Some oneline Lesson: My brother rejoiced that I conquered Death

Lesson 2:

 

This, in fact is a very small story but with profound meaning that I read couple of days before.

 

Beggar: "Can you spare some old clothes, if you could!"

Me: "Certainly I could, but why don’t you come tomorrow?"

Beggar: Dejected and returns

My brother: "Wow! My brother has conquered death! He is certain that he is going to live tomorrow. He has asked the beggar tomorrow to collect the old clothes"

 

Bull’s eye!

Some One line Lessons: How long was Ambani’s beard?

Lesson 1

 This incident happened some 8 yrs back. I was 19-20, doing my Apprenticeship for my chartered Accountancy. As usual I woke up did the morning chores and started to office. My office timings start at 09:30 in the morning. Though I am not punctual to office, I won’t go earlyJ. That day I reached my office at 9:27, I saw my boss at office. He asked me if I have got anything scheduled today. You know during apprenticeship, we would be waiting if the partner of the firm would have a look at you, will he give any job to you so that you can prove yourself etc. So obviously, I said nothing important. And that is the first time, rather first chance I got, he asked me to prepare for section 80- I of the income tax act, I vaguely recollect, it should be related to holiday period allowed for Hotel Industry. I was jumping in Joy and started to prepare the notes. The meeting was at 14:30 and by 12:30 I was ready with my all notes. I was rushing here and there and to get the print outs etc. Was fuming at my colleague who gave a print out for 250 pages. And I need to take just 2 pages of printout. It’s a small office, so I don’t have the choice of alternative printers. Everything went fine. And by 1:30 I went to his office and proudly presented my notes of the case, points to be highlighted, points to be discussed, points in our favour and points that were not in our favor, how to handle if points in favor was quoted, relevant previous case laws etc

 

Suddenly out of the blue he stopped me and said, Karthik, you have not shaved. It was wired- I was presenting him the case for the first time and he commented that I have not shaved.  Was wondering, if he ever turned his ear towards what I said. But was careful I didn’t show any facial expression. I just dismissed his comment by saying “No time Sir” and started with the next highlight. He laughed cynically. I wondered if I made a grave mistake in the highlight. “Pardon me Sir, have I committed some mistake”, he replied “No, No nothing- was just wondering how long beard Ambani should have grown” Ambani the most successful business man in India (Name a business, he had it). I realized that he pointed that if Ambani could find time to shave despite all his business dealings, why can’t I?

 

I realized 24 hours is common for all. The only thing that matters is what we prioritize and how better we utilize the allocated time.

Subconsciously Conscious

Can anything and everything be Analyzed and calculated? Could a scientific approach be made on all activities? Should we sometime realise that there is a science behind everything?

 

I am riding my bike from my house to office. A distance of 14 kms in Chennai. There was a heavy rain in the morning and its drizzling now. The roads are drenched with water and made it impossible to identify the pits and the holes in the road.

 

I am taking my regular route to office today. The drizzling is getting heavier as a rain and I could hardly keep my eyes open to see the traffic. A new car overtook me but started to slow down and it went below my average speed and its blocking my way and to ride slow is a pain. I decided to overtake the car. The car driver sensed that I wanted to overtake him and he isn’t happy about it. He accelerated but I am no one to give it up. We were almost at same speed, accelerating and were neither of us could overtake each other for about a hundred meters.  Out of the blue a van came in the opposite direction and I sensed that he is no mood to slower down and wait for us to pass through. The danger is approaching. I need to take a quicker decision. I am going at 60. The road is no good to go more than that. The van is just a 20 mts away. If I apply the break, then I loose to the car and probably some vehicle behind me in the road may hit me. If I keep the same speed, I can make sure a bed is ready in near by hospital. Ten meters ahead I saw a small pit on the left, if I overtake the car by a meter, then the car may not wish to go over the pit, it’s a new car and the driver is a chauffeur and he won’t dare to make the care dirty when someone, a lady is at back seat. I accelerated to 70kmph for just a sec and was ahead of him by a meter or more the car slowed and I made a mirror S cut and overtook the car. All this happened in matter of three to four seconds. After crossing I was wondering how was it possible for me to decide that if I sped some more at that particular point of time I can overtake the car and save my life and as well as to satisfy my ego of overtaking the car? Did I make any analytical calculation at that point of time? Was my action scientific?

Yes I had made a calculation and yes my action was scientific. But did I make the calculation after realising the distance accurately? Did I make my action scientific after analysing the calculation? It took me nearly 10 minutes to write whatever crap is written above. It would have taken at least 10% of the time to describe this orally to some one which is 1 minute. It would have taken half the time if I do a mental calculation after realising that it’s a calculation. But the whole process is over in couple of seconds. Then I realised that when one starts riding a bike or any vehicle for the matter of fact, one’s subconscious mind calculates all these kind of calculations and stores it. To take a decision, there was some order from somewhere and I obeyed it. Where was this order from? Why did I obey the order? It was the subconscious mind that makes the order. How did it know correctly that I can over take? How did the actual data like chauffeur driving the car, the pit in the left of the road, the rain, the speed, the van opposite direction were used?  Any other guesses….?

31-July-2007

Hindu Rituals- An Economic balancing Act- turning sour

Well! Call me an atheist for the views expressed, least bothered!

 

What is economic balancing?

 

Isn’t Economic Balancing is an act of channelizing certain money flow from the rich to poor? This was never better done than that was followed in the Hindu Rituals. As an example, the daily rituals- bathing idols with various liquids including water, scent, yoghurt, ghee, honey, mixture of fruits, tender coconut, decorating with flowers. Those who needs something-unfulfilled, those who has sorrow, those who has committed sin and want to lessen the burden, does these rituals. They donate money for performing these rituals in various temples. Who are those people with unfulfilled desire, those with full of sorrow, those with disease, and those who have committed sin? Though not everybody, but mostly those who are well to do have these attributes in common. Those who have money have unfulfilled desire, since unfulfilled, their heart is full of sorrow and some money is always earned by doing some or other sin (maybe a minor or major) and it’s needless to say disease is an uninvited guest with being rich.

 

By practicing these rituals, they keep their faith on “God” and because of doing these rituals they believe that the “God” would be pleased. And this “God” would, as a return of favour of accepting these rituals, would fulfill whatever they have asked for. Does it sound funny? I would rather say, whosoever has recommended these thousands of years before is a real intelligent and have philanthropic attitude.

If you would carefully watch the things that are used for these rituals are those that are manufactured or traded by small time business people or poor people for their daily life and earnings. These things would not cost a heaven. And last but not least, these rituals are done daily (by someone or other). Those who are well to do purchase these commodities there by the sales is ensured for the daily business people. These things are offered to “God” and distributed as a token of God’s gift to all people in the vicinity. By this the poor business people gets business done, poor people who do not even have food are served with food. A nutritious one with fruits, honey, milk, yoghurt, rice etc.

 

Does “God” fulfill the needs by performing these rituals? Yes and No. God is highly rational. God never gives anything to anybody nor takes anything from anybody. There is no discrimination (but now don’t ask then why there is a poor and rich).So God is not human to be “pleased” by the rituals and “return the favour”. So he doesn’t fulfill the needs because of rituals. By putting God within quotes, I emphasize the misunderstanding people generally have. God is God and not “God”. But, by keeping faith on “God”, those who perform these rituals pass the burden to some arbitrary and start concentrate on whatever they have to do. And because of the faith and because of channelized concentration, they get their desire fulfilled. But a new desire is also created with that, that’s nature-isn’t it?

 

But why to pass the buck on a ritual? Isn’t it falsehood? Does Hinduism preach false hope? No! Hinduism knows the mentality of human being. Human beings are so selfish to part with their money. Unless some benefit is created, even you and me, wouldn’t spend the money-would we? An arbitrary benefit is created and thus the money is circulated.

 

Now don’t you agree whosoever have formulated those rituals are genius? Aren’t they a real Economist?

 

But is this globally applicable? How long would this technique be valid? I bet, yes wherever human beings are there, until human beings don’t despise free lunch, until human beings are becoming selfless, this technique would hold good. It’s eternal!

 

If so why am I worried? Is it not all for good? Yes it is all for good. But at some corner of my heart, I do see some wastage. My village is about 20,000 families. It houses some 50-60 temples of various deities. Small and big, old and new -all mixed. I happen to know small information that on a day to day basis some 10 lts of milk is being given for bathing the idols per large/old (“powerful”) temple. And there would be5-6 such temple in each of the village. On an average a temple would be getting 300 lts of milk. Added to that not less than 200-300 lts of milk is used for special days and these special days comes at least two to three times a month. So for a month, considering the minimum, a temple gets around 500 lts of milk. Sad part is all this milk goes to drainage and is not consumed by poor people. At the best, the priest steals it. In either case, the purpose of creating the ritual is lost-not the ritual-I meant the “real purpose” This is the case of one temple. So the considering remaining temples, large temple would consume 3000 lts and other temples would consume 20-30% of large temple averaging to another 1000 lts. A village of 20,000 people wastes 4000 lts of milk per month. Just convert that for the whole state and then to whole country? Doesn’t the figure is sounds too alarming?