Perpetually Perplexed

If you are planning a picnic to big banyan tree in Bangalore, cancel the plan. May be you are smarter and you already know that the so called big banyan tree is no longer there. Instead what we see is many banyan trees surrounding a small temple - Muneshvara temple. Main tree which was supposedly destroyed 35 years ago, is replaced by a small temple. I was hugely disappointed. I could have seen the God in the tree but not the other way around. But the branches themselves are huge. The area is serene and well maintained. And for child in you, there are monkeys. Not the big banyan but "big enough banyan tree" nanna tale melondu gida My little friend Tree is fragile Unsuccessful Attempt of selfie with spouse Ratnakar Hegde and tree

I was reading an article about blame. And one question made me think for long time. "Why are we so sensitive when any one blames us? But are least sensitive when blaming others?"

I got this jnonodaya. No I was not sitting below "bodhi" tree. And no, I did not find a method to bring world peace or any such grandiose thing. I think the reason behind the increased violence in our country or else-where is the statement " I could have been that". I could have been driving that beautiful sports car. I could have had that huge bungalow. I could have married that beauty. And so on. Unlike good old days, the division between rich and poor has vanished. Today even a sweeper can be the proud father of an IAS officer. Or today's newspaper boy can be an IIT graduate tomorrow. So poor can also have grand dreams and aspire to become rich and famous. But very few - poor or rich - have the capacity and inclination to work hard and smartness to achieve these dreams. The rest are unhappy. They see successful people around them, the people with whom they studied and played.  And they feel let down and deceived. By the society, by the system, by their...

India has changed. A lot in the last 20 years. People have become more affluent or at least less poor.  Every family, whether rich or poor, whether urban or rural,  has a TV and a mobile phone at least. Using these any message can be sent to the entire nation. As has been seen in the last election. TV is a very strong media in this aspect. TV is available to everyone in the country - almost and it is available in their own languages, not in the vilayati English. And men, women and children watch TV. A lot. So how do our leaders use this media for the betterment of our society? They have used it for canvassing in the election. But after election, what else? Do you think, TV can be used to make people more aware of their rights? Or to make people less er.. dumb - for the lack of better word. And who should do this work? My rouse is against TV channels who show nothing other than serials of family drama or movies with violence and sex. OK, some channels have dedicated ...

Omnipresent - present everywhere What is one thing you see wherever you go. Towns, cities, or villages? Roads, homes, farms or any where?  Did you just say mobile phone? How sacrilegious? You are supposed to say God! Did you say you don't see him. Exactly. Since you can't see him,  you don't know where he is and where he is not. So He is said to be omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent.  omni means all. Another word with omni is omnivorous. Omnivorous is the one who eats everything. Like a bored house wife. :).   But seriously, this word is related to herbivorous- vegetarian and carnivorous - meat eating. And vora, I think means to consume. You have heard about a voracious reader, isn't it? Omniscient - one who has capacity of knowing everything. Like you and me. Given a google and a computer we can be omniscient. Almost. And scient is related to science. Omnipotent is one who can do anything.  Now let us look at a paradox here. Can omnipot...

From the poem by Maya Angelou who was an author and poet,  who passed away last week. ........ But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing. ....... The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.