A Blog Update and a Lesson in Detachment

The Divine Teacher

Today on the auspicious day of Gita Jayanti, I got an important lesson in detachment.

For more than two years now I have been writing this blog. After almost a year of writing, I discovered that I was beginning to get a small but almost-regular set of readers, many of whom would leave thought-provoking and encouraging comments on some of my posts. It was beginning to feel good, I admit, to see that at least some of what I was sharing was provocative enough (generally in a thoughtful way) for some of my readers.

Well, as things were supposed to happen, today I discovered that all the comments posted on my blog are gone! Disappeared completely. Gone. Who knows where? They are simply lost in the maze of the cyberspace. I discovered that after I published my recent post after a gap of more than two weeks.

The initial discovery was that all the social media shares had disappeared from the blog. No problem, I said, I really don't care about that. That's just a silly ego-boosting thing anyway to know how many people have 'liked' my post on FB, how many times it got shared on G+, how many times on LinkedIn, etc etc. So when I discovered that those social media share links had gone, I felt a sign of relief, almost. Who wants that ego-boosting thing anyway, I said to myself.

But a couple of hours later I was checking something on the blog, and discovered that all the comments from all 271 posts had gone. Just gone. Obviously, I was quite disappointed initially. Because several of those readers' comments were actually quite thought-provoking and added valuable perspective to the content of the original post. I felt sorry for that loss. Initially. I was also angry. Because I couldn't figure out how that could have happened. I have a tentative 'technical' theory, but now I have lost interest in figuring out whether that theory even makes sense.

And after a while it occurred to me that all this was meant to be a lesson in perspective, detachment and equanimity. With so much that is wrong in the world, so much that is unfortunate, unjust, untrue, unethical, unhappy, my silly little loss doesn't matter at all. Nothing in the world has changed because some blog comments are lost. Only my ego has gotten a little rub, much needed perhaps. For that I should actually be grateful. And I am, now.

The auspicious day of Gita Jayanti has indeed become a 'living' lesson for me. A beginning of learning that will hopefully continue. Thank you, Sri Krishna!

Quote UnQuote 3: Herd

Source

“Most people say that Shakespeare rocked merely because most people say that Shakespeare rocked.” 

― Mokokoma Mokhonoana

Isn’t this a bitter truth?

Why this need to be liked that we pretend to like all those things – books-authors, art-artists, films-filmmakers – that must be “liked” if we are to be liked by the up-and-coming-socially-elite-politically-correct-economically-successful-newsmaker-of-the-day-types?

Confusing, no? Wouldn’t it be simpler to just make up our own minds after reading Shakespeare?

Sadly, this isn’t limited to authors or artists. Replace “Shakespeare” with words for creeds, ideologies, religions or any other “ism”, and we find the same herd-type-non-thinking. Getting away from the herd is the real struggle. The first battle is within, where it is more important that the truth wins.

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This is the last of the 3-day-quote-challenge, for which I am writing 100-word-commentary on any quote of my choice. I came across this particular quote one fine day when browsing for something else on the net. I don't know anything about this writer, but these words just caught my attention.

Quote Unquote 1: Death

Quote Unquote 2: Sleep

Thanks Rachna for the interesting challenge :)

Quote UnQuote 2: Sleep

“I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I'm awake, you know?” 

― Ernest Hemingway

Who doesn’t love sleep? All is well when one’s asleep. Wake up and you may discover there’s more to life than endless-entertainment-shopping-twitter-timepass-cappuccino-gourmet-brands-gossip-holidaying-more-more-more. Who wants any messy stuff beyond all this?

Waking up is serious work. All cherished notions of life, happiness, success, relationships, love, everything fall apart. Pain, disorientation, not-knowing and more, all are part of waking up. Everything has to be seen anew, experienced afresh. So everything can be put back, piece-by-piece, in a new light of an inner dawn.

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This is the second of the three-day-quote-challenge posts in which I was tagged by Rachna. I have added an additional layer to the challenge by limiting my commentary on the selected quote to only 100 words. And you know how difficult that can be for someone like me, don't you?

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Managing the Noises

A new post in the series - Reminders to self

Always good to start with examples.

1. A wanna-be-in-news-for-a-day politican makes a comment about the slavish mentality of a political party, by giving an example that in all honesty is not far from one of the many uncomfortable truths of our larger society. Now he is not one of the usual English-speaking types that the elite sections of our mass media and their followers seem to endorse, so he ends up blurting out his thing in a somewhat crude or crass manner. Resulting in offending the oh-so-delicate sensibilities of our social elite. How dare he? All hell breaks lose. Noisemakers get busy doing what they do best. For a day or maybe two. Till the next opportunity arrives, and arrive it will soon enough.

2. A reporter twists some words of a decorated army general, giving a totally different spin on the intent of the words. A full-blown war of words is on. Who cares about the important work that the general has been doing for the nation's citizens for the past several days, as long as the noisemakers are busy with their noises.

3. In between 1 and 2 there were many other opportunities well utilised for making more noises. The curious case of an MIA reluctant politican, the inscrutable case of the unraveling of a new political outfit, and a few more. Not to forget there were also some celebrity videos, some celebrity disclosures, some celebrity this or that, for a fair amount of other entertainment. 

The 21st century political democracy is full of such noises. And more. Led by the mass media and supported by an increasingly vocal 'educated' and 'wired' sections of the middle classes, this version of democratic discourse is loud, noisy and unrelenting.

The other day I found myself reflecting on this 'noisy' phenomenon of our times and the need for 'managing' the noise. Unless one is living in a cave somewhere, these noises do have an impact on us, in different ways, to different degrees. So managing them and navigating one's way through them becomes important. 

What do you do when the outside noises become too loud? Especially when you also find that many of these noises are simply too silly, too frivolous, with no real substance, with no serious thought. Of course, the easiest thing is to ignore all those noises which you consider frivolous, devoid of any substance or just plain silly. But we know that such terms like silly, frivolous, substantive, serious are subjective. What seems mundane or frivolous to some could be quite important or interesting for others.

Subjective are and must also be the ways to deal with these noises -- mundane or significant. Different people do different things.

Some just shut out the outer world and its noises and go back into their little safe worlds of domestic joys and concerns, of their personal achievements and struggles, personal cocoons where they can better control and check the noises entering their environments.

Some try to engage with some of the noises they consider significant, but do so on their terms, selectively, thoughtfully, being mindful of how much to engage and when to withdraw.

Some withdraw into their inner worlds where they are able to neutralize any impact of the outer noises and arrive at a quieter place with the help of silent contemplation.

And some others do a combination of two or all of these things -- a bit of mindful engagement with some of the noises (even if the engagement is sometimes limited to an inner mental churning for personal understanding which doesn't express itself outwardly), a bit of physical withdrawal, a bit of emotional-mental withdrawal, and whatever else that helps them overcome, dull, reduce, transcend the noises.

When reflecting upon my pattern of responses, I found myself doing any one or more of these things, depending on my mood at the time.

But it is important to go beyond this idea of merely 'managing the noise' and ask some critical questions -- what is/are the reason(s) for all the noise out there? Is it something that has always existed and for some reason I was just not aware of it? Or has this noise become more shrill, more annoying, more loud in the recent times? What could possibly be the reason(s) for this? Is it that I have become more sensitive to the noise?

It is even more important to ask: Are we allowing the loud noises to sway us in one direction or another? Are we slowly losing our independent ability to weigh the arguments, assess the reasonings and come to our own understanding?

I am not sure I have all the answers yet, but I am pretty convinced of the need to ask these questions.

Because unless we ask these questions, we may simply be drowning in the sea of noises out there. We may simply be allowing others to tell us what should be our 'right' reaction to a particular noise, a particular happening, a particular situation.

But that's not all.

It is perhaps even more important to remember a much deeper truth. A truth beyond all the noise.

The truth that the noises are not only out there, the more damaging ones are the noises inside us. How do we deal with the noise that is in here, in our minds? Where does this noise come from? How can I move beyond this noise to a better place of quietude?

Sometimes the answer surprises us. Because the answer isn't separate from the question, it is rather hidden in the question itself. We don't 'deal with' or 'manage' the noise in here. We simply recognise it, identify it, and through that process itself the noise begins to lose its 'hold' upon us. We can slowly begin to walk away from the possible impact of the mental noise and inch toward a truer voice that had been hiding under all the noise.

If only you become conscious of your physical mind in itself... Some people have called it a public square, because everything comes there, goes across, passes, comes back.... All ideas go there, they enter at one place, leave by another, some are here, some there, and it is a public square, not very well organised, for usually ideas meet and knock into one another, there are accidents of all kinds. But then one becomes aware: “What can I call my mind?” or “What is my mind?” One needs years of very attentive, very careful, very reasonable, very coherent work, organisation, selection, construction, in order to succeed simply in forming, oh, simply this little thing, one’s own way of thinking! 

One believes one has one’s own way of thinking. Not at all. It depends totally upon the people one speaks with or the books one has read or on the mood one is in. It depends also on whether you have a good or bad digestion, it depends on whether you are shut up in a room without proper ventilation or whether you are in the open air; it depends on whether you have a beautiful landscape before you; it depends on whether there is sunshine or rain! You are not aware of it, but you think all kinds of things, completely different according to a heap of things which have nothing to do with you! 

And for this to become a coordinated, coherent, logical thought, a long thorough work is necessary.  

~ The Mother, CWM, Vol. 6, pp. 258-259 

Image source

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To see previous post in the series, Reminders to self, click here.
To seel all posts in the series, click here.

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Linking with ABC Wednesday, M, M is for Managing

Do We Know We Aren't Really Thinking?

A new post in the series - Satyam Shivam Sundaram

A series featuring inspiring words from various sources, words that speak of timeless truths, words that remind me of the deeper and hidden truth behind surface events and phenomena, words that shine light when all seems dark, words that are just what I need - for this moment and for all times to come.

Prologue: 

This post is partly inspired by an interesting Facebook status update by Suresh Chandrasekaran who blogs here.

It is also partly inspired by a sense of unease I am beginning to experience when I read some of the stuff that appears in the mainstream media discourse. Some of which is then spilled out onto the social media. And the cycle of non-thinking continues. I first wrote about some of that unease here. But I wanted to go a bit deeper into some of the real reasons for why we aren't thinking. This post helps me do that.

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I remember when I was in school and my mother when helping me with my studies, especially during the exam preparation days, would often say: 


- बुद्धि का इस्तेमाल करना सीखो, बिना सोचे समझे जवाब मत दो, पहले कई बार ठंडे दिमाग़ से सोचो, बुद्धि से काम लो , और फ़िर जवाब दो।

- Learn how to use your intellect, don't answer without thinking properly, first think deeply with a cool mind, think many times, use your sense of discerning intellect and then answer.


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Sound advice, very sound I would say. Mothers know best! Don't they?

But we don't always follow our mother's wise advice, do we?

How often we tend to forget this sound advice in our rush to answer something that is asked of us? In our rush to express our view, our opinion. I am guilty of doing that more times than I would like to admit. I am guilty of rushing to form an opinion without thinking through the various sides of the issue, without digging into the details, without remembering that an opinion is just that -- an opinion, not the truth, perhaps not even a truth. This happens both in our personal interactions in our narrow domains as well as in the wider context when we are engaging with larger issues related to our communities, societies, nations and the world.

Perhaps this tendency to form an opinion without thinking is exaggerated today thanks to the 24x7 information-overload we all experience through mass media and social media. But perhaps there is a bigger reason for why we don't really think properly, why we believe we are thinking when we really are only experiencing thought-sensations.

It seems to me that most of us aren't even aware that we are not really thinking when we believe we are. It is perhaps because we don't know how our mind works. We don't know what it takes to truly think without allowing any interference from other parts of ourselves. For the most part we don't even know what those other parts are, parts which have a tendency to interfere and influence our thinking process.

The mass of humanity has not risen beyond the bodily needs, the vital desires, the emotions and the current of thought sensations created by these lower strata. This current of thought sensations is called in Hindu philosophy the manas or mind, it is the highest to which all but a few of the animals can rise, and it is the highest function that the mass of mankind has thoroughly perfected.

Beyond the manas is the buddhi, or thought proper, which, when perfected, is independent of the desires, the claims of the body and the interference of the emotions. But only a minority of men have developed this organ, much less perfected it.

Only great thinkers in their hours of thought are able to use this organ independently of the lower strata, and even they are besieged by the latter in their ordinary life and their best thought suffers continually from these lower intrusions. Only developed Yogins have a viśuddha-buddhi, a thought-organ cleared of the interference of the lower strata by cittaśuddhi or purification of the citta, the mind-stuff, from the prāṇa full of animal, vital and emotional disturbances. With most men the buddhi is full of manas and the manas of the lower strata.

The majority of mankind do not think, they have only thought-sensations; a large minority think confusedly, mixing up desires, predilections, passions, prejudgments, old associations and prejudices with pure and disinterested thought. Only a few, the rare aristocrats of the earth, can really and truly think. That is now the true aristocracy, not the aristocracy of the body and birth, not the aristocracy of vital superiority, wealth, pride and luxury, not the aristocracy of higher emotions, courage, energy, successful political instinct and the habit of mastery and rule,— though these latter cannot be neglected,— but the aristocracy of knowledge, undisturbed insight and intellectual ability. It emerges, though it has not yet emerged, and in any future arrangement of human society this natural inequality will play an important part. 

~ Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, Vol. 1, pp. 435-436
(Emphasis added)

Image source: Wikipedia Commons

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To see the previous post in the series, click here.

To see all the posts in the series, click here.

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Linking this with ABC Wednesday, K: K is for Know

Two Lazy Mornings and A Way to Be More Conscious

A new post in the series - "All Music is Only the Sound of His Laughter"

Photo by Narayan Dravid

On a lazy morning last week I felt this deep urge to listen to some music of the legendary Ustad Amir Khan. After quickly going through a small list, I zeroed in on two pieces -- one Rāg Malkauns and one Rāg Bairagi. 

I don't know why, at least I am not yet fully aware of the real reason why I felt this deep need to hear this music. But I kept listening to these two pieces one after the other, for almost the whole day from late morning till about 5pm in the evening. For some part of that day I got occupied with a few minor tasks -- eating lunch, answering a few phone calls and a couple of doorbells (and the music was playing in the background). But other than that I did nothing except immerse myself in the music.

However, there was only one specific instance during the day when I felt very, very quiet after listening to the music. Perhaps it was because only during that particular instance I was consciously allowing the music to become a part of me, part of my inner space. Perhaps it was because only during that particular instance I truly became conscious of the act of listening, listening that silences you. 

Why am I reflecting on this experience today? 

Because in going through some of my computer files today I came across a piece of writing from several years ago. A piece of writing in which I had tried to explore the essential difference between "self-reflection" and "becoming conscious." And somehow re-reading that piece today reminded me of the experience from last week. The experience of consciously listening to the divine music of Ustad Amir Khan. And the experience of reflecting on that experience today.

The two things came together, as if to help me re-learn a lesson that everything can be learned again. 

So what was that piece of writing from a lazy morning several years ago? I paste it below.

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I find myself pondering upon the essential difference between two word-phrases we often hear these days, what with the ever-growing popularity of a-religious spirituality – the ideas of “self-reflection” and the idea of “becoming conscious.” 

Checking in the dictionary, I find the following meanings for “self-reflection” – self-examination; careful reflection on your own thoughts, beliefs, behavior, and circumstances (Encarta). 

“Reflection” – careful thought, especially the process of reconsidering previous actions, events, or decisions. 

And “to be conscious” means – awake and responsive to stimuli; aware of something and attaching importance to it; considered and deliberate, or done with critical awareness; concerned with or relating to a part of the mind that is capable of thinking, choosing, or perceiving; the part of the human mind that is aware of the feelings, thoughts, and surroundings. 

It seems that when we reflect on our thoughts, beliefs, behavior, etc. we do so most of the time using the same very parts of our mind that generate these thoughts, feelings, perceptions. But to be conscious might involve self-reflection PLUS moving to a way of knowing ourselves – our thoughts, feelings, responses, movements and their causes etc. – that doesn’t necessarily rely on mind or at least not only on the ordinary mental data-driven ways of knowing. 

Self-reflection may not necessarily help us move out of the realm of our thoughts, beliefs, mental opinions etc. because by such an exercise we may be exclusively focusing our attention only to such mental movements within us, and that too after the thought or feeling has arisen within us or after the circumstance or event has taken place. 

But the idea of becoming conscious may involve becoming aware of and “awake” (this is a key difference perhaps) to the various movements within us and being in the know of where in us these movements may be generated, how they may be generated, and perhaps then what may be done to take control of and master these movements. The emphasis here is to be awake to the movement and its origins while it is happening. 

Perhaps by practicing self-reflection one does begin to get some practice in becoming conscious, but that may not always be the case. 

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Today after reading this old piece of writing I went back to the music of Ustad Amir Khan. And after silently listening to Rāg Bairagi, I was inspired to write this.

What generally helps many of us become more conscious is when we are able to quiet down some of the incessant and extraneous noises that fill up our inner spaces. Because only in that quietude we may gradually become more aware of and awakened to the various pulls and pushes of the different parts of our being (our mental-emotinal-physical parts). 

Music has the ability to help us quieten down, but only if we know how to listen to music. 

 "...the best way of listening is this. It is to be like a still mirror and very concentrated, very silent. In fact, we see people who truly love music... I have seen musicians listening to music, musicians, composers or players who truly love music, I have seen them listening to music... they sit completely still, you know, they are like that, they do not move at all. Everything, everything is like that. And if one can stop thinking, then it is very good, then one profits fully... it is one of the methods of inner opening and one of the most powerful." (The Mother)

And now for the interested reader, here is one of the pieces of music that I refer to in this post. Listen to it, quietly. Very, very quietly. 

Ustad Amir Khan 

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To read the previous post in the series, click here.
To read all the posts in the series, click here.

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Linking this with Blog-a-rhythm Word Wednesday #7, word prompt: Essential

Difficult Decisions

A new post in the series - Reminders to self

Photo by Hengki Koentjoro

This morning my husband and I had a long talk with our gardener. About five trees in our garden. We had similar talks before but without much seriousness. Today we had to come to a serious decision. Mindfully, carefully thought out decision.

You see, our garden space is actually quite narrow, and the previous owners of the house had planted several trees while the house was being built. Some of these trees were perhaps not really planted with much careful thought, especially not with a consideration of the fact that trees grow big and bigger. As much as we are grateful for the fact that we have a nice green space in our home which is a great source of joy and beauty, we are also beginning to get concerned about the location of these trees.

They are planted too close to the boundary wall, in fact the trunks of two neem trees are already beginning to cause some cracks in the wall. There is a very tall teak tree with its beautiful trunk, but it has become too big for its place and is really leaning heavily on the boundary wall. There is also one part of a flowering oleander tree which is beginning to look worrisome. And then there is a big palm tree with a heavy root system planted very close to one of outer walls of the house itself.

The solution has to be drastic. Just a few months ago also we had been through a lot of drastic action in the garden (read about that here). And now this.

A part of my heart cries when I think of what will be happening in my little garden in a few days.

But I have already started thinking about what I will be planting in the places left vacant. Of course, no trees that tend to grow big and bigger. Plus I take comfort in the thought that we may still be able to save part of the oleander tree. I also plan to save as much of the wood from the trunks as possible and use the log pieces to make stands for potted plants.

There is however a part of me that can't come to terms with what I am about to witness. It has taken me a long time to be convinced of what must be done. Ever since moving into this house more than three years ago, we knew this time would come sooner or later. And we had been somewhat preparing in advance by carefully doing some planting of smaller trees, vines and bushes which will eventually fill up those corners left behind by the big trees.

But still it hurts.

My thought goes to all the trees that have been removed from the face of the earth because we, the people needed to build roads, buildings, flyovers, bridges, houses etc. My thought goes to all the trees that had to be cut down because we, the people needed nice looking furniture and floors. And paper. And more paper.

My thought goes to all the trees that were cut down simply because we didn't know better.

Am I being hypocritical here? Here I am thinking about all those trees that have been cut down from times immemorial and those that are being cut down as I write this. And yet soon I myself will add a few more to the total count of the 'cut down' trees.

I can persuade myself by words such as -- my situation is different, I have no choice, I can't let these trees cause damage to the house. I can also arrogantly think to myself -- didn't I do my bit for the trees by buying all the refurbished second-hand wooden furniture for my home instead of buying new? Don't I recycle? Don't I do composting? Etc etc....I can do all these things to feel comfortable with my decision. But I should not.

I don't know what I am feeling really. Maybe I don't want to know. Because a part of my heart is still crying. Only one thought comes to mind -- Compassion for our Mother Earth. When will we begin to practice that?

Maybe we can begin to practice by consuming less. Less paper, less plastic, less electricity, less petrol, less water. Less things.

Maybe we can begin to practice by being kind to all things around. By gradually becoming mindful of the material world around us.

Maybe we can begin to practice by creating green spaces, even if they are small balcony gardens. Or indoor gardens with a few potted plants.

Maybe we can begin to practice by planning our little green spaces more thoughtfully, more consciously. So we don't have to make some difficult decisions few years down the road.

Yes, that's the lesson I am learning today. Being more mindful, being more thoughtful, being more considerate. Because true and sincere compassion requires mindfulness, awareness and humility. It requires that we be non-judgmental and non-arrogant.

Not easy things to do. Especially when we are so used to thinking that we know what is best for the world and for everyone else in the world. Especially when we are so used to forgetting that there is a force much higher than our very limited intelligence which is leading the world to a higher harmony, much higher than we can ever conceive or imagine, despite or through all the chaos and destruction and turmoil we see around us.

Indiscriminate compassion is the noblest gift of temperament, not to do even the least hurt to one living thing is the highest of all human virtues; but God practises neither. Is man therefore nobler and better than the All-loving?

To exalt one virtue,—compassion even,—unduly above all others is to cover up with one’s hand the eyes of wisdom. God moves always towards a harmony.

                                                                                               ~ Sri Aurobindo (Aphorisms) 

Do I find comfort in these words? Sure I do. Contemplating on these words today is a compassionate thing to do, for myself.

But in addition to feeling the compassion in these words, I also find them teaching me an important lesson -- that of compassion as a means to a greater harmony. Compassion as a means to becoming mindful -- of my choices, my actions, my thoughts, my awareness. This is the lesson I hope to keep in my heart.

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To read previous post in the series, Reminders to self, click here.
To read more posts in the series, click here.

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This is my contribution to the unique global movement called 1000 Voices for Compassion.  Today,  the 20th February 2015, over 1000 bloggers worldwide are publishing posts about compassion. It is an effort to spread goodness and compassion in a world torn by strife and violence.

Linking this with #1000Speak, #1000 voices for compassion  #HinduEnvironmentWeek

BLEW: On Blogging, Learning, Education & Writing (and a bit about NRIs & ex-NRIs too)

It is always a humbling and learning experience when we are asked to talk about ourselves and our work. Last couple of weeks saw me answering some interesting questions about myself, my book, some pesky issues related to Indian Education, my writing and some personal lessons I am learning along the way.

In this post I share my answers to some of the questions -- four, to be precise -- that I found most thought-provoking in two 'author interviews' that came my way. Though many of the questions made me think about what I wanted to say, the questions I have chosen to highlight here are somewhat special. That is because they touched upon all the four activities I am engaged in -- blogging, learning, education and learning. These questions compelled me to do some serious pondering to be more certain that I present my most honest and sincere thoughts on the issues being raised.

I heartily thank Namrata of Writer's Ezine and Ruchika Batra of Namaste Happiness for giving me such wonderful questions to reflect upon.

Now without further ado....

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INTERVIEW I - for Writer's Ezine

From being an academician to becoming a blogger and now a published author. How does it feel? What is the role you are closest to?

Aah, that’s an interesting question! Short answer – it feels very good!

I would say it has been quite a fascinating and rewarding journey so far. As an academician also I was always interested in writing for a broader audience. In fact during my tenure as a professor I was quite involved, for a number of years, with a couple of online discussion groups, focusing on issues related to India, Indian society and culture. And I would often write articles based on such discussions for online magazines, with an objective to bring out some important topics in the larger societal discourse. Some of those articles actually generated intense discussions, and I grew both as a thinker and writer as a result of this exercise. 

My blog, as you know, is inspired by my ongoing study of the works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother (his spiritual collaborator). This means that it is inspired by and focused around a particular vision of life, living, reality, existence, art, beauty, love, individual, society, world, nation, politics, spirituality and everything. I should add that it is perhaps the widest and deepest and highest vision, the most complete and integral view that I have come across in my seeking. I try to stay as faithful as I can to my guiding inspiration. This also means that I avoid writing on topics and issues that may be trending or being promoted by blogging websites or forums if in my view they don’t fit with my guiding inspiration. I also avoid writing for blogging contests, product promotions and other such things, because of this very reason.

So do I enjoy blogging with this ‘focused’ inspiration? Of course, I do. Otherwise I wouldn't be doing it for almost two years now (my blog will be 2 this April). It gives me an opportunity to deepen my learning, it helps me see the inter-connectedness of a deeply spiritual view of reality and existence with the very living, throbbing and real situations in life – my life, life of the society, life of the nation or the world. 

As for the role of an author, well, I would say I don’t really see this as a new role for me. I have been published a few times before, in academic books and journals. At that time it was part of my role as an academic. Sure, ABC’s of Indian National Education is my first ‘full’ book as such and therefore, very special.

For me, this role of an author has now shifted quite a bit. I am not writing because it is a part of my professional role, I am writing now because I see it now as a means to my inner growth, it helps me practice a few life lessons such as how to develop patience, how to work without an expectation of reward, how to develop a combination of contemplative and critical mental faculties through writing, how to deepen concentration and avoid scattering of thoughts and many more. It is this aspect of writing (whether it is for my blog or for any other websites where I have been published or for this book or any others I may write in future) that I find most satisfying and personally meaningful.

Education which is supposed to be the very base on the future of our country lies, at times becomes the shakiest one with donation seats, paper leaks and other such scams surrounding it from time and again. Of late the new generation is considering foreign shores purely for the ease in lifestyle it offers. Do you see the future of it changing anytime soon?

You are very right about paper leaks, donations for admissions and other such things that we hear about from time to time. These things are totally unacceptable. But you see, I happen to think that the fundamental cause for why such things happen rests in the completely misguided view of education we have come to accept as a society and nation. Education has ended up only as a means for social success, a doorway to socio-economic upward mobility and a key to enter the hallowed chambers of ‘economic elite’ in the society. 

While no one can deny that a good education should help prepare learners for a meaningful vocation in life, but to see education as only that and nothing more than that poses a huge problem. Why are parents willing to pay exorbitant amounts of money for a seat for their child in a reputed school or college? Simply because they know that a certificate or stamp from that institution or a degree in a certain professional field will ensure a good economic future for their child? Why would someone hatch up an elaborate plan to leak an examination paper? Because they know that what matters in the ‘market’ out there is only the test results, not the actual learning. The mindset that leads to such problems is the fundamental cause. And that mindset is the product of the present model of education that is based on a completely materialist and industrialist view of individual and society.

Do I see it changing anytime soon? That’s a tough one. But I sincerely hope that some serious discussion happens on how we need to rethink the fundamentals of our education. In my book also I have emphasized this need for serious rethinking. I also believe that there are some good schools in India where a more holistic view of individual and society is the basis for educational and pedagogical practices. But those are still very few and far in between. We need that spark to become a fire on a much wider and vast scale. 

As for the current generation preferring to go abroad, well, I would say that this is not really a new phenomenon. Indians have been migrating to many different parts of the world for hundreds of years, for various reasons. But certainly, over the past several decades and particularly in the case of migration to the so-called developed countries in the West, we may say that one of their main motivators is perhaps an easier and more comfortable lifestyle. But in many cases we also see young Indians going abroad for higher education. In fact, higher education becomes an entry point gradually leading to settling there as a professional and attaining that comfortable lifestyle they are after. 

I myself have my PhD from the US, and I lived and worked there for about 15 years. And because my entire experience in the US was in the higher education system, I have also understood that there is a great value in gaining that kind of exposure, especially for someone who is interested in pursuing an academic life of teaching and research. There are many positives of American higher education – its overall emphasis on academic rigour, independent inquiry and interdisciplinary and flexible learning being some of them – which can be very helpful for broadening one’s outlook and deepening one’s knowledge in one’s chosen discipline or field of study. So I would say that such opportunities should be encouraged. 

At the same time, for the last couple of decades we have also been seeing a reverse movement – that is people who were settled abroad, particularly in the US and other Western countries, have been moving back to India. I know several such families and individuals. My husband and I are also one of those ex-NRIs. Of course, different people have different reasons for coming back to India, but for many the reasons have also to do with increased economic opportunities in India (while simultaneously the reduced opportunities in their adopted countries because of global economic recession). So in a way that is a good thing, I would say. 

But the larger question, and particularly that concerns the topic of Indian education is this – how can we create world-class higher educational institutions right here in India, which are also based on a view of education that is fundamentally Indian in its spirit? At present, even our best institutions like our IITs and IIMs may also fall short in this, because for the most part they too are based on the same old idea of education being a means to social and economic success alone and the role of education being only limited to prepare an individual to become a ‘productive’ member of the society. This mindset has to change before we can hope for any meaningful outer change in the educational scenario.

To read the full interview, please visit Writer's Ezine by clicking here.

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INTERVIEW II - for Namaste Happiness

What are your thoughts on making spirituality a mandatory subject to be taught in schools?

I am not in favor of introducing Spirituality as a separate subject – mandatory or optional – in school or college level of education. That will never work, and not just because there can be no unanimous understanding of what spirituality really means. There is always a very real danger of reducing spiritual education to book-based religious or moral education, which will be a regressive movement. Spirituality is not something that can be taught as such, it is fundamentally an approach to life, a vision for what it means to be an individual and the aim of individual life, as lived in the society and as lived within.

Let me clarify a bit more. I would rather see our education being wholly guided by a spiritual view of the aim of human life and the role of education in helping the individual prepare himself/herself for that aim of life. In my book, particularly in chapters VII, XI, XXII and XXIII, I have dealt with this issue in rather detail. Let me share just a few key ideas from there.

First of all, our education must be grounded in the true Indian understanding of life-affirming spirituality. Spirituality that motivates growing minds and hearts to experience all the joys of life and living and to expand and deepen their seeking for truth through all that life has to offer; spirituality that takes up all the intellectual, creative, emotional energies and colors them in its own truth.

A truly India-centric education will be based on the spiritual view that proper and gradual development of all parts of an individual is essential not as an end in itself but as a means to grow in one’s soul, because the soul manifests and expresses itself through its outer instruments of mind, heart, and body. Everything else begins to take on a different and deeper meaning when this fundamental view becomes the basis for all our work in the field of education.

Would you like to share some of your epiphanies under the guiding light of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother? (any three)

This is a very difficult question! But I thank you for making it easier by asking me to list any three. So I will do that.

I don’t and will never claim to know much of the infinitely wide, deep and high philosophy and wisdom of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. I have merely tasted a few drops of the vast ocean of their highly profound Vision so far, but that has been enough to convince me that each drop carries an endless ocean within itself. So based on my admittedly limited understanding, I would say that the three most practical life-lessons I am trying to learn and re-learn and practice, to whatever little extent that is possible given my myriad imperfections of mind, heart, will and effort, are:

1. The life that we live inside of us is just as real or perhaps more real than the life we live outside.
2. Don’t look for the work that you know will make you happy, but try to find happiness, meaning and contentment in all the work that comes to you.
3. Don’t look for the reason behind everything that happens to you in life, you can never really know it all with your mind.

To read the full interview, visit Namaste Happiness by clicking here.

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To read more about my book, click here.
To read some reviews of the book, click here, here and here.

On the Contrary

A new post in the series - When a Picture Leads

Be honest. Do you look at the world as black or white? 

Liberal or Conservative? Left or Right? Progressive or Traditionalist? Global-citizen or Chauvinistic-nationalist? Internationalist or Jingoist? Secular or Fundamentalist? Rational or Superstitious? Believer or Infidel? Reason-able or Blindly-faithful? Idealist or Practical? Abstract or Realistic? Spiritualist or Materialist? Mystical or Down-to-earth? Pro-development or Pro-environment? Pro-market or Communist? Individualistic or Socially-chained? Free or Oppressed? East or West? Right or Wrong? This or That? The list is endless....almost.

We, yes, we all -- the educated ones, the well-read ones, the intellectual ones -- are all victims of such dichotomous lines of thinking. Not because we have been put into one or the other categories, but because we ourselves end up doing the same thing to others we meet and interact with. We like to put people in boxes so we can feel a sense of understanding. We like to read 'into' what people say or write, we even read 'into' their silences by hearing and reading those unspoken and unwritten words. Categories make life simple. Categorizing people makes it simpler.

In our  intellectually egoistic moments we pretend that we have actually transcended these narrow black and white dichotomies and that we don't put people into one or the other category. We like to think that we actually see and appreciate the various grays of the world. We like to tell ourselves (and whoever else will listen) that we don't judge the intention of someone just because the person says or writes something that is ideologically or politically completely opposite to our preferred ideology or politics. 

But that is not generally the truth of ourselves. And the true truth is that we know it. Deep down we know it. We know that we haven't really stopped judging or categorizing people. We know that we still divide the world into black or white. We know that despite all the complex intellectual postmodernism we have consumed we are inwardly still highly fond of simplistic modernistic binaries that are perhaps demonstrative of a deeper truth of the nature of mind, the rough and unrefined instrument we are given to make sense of the world as it exists in its un-evolved existence. 

The mind in its natural state can essentially "accept" only one side of the truth. In order to truly accept all the other possible sides of the truth as equally true, it needs a light from the regions above itself. It needs the assistance of faculties higher than mind. But our un-refined mind refuses to even accept that such light, such faculties are even possible. How could it accept that? It only sees itself as right and others as wrong. This or that, remember? 

We, yes, we all are prisoners of our mind, the willing or unwilling victims of this tendency of mind to categorize and create opposite categories. Perhaps this tendency of mind is itself demonstrative of a deeper truth of the nature of Nature herself. Perhaps it has something to do with the nature of Manifestation itself. Perhaps it has something to do with the nature of the relative plane of existence on which the Absolute Existence chose to manifest and express itself. Perhaps....

Or perhaps we still haven't figured out a way to transcend the limitations of our mind, the limitations of our nature, the limitations of our relative existence. 

Or perhaps we have started to enjoy this mental world of contraries and have gained a certain mastery in how to 'use' such oppositional categories for our relative gain. Which, by default, would lead to a loss for the other. 

Or perhaps, we have yet to realize that hidden deep behind these outer mentally-constructed binaries of 'this or that' rest much deeper contraries of our un-evolved nature. We are wise and stupid. But outwardly we choose to see ourselves as wise and others as stupid who simply don't get how wise we are. We are strong and weak, but outwardly we choose to see ourselves as strong and others as weak who need our assistance to save them. We are righteous and sinful, but of course for the outsiders we are always on the right side and those others are full of sin and vices. We are free and imprisoned, but certainly we are the free ones charged to liberate the others who are still in chains (of their minds or the ones created by society). We are this but others are that. We or others. 

When will we realize that we are indeed creatures of contraries? Ruled by our attachment to our dividing, categorizing minds? 

When will we realize that we are limited and imperfect, we cannot stand for too long the deeper call to transcend our limitations and imperfections? That we are too used to our littleness, to our smallness and are reluctant to change, to expansion, to evolution? 

When will we realize that it is because of this divided nature within that our higher aspiration (momentary as it maybe) of an inner self-exceeding is rejected, the very next moment, by our limited, narrow mind? 

Man, the Despot of Contraries

I am greater than the greatness of the seas,

A swift tornado of God-energy;

A helpless flower that quivers in the breeze

I am weaker than the reed one breaks with ease.

I harbour all the wisdom of the wise

In my nature of stupendous Ignorance;

On a flame of righteousness I fix my eyes

While I wallow in sweet sin and join hell’s dance.

My mind is brilliant like a full-orbed moon,

Its darkness is the caverned troglodyte's.

I gather long Time's wealth and squander soon;

I am an epitome of opposites.

I with repeated life death's sleep surprise;

I am a transience of the eternities.

~ Sri Aurobindo, Collected Poems

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To see previous post in the series, When a Picture Leads, click here.

To see all posts in the series, click here.

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Linking this with ABC Wednesday, C: C is for Contrary, Creature, Categories

Me and Me Too

A new post in the series Reminders to self

ME1: "Writing for writing's sake, sorry not my cup of tea, I mean, why should I write just because....? 

ME2: "Hmm..."

ME1: "I mean, I write when I feel I must express something outwardly, when an experience or thought has become so deeply internalized that I begin to feel that I must write it out to make it more real, to make it more living, in another form....you know what I mean...I must write only when I have something to say."

ME2: "So is there anything you want to say today?"

ME1: "Well...."

ME2: "Then shut up and abandon the pretence, just be."

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To see previous post in the series, Reminders to self, click here.

To see all posts in the series, click here.

Image: Source

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Written for Wordy Wednesday at Blog-a-rhythm, Prompt: What is that I really want to say?

Linking up with Five Sentence Fiction: Prompt: Abandon

Book She Wrote

She is I. Or I am she.

Whatever.

No, it's not a post about any deep philosophical question like Who Am I?
This post is however still about me. And about a little book I wrote.

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But first, let me tell you about the birds. And about the beautiful sounds I am hearing as I write this. The sweet sounds of chirping of birds in my garden, flitting on the neem and coconut trees and around the jasmine and passiflora creepers, their little and loud voices entering this room from the big window near me is providing the perfect ambiance for writing this post. 

Oh wait...there is also the sound of a loudspeaker somewhere in the neighbouring village, playing a Tamil devotional song that I don't understand. The people are still in the festive mood of Pongal. 

And there is also an occasional sound of a car horn from the road in front of the house, and yes there are some sounds from my kitchen too where my husband is puttering and doing something. 

It is as if Mother Nature is helping me remember that you are allowed to make a bit of a chirping noise to announce something or to gain attention, but don't forget that your chirping is simply a small part of the larger sound of the world around you. In Nature, in World everything is mixed up. You may falsely think of yourself as separate from all the noise and action around you, but you are in truth an integral part of it all. Don't let your little sound, your little voice, get to you. Be humble, be modest, learn to say your piece and then let it go. 

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You might have read about the book, ABC's of Indian National Education in a previous post on this blog.

Today I share with you a bit of news about the book. And also a couple of reviews.

First up....

31st December 2014. Late afternoon. I received a letter from the PMO. Yes, that's the Prime Minister's Office. Of India.

The letter was signed by private secretary of the PM. The letter, dated 22 December 2014, was simply a nicely worded thank you note saying -

The Prime Minister has received your letter of 28 November, 2014 and has asked me to thank you for sending him your book titled "ABC's of Indian National Education."

Of course, I was thrilled to receive the letter.

Even though it was just an acknowledgement of receiving the book, to me it was an acknowledgement of the fact that when the highest executive office in the largest democracy of the world takes the time to be responsive to an ordinary citizen, there is definitely hope for good times ahead.

The only reason I sent the book to PMO in the first place was because I wanted someone in that office to have a copy and possibly go through it at some point. Maybe an idea or two from the book might stick in the mind of someone who has the power and authority to take it up for discussion as the government continues its work on its new educational policy.

Too much to hope? Perhaps. But one never knows unless one tries. My work was to send the book, and I did, with a thoughtfully written covering letter introducing myself and the book. And I got an acknowledgment that it was received. What happens next is left to forces stronger, higher and bigger.

Second bit of news, actually a review...

Gunwant Agarwal, a professional from Mumbai, a spiritual seeker, a parent and a life-long learner, wrote a wonderful review of the book:

In India, we look upon education as a means to get lucrative jobs and earn money. But education is just not about securing jobs in MNCs. Indian civilization had a vast knowledge base which focused on all aspects of the individual and the society. The prosperity and contentment was a by-product of the whole process of living in harmony with oneself, society, Nature and Spirit. Today's education misses out these vital points resulting in slave mentality of students. This book enables the reader in simple way to understand why and what needs to be done for transforming education in India. This book is a must for educators, teachers, educational institutions, universities, education policy makers and parents.

An author feels completely understood and gratified when he/she meets a reader who totally gets the reason why a book was written in the first place. And reading Gunwant's review gave me that moment of joy. Thank you so much, Gunwant!

Speaking of reviews and moments of joy....yesterday another wonderful writer whose inspirational words have brought so much joy and positivity to many readers, wrote a glowing and absolutely flattering review of the book.

Dagny Sol is a belief coach, an educator, a writer, a parent, a seeker of true things and a weaver of beautiful things - with words as well as threads and fabric.  Using a beautiful analogy of gardening, she wrote in her review:

The ABCs of Indian National Education is a means to tend to our garden in the second way. (To know more about the "second way" read her full review).

She continues:

In her introduction, Beloo gives a clear and concise manifesto for the book- what it IS and what it is NOT. Her purpose is to Put India Back In Indian Education; a purpose in which - if her ideas were to be implemented - she will surely succeed resoundingly.

The title of the book is not haphazardly put together. With it, in five short words, she declares her intention.

I was naturally very thrilled to see such genuine appreciation and full support of the ideas presented in the book. And at the same time I had this feeling - o wow, she makes my book and me look so good! I wish I had words to say how ecstatic I was after reading her review for the first time. And yes, I have read it a few more times since then :) Egoistic of me? Of course, yes.

But then as I let her review sink in a bit more, it occurred to me. I wish I could write like Dagny. I wish I had used similar analogy of gardening. I wish I had laid out so clearly in the book who its intended readers are. I wish....I wish....I wish....

Yes, similar thoughts have occurred to me earlier too, in fact almost every time I have looked at the published book. I wish I had done more research for some of the topics, I wish I had expanded more on some of the ideas included there, I wish I had written some parts differently, I wish....I wish.....

But wishes alone don't make things happen.

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What makes anything happen is our persistent effort. But that alone is never sufficient. We also must have a sincere readiness to let go of the effort. Yes, let go.

What makes anything happen is our intense will, and also our genuine sense of surrender of everything we are, everything we do. Only then our work becomes a true offering of that which is the best in us.

Our work truly means something only when we can do the work without any egoistic motive like fame or riches, only when we allow our work to become a means to grow within, to evolve, to make progress in our inner journey. Because only then we can become what we are truly meant to become.

I am learning these important life-lessons from this experience of writing, publishing, and reflecting. I can't say I am always a good learner but I hope to continue to learn everyday.

And just like those sounds of chirping of birds, horns of cars, songs on loudspeakers and utensils in my kitchen made me hear the truth - everything in nature and life is mixed up - I hope this experience will also make me hear another equally true truth - everything is indeed mixed up but only through your sincere focus and aspiration you can figure out what you want to concentrate on.

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So there, I have said my piece and now it's time to let it go.

Thanks for reading this rather long post.

And for your further reading pleasure, let me suggest you a thin little book. How about clicking here to order a copy?

It is the spirit or consciousness in which the work is done that matters most; the outer form can vary greatly for different natures” (Sri Aurobindo, Letters on Yoga, Vol 2, p. 671). 

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Linking this with ABC Wednesday, B: B is for Book

Saying No to Modern Indian Dream?

“Commercialism is a modern sociological phenomenon; one might almost say, that is the whole phenomenon of modern society.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, vol 25, p. 485) 

We live in an age dictated by commerce, flashy commercials, and consumerist mindset. Companies are busy not only producing and selling products but also producing and selling desires. And so many of us are busy buying all that is being sold, from electric fryers to iPods, from LEDs to SUVs, from stocks to first-six-month-interest-free consumer loans. All in the pursuit of happiness.

The newly emerging identity of ‘consumer’ is indeed egalitarian because the urge to enjoy and possess as many ‘products’ as possible is above and beyond any caste, creed or religion. So in a certain strange way, the shopping malls of today help us get rid of some of our social divisions and prejudices, of course at the same time creating new divisions (e.g. between those who own a designer brand limited edition wrist watch and those who don’t.)

If the outside is a reflection of what we are on the inside, then perhaps this age and time is a reflection of the level of vital and mental consciousness of present humanity. In today's middle-class India when we look around us, we see people chasing after newer models of cell phones, branded jeans, designer saris, and all the luxuries of material life. We see people glued to TV advertisements to stay up to date with new marketing gimmicks and sales. These middle-class and upper-class lifestyle aspirations create a whole other set of problems for very large sections of Indian society which are unable to afford these comforts of life. Inequality of a different hue is born every time a new mall opens its doors to the gullible people chasing happiness in newer and more things.

Commercialization is running rampant. Capitalism and all its attendants – social, economic, cultural, political — are coming in from every open door and window they can find in the modern-day, liberal, open-economy India.

Most of our political leadership is driven almost exclusively by economic interests. Our education system at every level is strongly guided by the changing career markets. The “elite” stature of our premier institutions of higher education is ranked according to the number of industry leaders, successful entrepreneurs, or high-level executives they have produced. Newspapers and television with their glossy and eye-catching commercials are the primary instruments for promoting a consumption oriented lifestyle. Big money is spent for figuring out innovative ways to advertise for products in films, television dramas and musical shows (and now on social media, including blogs). Pretty much all aspects of culture—from films, theater, performing arts, creative and visual arts—bear strong impact of commercialism. While there are a few efforts going on in some corners suggesting some movement away from this through and through commercial mindset, the collective outlook is still predominantly based on an economic view of life.

Is this the Modern Indian Dream? Is this the dream we want to 'sell' to our future generations? Is an alternative modernity possible? What can you and I do to dream a different dream?

These are the questions we must ask. These are the questions I must ask. Of myself, first and foremost. Am I ready to dream a different dream?

These questions become more relevant as the biggest shopping season of the year approaches fast, with Diwali just around the corner and Christmas/New Year soon after that. Do we want to add to the consumerist culture? Or are we ready to walk away and say - NO, time to dream a different dream?

Image: Google

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Linking this with Write Tribe: Ask a Question

Linking this with ABC Wednesday: N, N is for NO.

Standing Tall....

A New Post in the Series: When a Picture Leads

Am I invisible? A freak? An anomaly?

An object to amuse the onlookers? Look, they aren't even looking. Self-absorbed as they are.

What is with most people today, always needing newer forms of entertainment?

Will they ever be satisfied?

I stand tall, not to entertain, but to see the world from the heights of contentment.

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To see the previous post in the series, click here. 

To see all the posts in the series, click here

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Linking this with Write Tribe's 55 on Friday: Picture Prompt. 

Image credit: Vidya Sury