercut the web of rationalizations that so often accompanies such upset. His utter obviousness rendered him unintelligible and immune to the social pretensions of others. Attempts of flattery and invectives alike were met with the same uncomprehending grin, a grin the monks felt to be the very cutting edge of the sword of Perfect Wisdom. Finding no relief or diversion in such interchange, they were forced to seek out the source and resolution of their anguish each within his own mind. More importantly, and absurdly, Wu-ming caused to arise in the monks the unconquerable determination to fully penetrate the teaching "The Great Way is without difficulty" which they felt he embodied.
Though in the course of my lifetime I have encountered many of the most venerable progenitors of the Tathagata's teaching, never have I met one so skilled at awakening others to their intrinsic Buddhahood as this wonderful fool Wu-ming. His spiritual non-sequiturs were as sparks, lighting the flame of illuminating wisdom in the minds of many who engaged him in dialogue.
Once a monk approached Wu-ming and asked in all earnestness, "In the whole universe, what is it that is most wonderful?" Without hesitation Wu-ming stuck a cucumber before the monks face and exclaimed, "There is nothing more wonderful than this!" At that the monk crashed through the dualism of subject and object, "The whole universe is pickled cucumber; a pickled cucumber is the whole universe!" Wu-ming simply chuckled and said, "Stop talking nonsense. A cucumber is a cucumber; the whole universe is the whole universe. What could be more obvious?" The monk, penetrating the perfect phenomenal manifestation of Absolute Truth, clapped his hands and laughed, saying, "Throughout infinite space, everything is deliciously sour!"
On another occasion a monk asked Wu-ming, "The Third Patriarch said, "The Great Way is without difficulty, just cease having preferences." How can you then delight in eating cucumbers, yet refuse to even take one bit of a carrot?" Wu-ming said, "I love cucumbers; I hate carrots!" The monk lurched back as though struck by a thunderbolt. Then laughing and sobbing and dancing about he exclaimed, "Liking cucumbers and hating carrots is without difficulty, just cease preferring the Great Way!"
Within three years of his arrival, the stories of the "Great Bodhisattva of Han-hsin monastery" had made their way throughout the provinces of China. Knowing of Wu-ming's fame I was not entirely surprised when a messenger from the Emperor appeared summoning Wu-ming to the Imperial Palace immediately.
From throughout the Empire exponents of the Three Teachings of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism were being called to the Capitol, there the Emperor would proclaim one to be the true religion to be practiced and preached in all lands under his rule. The idea of such competition for Imperial favor is not to my approval and the likelihood that a religious persecution might follow troubled me greatly. But an order from the Emperor is not to be ignored, so Wu-ming and I set out the next day.
Inside the Great Hall were gathered the more than one hundred priests and scholars who were to debate one another. They were surrounded by the most powerful lords in all China, along with innumerable advisors, of the Son of Heaven. All at once trumpets blared, cymbals crashed, and clouds of incense billowed up everywhere. The Emperor, borne on by a retinue of guards, was carried to the throne. After due formalities were observed the Emperor signaled for the debate to begin.
Several hours passed as one after another priests and scholars came forward presenting their doctrines and responding to questions. Through it all Wu-ming sat obliviously content as he stuffed himself with his favorite food. When his supply was finished, he happily crossed his legs, straightened his back and closed his eyes. But the noise and commotion were too great and, unable to sleep, he grew more restless and irritable by the minute. As I clasped him firmly by the back of the neck in an effort to restrain him, the Emperor gestured to Wu-ming to approach the Throne.
When Wu-ming had come before him, the Emperor said, "Throughout the land you are praised as a Bodhisattva whose mind is like the Great Void itself, yet you have not had a word to offer this assembly. Therefore I say to you now, teach me the True Way that all under heaven must follow." Wu-ming said nothing. After a few moments the Emperor, with a note of impatience, spoke again, "Perhaps you do not hear well so I shall repeat myself! Teach me the True Way that all under heaven must follow!" Still Wu-ming said nothing, and silence rippled through the crowd as all strained forward to witness this monk who dared behave so bold a fashion in the Emperor's presence.
Wu-ming heard nothing the Emperor said, nor did he notice the tension that vibrated through the hall. All that concerned him was his wish to find a nice quiet place where he could sleep undisturbed. The Emperor spoke again, his voice shaking with fury, his face flushed with anger: "You have been summoned to this council to speak on behalf of the Buddhist teaching. Your disrespect will not be tolerated much longer. I shall ask one more time, and should you fail to answer, I assure you the consequence shall be most grave. Teach me the True Way that all under heaven must follow!" Without a word Wu-ming turned and, as all looked on in dumbfounded silence, he made his way down the aisle and out the door. There was a hush of stunned disbelief before the crowd erupted into an uproar of confusion. Some were applauding Wu-ming's brilliant demonstration of religious insight, while others rushed about in an indignant rage, hurling threats and abuses at the doorway he had just passed through. Not knowing whether to praise Wu-ming or to have him beheaded, the Emperor turned to his advisors, but they were none the wiser. Finally, looking out at the frantic anarchy to which his grand debate had been reduced, the Emperor must surely have realized that no matter what Wu-ming's intentions might have been, there was now only one way to avoid the debate becoming a most serious embarrassment.
"The great sage of Han-hsin monastery has skillfully demonstrated that the great Tao cannot be confined by doctrines, but is best expounded through harmonious action. Let us profit by the wisdom he has so compassionately shared, and each endeavor to make our every step one that unites heaven and earth in accord with the profound and subtle Tao."
Having thus spoken the Son of Heaven concluded the Great Debate.
I immediately ran out to find Wu-ming, but he had disappeared in the crowded streets of the capitol.
Ten years have since passed, and I have seen nothing of him. However, on occasion a wandering monk will stop at Han-hsin with some bit of news. I am told that Wu-ming has been wandering about the countryside this past decade, trying unsuccessfully to find his way home. Because of his fame he is greeted and cared for in all quarters with generous kindness; however, those wishing to help him on his journey usually find that they have been helped on their own.
One young monk told of an encounter in which Wu-ming asked him, "Can you tell me where my home is?" Confused as to the spirit of the question. The monk replied, "Is the home you speak of to be found in the relative world of time and place, or do you mean the Original Home of all pervading Buddha nature?"
After pausing a moment to consider the question, Wu-ming looked up and, grinning as only he is capable, said, "Yes."
Monday, May 24, 2010
The Novice
In a time-honored story set in an ancient Himalayan kingdom, a novice monk was excited at the prospect of meeting his teacher for the first time. He was on fire with questions but sensed that this was not the time to ask them. Instead, he listened carefully to the teacher's instructions. They were brief and to the point. "Get up early tomorrow and climb to a cave you'll find at the top of this mountain. Sit from dawn to dusk and have no thoughts. Use any method you wish to banish thought. When the day is over, come and tell me how it went."
At dawn the next day the novice found the cave, made himself comfortable, and waited for his mind to settle. He thought that if he sat long enough it would become blank. Instead, his mind was crowded with thoughts. Soon he started to worry about failing the task he had been set. He tried to force the thoughts out of his mind, but that just produced more thoughts. He shouted at them to "Go away," but the words echoed noisily in the cave. He jumped up and down, held his breath, shook his head. Nothing seemed to work. He'd never known such a bombardment of thoughts in his life. At the end of the day he climbed back down, completely dispirited, wondering what his teacher's response would be. Perhaps he'd be dismissed as a failure, unsuitable for further training.
But the teacher just burst out laughing at the tale of his mental and physical gymnastics. "Very good ! You have tried really hard and done well. Tomorrow you should go back to the cave. Sit from dawn to dusk having nothing but thoughts. Think of anything you like all day long, but allow no gaps to occur between your thoughts." The novice was really pleased. This would be easy. He was bound to succeed. After all, "having thoughts" is what had been happening to him all day.
The next day saw him climbing with confidence up to his cave and taking his seat. After a little while he realized that all was not well. His thoughts started to slow down. Occasionally, a pleasant thought would come to mind and he would decide to follow it for a while. But soon it dried up. He tried to think grand thoughts, philosophical speculations, to worry about the state of the universe. Anything. He started to run low on things to think about and even got a little bored. Where had all his thinking gone ? Soon the "best" thoughts he could get seemed a little worn, like an old coat that had become threadbare. Then he noticed gaps in his thinking. Oh dear, this was what he had been told to avoid. Another failure. At the end of the day he felt pretty wretched. He'd failed again.
He climbed down the mountain and went to find his teacher, who burst out laughing again. "Congratulations ! Wonderful! Now you know how to practice perfectly." He didn't understand why the teacher was so pleased. What on earth had he learned ? The teacher was pleased because the novice was now ready to recognize something of real significance: You cannot force the mind . And if you try to , you won't like what comes of it.
At dawn the next day the novice found the cave, made himself comfortable, and waited for his mind to settle. He thought that if he sat long enough it would become blank. Instead, his mind was crowded with thoughts. Soon he started to worry about failing the task he had been set. He tried to force the thoughts out of his mind, but that just produced more thoughts. He shouted at them to "Go away," but the words echoed noisily in the cave. He jumped up and down, held his breath, shook his head. Nothing seemed to work. He'd never known such a bombardment of thoughts in his life. At the end of the day he climbed back down, completely dispirited, wondering what his teacher's response would be. Perhaps he'd be dismissed as a failure, unsuitable for further training.
But the teacher just burst out laughing at the tale of his mental and physical gymnastics. "Very good ! You have tried really hard and done well. Tomorrow you should go back to the cave. Sit from dawn to dusk having nothing but thoughts. Think of anything you like all day long, but allow no gaps to occur between your thoughts." The novice was really pleased. This would be easy. He was bound to succeed. After all, "having thoughts" is what had been happening to him all day.
The next day saw him climbing with confidence up to his cave and taking his seat. After a little while he realized that all was not well. His thoughts started to slow down. Occasionally, a pleasant thought would come to mind and he would decide to follow it for a while. But soon it dried up. He tried to think grand thoughts, philosophical speculations, to worry about the state of the universe. Anything. He started to run low on things to think about and even got a little bored. Where had all his thinking gone ? Soon the "best" thoughts he could get seemed a little worn, like an old coat that had become threadbare. Then he noticed gaps in his thinking. Oh dear, this was what he had been told to avoid. Another failure. At the end of the day he felt pretty wretched. He'd failed again.
He climbed down the mountain and went to find his teacher, who burst out laughing again. "Congratulations ! Wonderful! Now you know how to practice perfectly." He didn't understand why the teacher was so pleased. What on earth had he learned ? The teacher was pleased because the novice was now ready to recognize something of real significance: You cannot force the mind . And if you try to , you won't like what comes of it.
".... phal ki chinta mat karo"
For a long time, I had been perplexed with the saying from Gita: "Karm karo, phal ki chinta mat karo". I would interpret it as "do your work without worrying about the results". In this adage, I always laid more emphasis on the results part, i.e. how is it possible to work for something without having any desire for the results or how can one feel motivated enough to accomplish a task without desiring success.
Turns out that I had been laying emphasis on the wrong word, maybe. The word which should have got my focus was worrying. I now perhaps understand that Gita may not be telling to have ambivalent orientation towards success. Nor is it telling that results of one's efforts will be ordained by destiny or an omniscient God. It may be rather telling just not to worry excessively about how and why our efforts may end up as failure.
We can keep working with a problem-solving mindset and result-oriented approach. But once we have put in the efforts, we should let the results fructify in their natural course of time. We should not play in our mind the scenarios in which failure may ensue. We should not become impatient with the amount of time it takes for the outcome to show itself.
I guess that difference between focusing on worrying rather than results is subtle, but it does make quite a difference in the spirit with which we approach the teaching. Thinking that the results are pre-ordained can make us fatalists. But, knowing that worrying will not change the result after our efforts have been expended is a way to keeping our calm and peace intact while the outcomes play out within the visible and invisible rules of the game.
Any takers? :)
Update (20 Aug 2011):
My understanding of this phrase has probably further increased. Recently I realized that this teaching tells a person to not worry about successful result of their actions both before and after the action is done. My earlier understanding was focused on not worrying after action had been taken. Now I also appreciate that one must not inordinately delay an action worrying about whether success is achievable or not. If one keeps worrying that the task at hand is too big and that chances of success are dim, then the action will be delayed or may not happen at all. Hence, the action must be taken and one should not let worrying about attainability of result be a reason for procrastination or inaction.
Turns out that I had been laying emphasis on the wrong word, maybe. The word which should have got my focus was worrying. I now perhaps understand that Gita may not be telling to have ambivalent orientation towards success. Nor is it telling that results of one's efforts will be ordained by destiny or an omniscient God. It may be rather telling just not to worry excessively about how and why our efforts may end up as failure.
We can keep working with a problem-solving mindset and result-oriented approach. But once we have put in the efforts, we should let the results fructify in their natural course of time. We should not play in our mind the scenarios in which failure may ensue. We should not become impatient with the amount of time it takes for the outcome to show itself.
I guess that difference between focusing on worrying rather than results is subtle, but it does make quite a difference in the spirit with which we approach the teaching. Thinking that the results are pre-ordained can make us fatalists. But, knowing that worrying will not change the result after our efforts have been expended is a way to keeping our calm and peace intact while the outcomes play out within the visible and invisible rules of the game.
Any takers? :)
Update (20 Aug 2011):
My understanding of this phrase has probably further increased. Recently I realized that this teaching tells a person to not worry about successful result of their actions both before and after the action is done. My earlier understanding was focused on not worrying after action had been taken. Now I also appreciate that one must not inordinately delay an action worrying about whether success is achievable or not. If one keeps worrying that the task at hand is too big and that chances of success are dim, then the action will be delayed or may not happen at all. Hence, the action must be taken and one should not let worrying about attainability of result be a reason for procrastination or inaction.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
In the circus
There is a story in the Pali Canon about a father and daughter who performed in the circus. The father would place a very long bamboo stick on his forehead, and his daughter would climb to the top of the stick. When they did this, people gave them some money to buy rice and curry to eat.
One day the father told the daughter, 'My dear daughter, we have to take care of each other. You have to take care of your father, and I have to take care of you, so that we will be safe. Our performance is very dangerous.' Because if she fell, both would not be able to earn their living. If she fell, then broke her leg, they wouldn't have anything to eat. 'My daughter, we have to take care of each other so we can continue to earn our living.'
"The daugher was wise. She said, 'Father, you should say it this way:" Each of us has to take care of himself or herself, so that we can continue to earn our living." Because during the performance, you take care of yourself, you take care of yourself only. You stay very stable, very alert. That will help me And if when I climb I take care of myself, I climb very carefully, I do not let anything wrong happen to me. That is the way you should say it, Father. You take good care of yourself, and I take good care of myself. In that way we can continue to earn our living.'
The Buddha agreed that the daughter was right.
One day the father told the daughter, 'My dear daughter, we have to take care of each other. You have to take care of your father, and I have to take care of you, so that we will be safe. Our performance is very dangerous.' Because if she fell, both would not be able to earn their living. If she fell, then broke her leg, they wouldn't have anything to eat. 'My daughter, we have to take care of each other so we can continue to earn our living.'
"The daugher was wise. She said, 'Father, you should say it this way:" Each of us has to take care of himself or herself, so that we can continue to earn our living." Because during the performance, you take care of yourself, you take care of yourself only. You stay very stable, very alert. That will help me And if when I climb I take care of myself, I climb very carefully, I do not let anything wrong happen to me. That is the way you should say it, Father. You take good care of yourself, and I take good care of myself. In that way we can continue to earn our living.'
The Buddha agreed that the daughter was right.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening - Robert Frost
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of the easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of the easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Things I wanted to do in my life
Things I wanted to do in my life but couldn't get around to doing due to various external and internal factors. Internal ones are the usual suspects - lack of committement, time mismanagement, procrastination, day dreaming, running after wrong things for wrong reasons for criminally wrong amount of time. External factors - well..... that is another story which I should let be unformed and unsaid.
So, here goes the list:
So, here goes the list:
- Get a Bachelors / Masters degree in Computer Science (I will rue this my whole life)
- Enjoy my B. Tech. life with wanton abandon (external factors, you owe me this in next life)
- Go infinitely more trekking in Bangalore and from Mumbai
- Play decent cricket (I am supposedly an Indian male but my passport could be taken away for writing this)
- Swimming
- Play basketball / volleyball / football on regular basis
- Get at least medium level belt in any form of martial arts
- Play at least one music instrument - guitar, keyboard, drums are top 3 choice
- Learn dancing formally
- Learn one foreign language (German, French) and one Indian language (Sanskrit, Tamil, Kannada) with fluency in speaking
- Euro-trip
- Took up some post of responsibility in Cultural Activities at college level
- Gymnastics / skate-boarding / roller-skating / skiing
- Learn astronomy / astrophysics
- Go camping / spelunking / rappelling / rock climbing / long distance running / cycling
- Learn Perl, Python kung-fu :D
- Have one major literary skill in which I am quite good (writing stories, poems, comics, drawing caricatures / sketching)
- Fly an aircraft (Dad, I owe you this one)
- Learn palmistry
- Adorn funky hair-styles (missed this by a long margin :D ) and facial hair while I still had the chance
Monday, May 10, 2010
Neo and Morpheus
When Morpheus read my "Migration" post, he responded thus --
(@ Morpheus: I am reproducing it without your permission. I know you will be cool with it. :))
".... do you want to take a call on neo & morpheus? delete it? keep it as it is with no more adds while you
branch out elsewhere? you take over - del my posts - or something?...."
No way dude! Neo is not abandoing this platform. Just having a personal project on the side.
As I look back, I and Morpheus have been on this platform together for last 6 years now. While we may have met only 2 times in these years, this blog has been alive and kicking when any of us have felt the itch to let our thoughts flow freely hunched over a keyboard on a dark, breezy night with a table-light casting our silhouettes on the wall. Our varied friend circle has brought diverse readers from all over the world. Morpehus gave us this look-n-feel, the 'i' in the 'morphius' and a rocking 'About-Us'. I chipped in with creating a home page for us and the Google Analytics code snippet added.
An interesting data which the Google Analytics throws up is that the most read page of our blog is Greenland bigger than Africa? It still remains our most popular 'hit'. I guess, out there, in Australia, Europe and North America, they give lot of Geography assignments. Every now and then a Google Search lands on our page. So, a big Hi to you if you are coming here wondering why the Mercator Projection creates this distortion!
6 years is a long time to keep the collaboration going and be blogging regularly. Morpheus, we have to go an and hit a 10-er here! We are going to make dent in the universe. :D
(@ Morpheus: I am reproducing it without your permission. I know you will be cool with it. :))
".... do you want to take a call on neo & morpheus? delete it? keep it as it is with no more adds while you
branch out elsewhere? you take over - del my posts - or something?...."
No way dude! Neo is not abandoing this platform. Just having a personal project on the side.
As I look back, I and Morpheus have been on this platform together for last 6 years now. While we may have met only 2 times in these years, this blog has been alive and kicking when any of us have felt the itch to let our thoughts flow freely hunched over a keyboard on a dark, breezy night with a table-light casting our silhouettes on the wall. Our varied friend circle has brought diverse readers from all over the world. Morpehus gave us this look-n-feel, the 'i' in the 'morphius' and a rocking 'About-Us'. I chipped in with creating a home page for us and the Google Analytics code snippet added.
An interesting data which the Google Analytics throws up is that the most read page of our blog is Greenland bigger than Africa? It still remains our most popular 'hit'. I guess, out there, in Australia, Europe and North America, they give lot of Geography assignments. Every now and then a Google Search lands on our page. So, a big Hi to you if you are coming here wondering why the Mercator Projection creates this distortion!
6 years is a long time to keep the collaboration going and be blogging regularly. Morpheus, we have to go an and hit a 10-er here! We are going to make dent in the universe. :D
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
I, Idiot
Its the season of being Idiot with a capital 'I'. I, Idiot!
3 Idiots couldn't have had a better timing. A very depressing depression (esp for financial sector) had been going on for long enough time to make fresh graduates 'think' whether they actually want to be in the jobs they had chosen on campus. Stagnant salaries, downsizing, not much work on plate and a tendency to plan the future to a 'T' -- they all go well together as ingredients while brewing the chicken soup for soul.
Mr. Chanchad seems to have found the path to true calling. Have a B+ve attitude and top it up with the search for excellence. Success (he doesn't say Success = Money) will be sure to follow.
Well, obviously, Mr. Chanchad, or rather his real life embodiment Mr. Aamir Khan, would not want the audience to copy them in their acts entirely. It is be assumed, perhaps, that the audience will take away an inspiration message which must be applied within the "practical" realities of the existing education and corporate environment around us.
e.g. Its possible to drop a particular line of professional study and then take up a more natural talent oriented career calling. (That too, till a certain age. Want to become a professional gymnast at the age of 30? Go figure!)
Its, however, nearly impossible to do the other way round. Why are we not shown example of people where their parents forced one to become a cricketer and at the age of 25+ the individual realizes that he actually wanted to be an accountant. Will he be able to make up for the lost academic years and get an entry into the domain competing against freshers? Ditto for trying to change career streams. What if an investment banker wants to switch to software product management? (ssshhhhh... no cat-calls :D) Will he get a chance / shot at that? A start-up will not hire him as we will be a liability more than an asset for that new role. A established firm will not hire him, maybe, because the person is so experienced already that they do not believe he should be actually making such a move. And he cannot start a practice of his own as he doesn't know the industry standards and has no industry contacts / clients which can bring him business.
So, take away #1 ---> If you are going to have that elusive moment of heavens parting, inner voice being heard and true calling in life identified, please do that while you still can 'practically' follow up on that life changing path. Your kid's education, your house's EMI and your parents' medical bills should not get affected because you were caught napping all through your teen and twenties.
Another observation. When the movie became a phenomenon, many of my MBA friends started displaying "give me some sunshine, give me some rain..." song in their status messages across GTalk, Facebook, Orkut, Twitter. These MBA friends are all having just max 2 years of post-MBA work experience. However, I never noticed a single such status message from my friends from Engineering who had continued being an engineer and are now 6-7 years or experienced in their domain.
So, takeaway #2 ---> If that song is going to become your anthem strong enough for you to act upon it, it will happen only within a few years of one joining a particular career line. After 3-4 years have passed, one of the following would have happened:
a) You have become comfortably numb
b) You have become comfortably dumb; dumb enough to start liking your comfort zone and thus your job. And now you give universal gyaan like "as all job profiles become boring after some time, why change the current one?"
c) Your kid, your house, your parents mentioned above have become the deciding factor
As must be apparent, my takeaways are a reflection of my own personal situation and in no way general. Please add your takeaways pertinent to your situation in the comments.
3 Idiots couldn't have had a better timing. A very depressing depression (esp for financial sector) had been going on for long enough time to make fresh graduates 'think' whether they actually want to be in the jobs they had chosen on campus. Stagnant salaries, downsizing, not much work on plate and a tendency to plan the future to a 'T' -- they all go well together as ingredients while brewing the chicken soup for soul.
Mr. Chanchad seems to have found the path to true calling. Have a B+ve attitude and top it up with the search for excellence. Success (he doesn't say Success = Money) will be sure to follow.
Well, obviously, Mr. Chanchad, or rather his real life embodiment Mr. Aamir Khan, would not want the audience to copy them in their acts entirely. It is be assumed, perhaps, that the audience will take away an inspiration message which must be applied within the "practical" realities of the existing education and corporate environment around us.
e.g. Its possible to drop a particular line of professional study and then take up a more natural talent oriented career calling. (That too, till a certain age. Want to become a professional gymnast at the age of 30? Go figure!)
Its, however, nearly impossible to do the other way round. Why are we not shown example of people where their parents forced one to become a cricketer and at the age of 25+ the individual realizes that he actually wanted to be an accountant. Will he be able to make up for the lost academic years and get an entry into the domain competing against freshers? Ditto for trying to change career streams. What if an investment banker wants to switch to software product management? (ssshhhhh... no cat-calls :D) Will he get a chance / shot at that? A start-up will not hire him as we will be a liability more than an asset for that new role. A established firm will not hire him, maybe, because the person is so experienced already that they do not believe he should be actually making such a move. And he cannot start a practice of his own as he doesn't know the industry standards and has no industry contacts / clients which can bring him business.
So, take away #1 ---> If you are going to have that elusive moment of heavens parting, inner voice being heard and true calling in life identified, please do that while you still can 'practically' follow up on that life changing path. Your kid's education, your house's EMI and your parents' medical bills should not get affected because you were caught napping all through your teen and twenties.
Another observation. When the movie became a phenomenon, many of my MBA friends started displaying "give me some sunshine, give me some rain..." song in their status messages across GTalk, Facebook, Orkut, Twitter. These MBA friends are all having just max 2 years of post-MBA work experience. However, I never noticed a single such status message from my friends from Engineering who had continued being an engineer and are now 6-7 years or experienced in their domain.
So, takeaway #2 ---> If that song is going to become your anthem strong enough for you to act upon it, it will happen only within a few years of one joining a particular career line. After 3-4 years have passed, one of the following would have happened:
a) You have become comfortably numb
b) You have become comfortably dumb; dumb enough to start liking your comfort zone and thus your job. And now you give universal gyaan like "as all job profiles become boring after some time, why change the current one?"
c) Your kid, your house, your parents mentioned above have become the deciding factor
As must be apparent, my takeaways are a reflection of my own personal situation and in no way general. Please add your takeaways pertinent to your situation in the comments.
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