Edge of Insanity

The buzzing noise of family suddenly comes to an end. In a house filled with void, there is nothing but silence. A tired mind is jubilant to kill time alone. I go out regularly for tea breaks, lunch breaks and other breaks without being held answerable to anyone. One day just flies by. I read a few pages of a new book, watch two movies and ate all my tongue craved for. I was a free man. The first day comes to an end. It seems that this the kind of life I want to live. Marriage is more of a committed imprisonment than a journey of the strides. I had all the things lined up for tomorrow to spoil another day aimlessly. Then the scales of mental balance shifts towards a side: a side to start doing regretful things that I know will hurt a lot later. But I am unable to put a leash on my mind. The prayer and the meditation become a pretence. Distraction goes out of control. Surrendering to a remorseful thing becomes a nerve-racking inevitability only to make a forced choice for concession. When it's done, calmness is momentarily attained. Then the leakage of guilt begins to flow from somewhere around the corner. My conscience plugs it to avoid further drainage. I lie down and relax. I close my eyes just to forget and let go what happened. But it pushes back. The wave of guilt becomes overwhelmingly powerful and hits hard. I press my eyes hard and fight aimlessly to avert the visions of the shameful act.

A deep breath, followed by another one, and another, for five times. Repeat.

The frown held between the eyes gets gradually released. The pandemonium within decreases. The pulsating nerves gets relieved. The heartbeats normalize. But the breathing continues...

I am not out of this prison yet. The inner struggle is subsided. The stream of realization begins to flow. Marriage was a conscious choice. It's foolish to be picky about it. It's okay to be mad at times just like it's good to happy at times. It's part of the package. Therefore, loneliness is not the answer to harmony. It's about maintaining balance being together. There is no hard drawn line for being happy. It's about taking every moment as it comes and embrace it: a conscious action instead of annoyed reaction.

My family returns. I am out of prison.

Beauty of Glory

Beauty of Glory

Even if you showcase the beauty you created,

It is not going to fetch the glory you expect.

Because you behave like everyone else;

While getting lost in pleasing others,

You lose your focus!

Then realizing the mistake with regret,

You come back to your true self

And do what you always love to do

And celebrate the glory inside you.

That is the beauty of glory.

Don't Give Up On Your Child

Don't Give Up On Your Child

Don't give up on your child.

Mind you! He is your child.

Fill him with hope.

Fill him with light.

He gets angry on you,

He may even shout at you.

He blames you, scolds you

Because he is your child.

He lies to you; steals from you.

Remember! He is your child.

Fill him with knowledge,

Guide him towards wisdom.

But don't give up on your child;

For he is gifted, he's blessed.

He looks up to you as God.

So don't let him leave you.

No matter what the world says

For it is always bound to say

But you know him better

Because he is your child.

Don't give up on your child.

Do not make him leave

Without saying goodbye.

He's your child, he's your child.

July 28, 2020

Fickle Time

Fickle Time

Time is fickle,

Memory is fragile,

Make it all worthwhile;

While it is alive.

Only this moment

Stands firm.

Live it,

Believe in it,

Before it fades away

Into oblivion.

Integrity

Integrity

I would rather die alone

Rather than being with

Someone who tries to

Play with my self-esteem;

Who constantly let's me down,

And plays tricks on my back.

Who mocks me about

My dressing sense,

And gets grumpy if I reciprocate.

Who is jealous of my tiny

Moments of happiness.

To such people, I say this:

Please, don't be under the impression

That I will return for reconciliation.

I would not mind losing everyone.

Because to me,

Integrity is everything.

What is God?

This is my small attempt to answer the very big question: What is God?

Sometimes we say, "God is everywhere." or some people ask, "Where is God?" Let me just say that God is another word for Infinite intelligence and wisdom that governed by a divine order. The divine order is the cosmic energy of every living thing in this universe. It is the spirit of purity. Now when I say purity, it is often associated with love. What is love? Love is is kindness, compassion, anything which is not evil. Purity is free: formless and boundless - free from ego, anger, pain, suffering, fear, anxiety, jealousy, and desire. Purity, in fundamental form, is in humility, honesty, peace and harmony.

It is the evil thoughts in the mind contaminates purity. It tries to contain purity with evil forms. That's when negativity gives birth. It's strangely easy for these negative thoughts to slip into the mind and make you believe them. But once you start training your mind with the help of regular prayers with a firm belief in purity, you will begin to experience God consciousness. God is not something or someone to look up to. It is seeing and realizing within and without in pure spirit. You have to accept everything as they are; go with the flow.

Further Reading

1. Theism vs Atheism
2. Book Review: Adi Shankaracharya - Hinduism's Greatest Thinker
3. The Power Of Subconscious Mind, by Joseph Murphy

The Subtle Art of Conducting Job Interviews

Conducting a job interview is an art. A company looking for good candidates will have to master this art. 

I was unemployed for five months. “Unemployed” is a heavy word if you have lived through it. I had applied for numerous job openings. But, I got only a few calls for interviews. It really took a toll on my emotions seeing every minute of every day just pass by without bearing any fruit. Having financial commitments and a family to support, believe it or not, it's tougher than it sounds. As time progressed, in spite of keeping my mind occupied with interview preparation, I began to lose focus while anxiety overpowered me gradually. The feeling of idleness was even harder to get rid of.

Now I have finally got a job and I thought: why not share my interview experiences? There are tons of resources available on how job seekers should prepare for interviews. This post tries to give a guiding light to the recruiters and highlights some of the good practices to follow in order to unleash the potential of job seekers.

When the candidate gets a call for the interview, it is safe to say that his profile was screened and the hiring manager found it to be suitable for the company's needs. As a preliminary step, it is crucial for the recruiter to set the agenda for the interview. Let's admit that there isn't a company that works on all the science and technology in the market. The candidate should be briefed about what areas will be focused on during the interview. And if possible, study material should be provided. This will set the expectations correctly. (Mind you, this is not to be mistaken with the skills mentioned as part of the job description.) Then it should be up to the candidate to choose the interview date. Top companies like Google, Atlassian, and Amazon follow this step diligently.

Some companies do telephonic interviews before they call the candidates for in-person/face-to-face interviews. Prepare only those questions which could be answered over the phone. If it's going to be a programming question, let the candidate know well in advance that a laptop and an internet connection is required. But please do not ask system design or software architecture related questions. He will neither be comfortable to answer them nor will he answer them convincingly. Such questions are best answered on a whiteboard in an in-person interview. That's why it is rightly said that a picture speaks a thousand words. If you are looking for logical answers to programming puzzles when the candidate is not equipped with a laptop and internet, then be satisfied with the approach; don't expect him to dictate the program statements over phone.

Personally, I dislike telephonic interviews. In my experience, the calls disconnected in the middle of ongoing discussion or the interviewer's voice broke in between. Then I had to shout, "Hello? Can you hear me?" many times. It was quite embarrassing. Just when I thought I could get back in action, the flow was lost. It was annoying. There was one occasion when luck favored me. When the recruiter scheduled a telephonic interview with me, I asked him if I need to be ready with a laptop and internet. "No need. There will be no programming," he replied. But then my sixth sense told me to be ready anyway. And it happened just as I anticipated. There was a programming question; the interviewer had assumed that I was in front of my laptop connected to the internet. Fortunately, I cracked that telephonic interview round.

On the day of the in-person interview, you should be compassionate enough to understand the state of the candidate's mind. It will be nervous and messed up with unwanted thoughts. It will be relentlessly seeking for peace. For experienced professionals, getting a call for the interview itself is difficult; because, the candidate might have applied for more than 50 job postings in many months and this could be his first interview. So, it is very important for the interviewer to make him comfortable. Just before the interview begins, make the candidate feel more at ease and completely at home by offering a glass of water, tea or coffee. Ask him if he wants to use the restroom. Give him a moment to collect his thoughts. Treat him as a valuable guest and casually express that it has been an honor to have him for the interview and you are eager to know about him and his professional journey. This kind of hospitality will help him relax. He will give his best shot in cracking the interview. Therefore, it makes a big impression on him. It reflects your company's culture. Think of the candidate as a potential team member, not as someone who has come to challenge you. It should be your objective to understand his strengths, not his weaknesses. Don't make him feel inferior to yourself.

On a few occasions, it has so happened to me that the interviewers didn't show up or didn't show up on time. And even when they showed up, there was that unwelcoming attitude with their faces bloated with ego. (Yes, as a candidate, I am quite observant.) They didn't even wear a smile. It turned me off. I felt like I was treated like garbage ready to be broomed out fast. They didn't even care to ask me if I wanted to have some water. It just shattered my hopes. Come on people, we are humans first, professionals later!

Now let's start with the interview. Irrespective of candidate's experience, always begin with simple and fundamental questions, then gradually raise the bar with subsequent questions. Then you will have a fair idea on where the candidate stands on a scale of ten. You will understand his strengths. With this progressive way of evaluation, the candidate's self-confidence will be restored, and he will be able to think right. With bar raiser questions, give him hints. It's just because of the interview environment, he could be just missing a tiny bit or trying hard to recall. Secondly, ask him to explain the current project or the most exciting project he has worked on. He will be happy to answer it if he has really worked on it. Start understanding more about it by probing deeper. Don't assume or expect that he will cover the entire journey all by himself. He needs signposts. This will bring out how well he is able to structure his thoughts and communicate them to you. You will really learn whether he fits well in your team or not. You will learn about his proactiveness - whether he was able to stretch and deliver. After the interview, with such hospitality, even if the candidate is unable to meet your expectations, he won't have bitterness in his heart. He will remember you for the positive experience and will try again to join your company.

Instead, I was asked a single question directly from the advanced topics of computer science. It was about a subject I was not comfortable with. When I didn't answer, I was shown the door. They did not care to learn about my past experiences or my areas of expertise. Then I wondered, how is it even possible to gauge me only on one question? It was like I was in an exam with only one question to be answered which I don't know! It felt awful. This happened because the recruiter did not brief me about the focus areas although I had asked for them well in advance. This feeling of bad taste made me decide that I will never try for that company again even if they are working on rocket science or paying me millions of dollars a month. In another interview, when I began to answer, I was interrupted many times and the questions were simply thrown at me. Ultimately, I was never allowed to finish my answer. I couldn’t help feeling that the interviewer was trying hard to get rid of me.

Given any software engineering problem, there are various possible ways to solve it. If the candidate comes up with his own way to solve the problem, learn the solution. Be happy that he was able to come up with an original solution. Open your mind and imagine the possibilities of the candidate devising elegant solutions for your company. Secondly, don't expect him to answer all your questions. It's not going to happen. It's wrong because there will be many things that you wouldn't know if you were in his shoes. If he is able to answer 60% of the questions correctly and he makes me feel that he could add value to the company, I would hire him. You have got to trust your intuition about him.

On the other hand, in most of the interviews I faced, the interviewers were looking for those solutions which they had in mind. Then I discreetly told them, "Sorry dude, I can't read your mind! How can you be so narrow-minded?" You cannot have predetermined answers set as expectations from the candidate. You have to be open to understand his approach. It may turn out that you end up learning something new. I feel pity for the company that such interviewers work for. On another occasion, I was being hammered with questions for which I didn't know the answers. I easily sensed that they were making fun of me as they chuckled and giggled because they enjoyed pulling my leg. To me, it just reflected their character.

After the job interview, let the candidate know that you were pleased to meet him, thoroughly enjoyed conversing with him and thank him for his time. Tell him you will get back to him in a day or two with the feedback. Then respond promptly - this is non-negotiable. Responding with a result - be it positive or negative - and providing feedback is a must. Otherwise, the candidate will cling to the hope that he has made it. If he knows that he hasn't made it, he will look forward to attending other interviews that may be lined up for him with a clear mind. Your response will give him the benefit of doubt. It is frustrating and depressing when the candidate does not get a reply, especially when he's waiting for days to hear back from you assuming that he has done well. Trust me. I know how it feels. If he hasn't made it through, write an email to him informing the outcome, with a personal touch. Believe me, it will mean a lot to him. He will appreciate you for the mail and will thank you for the opportunity. Don't worry about how he feels. We're neither children nor savages; we are all professionals.

Some might ask: why follow these practices? Let me tell you why. It's obvious that the candidate feels bad if he doesn't clear the interview. But nothing hurts him worse than being treated like a jerk. These practices are about bringing fairness to the interview process. Following them will lessen the effects of failure and disappointment like, frustration and depression. This will help the candidate introspect on the areas of improvement and he can face interviews with renewed confidence. Moreover, these are simple guidelines that are certainly not difficult to follow.

Well, there you have it. I just wanted to bring out the incorrect practices that I have faced and briefly touch upon how to improve the interview process so that it helps both recruiters and job seekers. I attended interviews for software engineer positions at Google and Atlassian. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it. But, I will fondly remember the interview experiences and how nicely they were carried out.

The bottom line is, in India, the interview process needs transformation. Interviewers need to be trained. Conducting workshops is even better. They need to evolve to become better human beings. Remember that no one is immune to joblessness. It's impossible to evaluate a person in a few hours against a lifetime of effort he spent on a job. It's not just the skills that matter, but also having good people. So be nice. It costs nothing.

An interviewer can become a candidate anytime. So be mindful about how you want to be treated by others.

Further Reading

• 11 Complaints From Frustrated And Angry Job Seekers About The Interview Process

Modi 2.0 - 2019 And Beyond...

It's a huge victory again for the NDA and Narendra Modi is set to become the Prime Minister for the second term. Being a Modi supporter since 2014, I am ecstatic about this landslide win. It was even overwhelming to see the Congress-led UPA utterly vanquished by the BJP juggernaut. Here is my perspective on why the NDA won this national election easily.

Image Source: Google

Ever since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014, he pledged to work for this nation with his motto: "Development and good governance," and the objective for his cabinet ministry was crystal clear: "I need results." So he formed a team of ministers who could progressively drive this country. Each of the ministers went to the grass root level, understood the problems of the people and began fixing them. I am not saying he has fulfilled all the promises. It's not easy to clean up the mess of the previous governments and moreover, it's a herculean task to run a world's largest democratic country. When there was not a single scam against him, people began to trust him. The major steps he took to curb corruption shook the nation. Flowers of confidence began to bloom in the hearts of honest people. But a fire of hatred ignited and raged in the hearts of the corrupt. Initiatives like Swachh Bharat (Clean India), Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, and many more schemes are a super hit as they benefitted everyone. The monetary benefits were directly credited to people's bank accounts without middlemen, who used to misuse their power to exploit the benefits. Then there was a dire need to strengthen national security. He took some bold decisions to improve defense infrastructure and launched non-military preemptive attacks that neutralized terror outfits which made even the world superpowers gasp in surprise. This kind of retaliation was sorely missed after the horrific terrorist attack on Mumbai in 26/11/2008.

This kind of result-driven government showed its citizens that caste-based politics, pseudo secular bureaucracy, etc are all a sham. Before the 2014 elections, political leaders displayed sycophancy just to get votes and be in power. Once they got elected, they used to swallow all the taxpayer's money for their own selfish advantage. People had lost faith and had thus become ignorant. But after 2014, people became responsible citizens and stepped out of their comfortable homes to cast their votes. Narendra Modi, known for his extempore public speaking skills, had successfully planted the seed of faith and restored trust in the hearts of the people by reaching out to them in person from every corner of the nation. He briefed them about various schemes the government had launched, the groundwork that is being done, and how to make use of them. This is how he became the man of the people; the spirit of Bharat. By the time 2019 election was around the corner, people became vigilant. They knew, if they don't act responsibly, the nation will collapse in the hands of incompetent leaders with no objective or vision. In this way, Narendra Modi has set a benchmark in Indian politics. The goal is simple: If you want to be in power, then work for the people from the ground up. That's it. 2019 election has put an end to dynasty politics. It's history now.

Now I want to express a few words about the downside of this election result. It is clear that the parliament house is now one-sided. There is no strong opposition. In my school days, I was taught that the opposition is like a watchdog, overseeing the proceedings of the government. It should provide constructive feedback on the things that are deviating from progress, the issues that are being neglected or sometimes forgotten. Sometimes, it has to support the ruling party to make the nation stronger. The Congress-led UPA, with its members already offering to resign, is not fit to be in opposition. I see this election is an end of the Congress party. There is already news that its party president may resign. Even though BJP-led NDA has an impressive image, it needs a strong opposition on the floor of the house. Only then it will be called democracy. I really hope a new party or an existing party makes a fresh start and challenge the government for the growth of New India.

I am eager to witness some more development initiatives and pleasant surprises in Modi 2.0.

Jai Hind!

Theism vs Atheism: A Quick Discussion

Recently, I was involved in presenting the ideology of theism in a group discussion on a social media platform. The group consisted of a bunch of atheists and two active theists. That means I am the second one. The atheists lacked decorum. So I had to guard the beliefs which I was about to present. It's mainly based on Hinduism. And thus, I presented this:

Around 4000 years ago, there lived contemplators and logical thinkers. They were highly intelligent people - hyper-intelligent. They questioned the logic, science to find answers to the question: what is reality? They found the answer. It is pure consciousness or higher intelligence through which they experienced eternal bliss. They interacted directly with this very consciousness, or higher intelligence or the energy that has created cosmos: cosmic energy. They experimented with this energy using metaphysics by mystic arts. So you can imagine their level of intelligence. They understood the fact that in order to have such cognitive wisdom, one has to surrender self: ego, pride and all the worldly desires in order to have absolute focus. It's like what we say today: Science requires sacrifice. This immense knowledge was passed to next generations orally. But over time, as years passed, that human intelligence dwindled and the science and knowledge of this wisdom surpassed human comprehension. The great thinkers wanted this wisdom to be imparted to all of mankind. It was too complex for a common man to understand. So, the great thinkers began documenting the science in the form of Vedas and Upanishads. Vedas describe science and Upanishads describe the philosophy. Both of these are systematically structured and well articulated. It is this discipline of wisdom that came to be known as Hinduism. In Vedas, different forms of energies are symbolized (Like Batman symbolizes justice). They are given different names that came to be known as Gods in recent years. The rituals and customs are in fact scientific methods that need to be performed to attain pure consciousness. Vedas and Upanishads are written in Sanskrit - an ancient Indian language, which a small population knows today. And unfortunately, these rituals are followed blindly just because of faith in them, without knowing the real essence of it. The paintings/pictures of Hindu Gods what we see today are drawn by the imagination of a common man to reach out to people. The pictures depicted do not match exactly what's in the Vedas. The term Hindu implied a geographic, ethnic or cultural identifier for people living in the Indian subcontinent around or beyond the Sindhu (Indus) river. So it's not named after a person as in Buddhism, Jainism or Christianity.

There was a short Q&A session after this.

Q: Who were those thinkers?

A: I don't know (even though I knew the answer). 

Q: What happened to them?

A: They were mortals. They died. 

Q: So what is Hinduism, if not religion? 

A: Hinduism is science and philosophy of life.

One atheist was adamant and shot me with a question that if I don't know who they were, how could I believe what they have written? I said: History is hazy; many facts are either lost, tampered or destroyed. Then I was easily outnumbered. I just gave up because of two reasons: It was never my intention to convince them. The opposition was adamant in just launching attacks. Finally, the discussion digressed because I couldn't corroborate my beliefs. It never reached an end.

Next day I got in touch with the other theist. I shared what I had felt about the discussion.

Me: Even though I have thick skin, I am quite sensitive. I respect others, so I expect the same respect in return. You might have observed I never use a foul language even in case of disciplining someone. What I see is, the problem with atheists (especially in the group) is that they are never open to the thoughts, ideas shared by us. They are like racehorses: their eyes are set to look at only one direction. That's because they are adamant (you remember the person clearly said that) They are adamant perhaps because deep inside they feel insecure. Insecurity shows when they sense a threat of getting convinced (or converted) to what we say. See, when they preach atheism, I listen because I just want to learn. That's it. There is no way I will set foot in that direction. I won't go against my faith.

Other Theist: I understand. And that makes sense. I might be at an advantage in that I've been both sides of that fence. But the return from atheism to theism was a powerful one for me, and they won't sway my beliefs very easily either. I wish more in that group would engage us in the reasonable and logical discussions the group title promises though, but I'm afraid they've gone rather rigid in their beliefs. Their "faith" in their doctrine is so strong 😁 None of the things they claim are proven facts, and fortunately for us, the onus is on them to prove that God does not exist, rather than on us to prove that he does.

There was yet another day of debate. A debate between religion and science on war crimes. Atheists said that wars are fought today because of religion. They blamed religion for oppression against humanity. They proclaimed that science is harmless and it works for the betterment of humanity. I objected. Be it science or religion, there are always two sides of the same coin. For instance, man discovered nuclear science (fission and fusion) to produce energy. The same science is used in making bombs that destroy mankind. Scientists think they are so creative. But all they bring along with them is death and destruction. There is a gross misuse of science and religion as long as the mind is corrupt.

Karma Is Logged

Karma Is Logged

You have hurt me.

I bled with its pain

And wept in vain.

Now that time is bygone

My wounds have healed

But the scars have remained.

That's the lesson it taught me.

But, not to worry.

Your karma has been logged-

Duly noted in the register.

It is just a matter of time

That you have to face its music.

I am not wishing bad about you.

Since you know how badly it hurts,

I want you to realize it yourself:

How it feels to undergo the pain.

Once you have realized it,

You should hope for things to be normal again.

Until then, I will stay away from you.

Oct 9, 2018

The Battle After

The Battle After

It was a long and a pleasant vacation until yesterday.
A smooth ride to the countryside:
The fragrance of pristine nature
Accompanied by the silence guarded by the cool breeze.
It was a holiday of peace that made the excursion so beautiful.

Tomorrow, yet again, the same battle resumes.
The love that was embraced once upon a time,
Has now become stagnant:
The passion doesn't drive through my heart anymore.
So the veins are completely parched
And the thoughts do not flow.
Paving the way for self-destruction.

Jan 2018

Imperfections

Imperfections

I don't want your rewards,
Nor your appreciations.
Don't make me a noble person.
Because you don't know me. Period!

You don't know the greatness of me.
You don't know the struggles within me.
I wish to be myself.
I want to witness the glory of I honoring myself.
So, please leave me Alone. Let me be.

Create some space; Make some room.

I have tried hard to fit in.
But I have failed; and failed miserably.
Because I was picked on my anomalies.
That's why I quit. It felt so much better!
I realized I am not born to be among people.
I have always felt better living in solitude

Than living in death by being someone else.

Now I am free. Free forever!

I know I am complicated;
Even unpredictable at times.
That doesn't mean I am insane; 

It's just that I am not always the same!

I like it that way. I am being me.
(At least I am not faking to be someone else!)
I love being in my own world, in my own way.
This world doesn't allow me to be what I am

Because I embrace the "imperfections" that made me

To be what defines me; free from being myself.

Jan 2018

Science and Religion

I finished reading Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov recently. Its a second novel published in the Foundation series. It was an enjoyable read, but not as enjoyable as the first one. Lets see if the third book strikes the right chord. Well, this post talks about the cloud of thoughts that gathered around me when I read these beautiful lines from the books:

Foundation

It is the chief characteristic of the religion of science that it works.

It is remarkable, Hardin, how the religion of science has grabbed hold. Treating the problem sociologically, it would seem that when the old Empire began to rot at the fringes, it could be considered that science, as science, had failed the outer worlds. To be reaccepted it would have to present itself in another guise—and it has done just that. It works out beautifully.

Foundation and Empire

The Foundation has secrets. They have books, old books - so old that the language they are in is only known to a few of the top men. But the secrets are shrouded in ritual and religion, and none may use them.

Aren't these lines more to us than meets the eye? They compelled me to reflect upon the things that I could relate very dearly. I mean, look at the holy books presented to us by our great ancestors. The text in them are so complex that they cannot be understood in simple terms. It will take years just to study one volume of it.

Look at religion from a slightly different angle. Think of it as pure science - a branch of discipline that is so overwhelmingly powerful that our minds just out-rightly reject it, only because we fail to understand its secrets. Now what happens if the same thing is preached as religion? We accept it as a Heavenly blessing. We believe it; live it. Our ancestors were smart enough to preach science as religion, so that the people of today - who question everything with their half empty minds - follow it without doubting much. They always want us to have faith in it. Because the generation in which we all live is utterly incapable of realizing the true potential of it. Since we do not comprehend its virtues, we draw our own "home-made" interpretations out of it. Thus, either we end up following our customs and rituals because of our faith in them or we do not follow them at all! Sometimes, its mixed. I follow most of it, not all of it. You know, I am spiritual but not so religious! On the whole, as many generations passed, science became religion, and religion became faith.

I will corroborate what I just said. The Hindu calendar, just like the English calendar, has more than just days and months in it. It tells you about the future. Solar and lunar eclipses are foretold accurately well ahead of time (one, two or a few years before) with the exact time-stamp. How? There are mathematical calculations to deduce the times of their occurrences. We just don't know it yet. Another best example is horoscope - the destinies of people described based on their birthdays. There is more in Hinduism. Priests use horoscopes to calculate the compatibility between a boy and a girl if they want to marry. Ultimately its mathematical science expounded in religious ways. I am familiar with Hinduism and I am sure there are similar aspects of science in other religions also.

Asimov used science fiction as a clever device to explain religion through science in his Foundation novels. I really admire his intelligence. Way to go, Asimov!

The Great Isaac Asimov

Knowledge, Intelligence and Talent

What makes you deduce that a person is intelligent? Think about it for a while. What made me to come up with this question is that there is misconception among certain people: People with knowledge or people with higher degrees of education are intelligent people. I strongly disagree. What is knowledge? Its nothing but information, facts, understanding of a particular subject. Let's say you have all of that. Then you are merely knowledgeable on the subject. It doesn't make you intelligent. You're not intelligent unless you utilize your knowledge. If I see two people with different levels of education in, let's say: Computer Networks, I will not and can not say one person is more intelligent than the other. I agree that to achieve what you wish for, knowledge is needed. It depends on the individual how far he goes to gain knowledge. Patience and perseverance are severely tested. Once desired knowledge is gained, it doesn't make him/her intelligent. Intelligence comes to show when how quickly or effectively one applies the gained knowledge practically to solve real world problems. What's the use if there is sack of rice in the cellar which is never used? It ultimately decays. So, be wise in choosing what you really want to become. Its useless to cram your mind with all knowledge and go on boasting on the streets, "Hey! I know this, I know that. I learnt rocket science. I learnt biology, medicine, geology." I say, "Oh yeah? What have you done with all that? Have you built a rocket ship which carries loads of medicines to treat sick martians? Gimme a break!" Bottom line is: Knowledge does not make you intelligent. It only makes you knowledgeable.

There is one important thing which is worth adding here. In certain people, knowledge brings ego with it. The same is said in the Bhagavad Gita as "Knowledge without character". When you ponder over this phrase, it actually makes a lot of sense. Here is a simple real life example to illustrate its meaning. Lets go back to college days. Imagine your professor is super smart. Later you realize that he is equally conceited. Do you think you will ever go to him to understand the subject or to clarify your doubts? I guess not. Instead, you avoid him and disregard him. But, if he was a nice laid-back guy, you would have visited him more often and learnt more. So, who wins at the end of the day? Its the character of a man, not knowledge.

Lets talk about talent now. What is talent? Its an innate gift of certain art. In my opinion, everyone is equally talented in their respective fields of interests. If anyone points out, "Hey, the first guy is more talented than the second guy." I won't agree. Its just that the second guy has not discovered his talent yet. Discovery of talent happens in many ways. Very often, you want to let out your emotions - be it joy, sorrow or wild excitement. If you dig deeper into your soul, these emotions get liberated, or get channelized as a work of art - writing, singing, dancing, or some new invention in science and technology. Some discover their talents all by themselves, some need inspirations and the rest discover it in their own weird ways. While some people don't discover their gifts at all; its their loss. I still remember the day when I admired poetry of my co-worker and decided that I will come up with my own stuff. I had to struggle a bit to align my scrambled thoughts to come up with my first piece. So, writing became my let out. Let me give you a spiritual insight of this. God creates humans in equal order. So, how can you say God is biased or prejudiced to gift only a certain set of individuals with talents, and not everyone? He looks down upon us as equal beings and helps the needy. So, what I am saying is all are equally talented; its up to you to discover it and unravel it from within yourself.

Recent Reading Experience

What I really feel according to my recent reading experience is that, stories should only nudge your mind, not your heart. I mean, a story should carry intelligence, twists, etc. It should not be that, I should get emotionally attached to a book. Otherwise, it messes my mind and heart. I recently read Frankenstein and The Catcher of the Rye - both, excellent novels. Frankenstein, as described in my book review, is a fantastic novel. But its a very depressing story. It manipulated me in some way. I felt very low. Same is the case with The Catcher in the Rye. Its a sad monotonous novel about a secluded boy. There is never a doubt about the magnificence of these works. But, they made me emotionally crippled. It affected the real me. That's a huge problem. I stop being myself and start being someone else without even realizing it. Could you possibly see how confused I became in the swamp of mental distress? I lost control - the grip of being strong. I became fragile and weak emotionally, and thus leading to dilemma and dismay. I was trapped in the mist of melancholy and negative thoughts overpowered me continuously. Trust me, its terrible to go through this. I felt as if my life was taking its toll. I am writing these words now because I am gaining that lost strength, regaining my old self. I haven't picked up a book for the past four days as I was determined to take a break. I never knew this break would lead to this realization. I guess whatever happened, its good. It became my "Self realization exercise". It got best exercised now: when I am alone. Boy, books are indeed harmful!

Novels on detective science, mystery, crime, thrillers, adventures won't let me down if I find them really good. They deal only with the mind. They boost my spirits up to a great degree and the control is entirely held by my mind. It makes me ambitious to come up with something new, something creative. I had plans of reading Charles Dickens critically acclaimed novel: Great Exceptions and there is one classic by Russian author titled: Crime and Punishment. I guess I have to remove these books from my reading list to have a healthy and sound mind. Next reading stop: The Daughter of Time. I am feeling so much better having let all of this down here. Thank God! My blog saves me from many troubles. Whew!

Please Vote!

You heard what I said. Please vote. That's the least you could do. Legally. To witness change in this country we live in, that's all we can do. Vote! That's our right; our only privilege to change the face of our nation. Let's exercise it.

I have been festering in the middle of so many discussions about India's problems and unresolved issues while having lunch with colleagues and during tea breaks. I sit quietly because I very well know I can't do anything about it. Mainly because I am not at all interested in it and secondly, I really can't do anything about it. I am helpless. Everyone is smart enough to talk and debate for hours about high voltage drama that's shown on news channels and in the newspapers. Today's media is constantly feeding negativism. So our minds are tuned to it. We don't get excited if there is any pleasant news. And how can media lose their business, when they know that only the scandalous news is making money for them? And we, "smart people", all we do is talking. If we are so much concerned about the country's progress, why do we just sit and blabber about how pathetic India is? Why don't we join politics and start making the change?

So, considering most citizens, who want to live their lives the easy way, but sick and tired of the state of affairs of the country, the best thing we can do is vote. We are seeing drama everyday on TV. We are watching news, interviews and talk shows involving our leading political leaders. So, its an undeniable fact that we do have just enough intelligence to foresee a person leading our country who can bring in that change. I am not saying the change will happen overnight. It will certainly take time. But by exercising our basic right of casting vote is the first step towards the change that we anticipate. "How does my vote count? After all It's a single vote! It hardly matters." The answer is, no! It matters. Even I used to think in the same way. Trust me, there are many citizens who think likewise. And what happens? Looking at the total voting count, the number dangles between 45% and 60%. And this number is going to decide who is going to govern the country! What's worse! Some part of this percentage comes from people who are lured by money and all other immoral/illegal means to cast their votes to hand-picked "so called" leaders without their free will. Therefore, I am entreating all the citizens of India to cast their votes in this year's general elections.

When I shared this with my colleague, he came up with new information. This time there is a choice of "None of these" on the voting machines. If you think that none of the political leaders are fit, you can select this option. What next? Well, there is a fight going on in the Supreme Court. If the count of this is 50% and above, there will be a re-election. The Election Commission will set a directive which won't let the same babus stand a chance for the second time. Well, I think this is a start, better than nothing.

I implore to all the politicians of India. Improvement of the nation not only means to bring in new opportunities, industries, jobs, infrastructure, etc. All of this will happen anyway. There is no way stopping these objectives from execution. But lets accept the fact. India is in huge pile of mess and corruption is the stinking scum of it. It needs to be cleaned up - from the grass-roots to the leaves. Then, it will be a big leap forward to make our country flourish faster. Then any citizen won't have to bribe in any Government offices. Elected officials should be bound to do their duties rightfully. Otherwise, they should be sacked. Its so distressing even to think of situations when I had to bribe just to make them listen to my words. Curbing corruption will certainly improve the overall development progress of the entire nation. The other point that is equally indispensable is security. People are afraid to walk on streets. Indian judiciary is very strong. But it lacks strict and prompt execution. Cops are meant to protect people. Their duty is to ensure security. But they act powerless. So people are scared of cops. This is deplorable.

Now, please don't tell me you don't have a voter's card. That's such lame and a crappy excuse man. Give me a break! Its such a ridiculous reason. If you don't have this and/or you don't want to cast your vote, then please don't talk anything about current affairs of this country. Because you don't have the god damn right to discuss bullshit. I want to have my meal peacefully at least once in a day. I don't want spoil my day with your crap filled bowl of political diagnosis which will always leave my stomach upset!

EVERY VOTE COUNTS. BEGINNING APRIL 7, 2014

Paradigm Shift

If you have read my poems so far, which are posted in this blog, you might have noticed my poems are very structured, in fact strictly structured in terms of rhyme. And also, they are long, narrating a short story throughout. I remember those days when I suffered headaches to get the meat of idea out into the words of my poetic lines neatly.

Well, I have been observing myself and my works of poetry lately. Since July 2013, if I am correct, I have been composing free verses. Its not that I like coming up with them, I am freeing myself from the bonds of structured patterns. But that does not mean I will stop writing structured rhyming poems! I love them, I always have. I will continue to embrace them dearly while discovering all forms of poetry. Now, I see at least six poems, both formal ones and free verses, in drafts dying to be posted for your eyes to be laid on. I have to stick to my schedule and I will post them in a timely manner. Its just to keep your hunger alive.

The Hobby - My Passionate Thoughts

Hobbies are meant to unleash inner self, to provide recreation to ourselves and to discover our hidden talents. And I must say - the pleasure they give us - its priceless! A pleasure worth more than anything else. A hobby can also become a passion where you to continue to excel in it. A passion that makes your mind restless and you become desperate to free yourself from your routine.

A routine - what is that? A means to survive. A job at hand which earns you money for your livelihood. A work where your are forced to do irrespective of whether you like it or not. I don't know how many people agree but its a monotonous thing to do no matter how good you are at it. I, being an employee of a company, don't give a damn about my work. Who cares to which company I work for? Or what I do for living? Ultimately what matters at the end of the day is whether salary is credited to my bank account. Because I don't own the company, there is no pride in it. And my employer is only bothered whether I have delivered the goods correctly or not. I have switched companies three times to seek job satisfaction. The meaning of the word "satisfaction" for human beings is not finite. Frankly speaking, six years and I am already sick of seeking it. I got few "Top Performer" awards at work. The happiness lasted only for couple of hours. Then I begin to wonder "What is so special about it? I just did my job. That's all." There is pride where there is heartfelt happiness. And happiness is felt at heart when I do it out of my interest; when my heart is in it.

Well this is not the same with hobby. Not only I own it, I give life to it. I cannot be more happier or prouder than anything. Hobby is the very purpose of my existence and it is the very reason for my birth. I can openly showcase my skill. The pleasure is something really different and overwhelming! The kind of happiness it gives me is no match for any kind of recognition I get for my job at work. This one lasts forever. When the result of my hobby gets recognized and appreciated even by handful number of people, it gives me tremendous joy. Because I know I have put my heart and soul into it to bring it out nice and slick. Even if it doesn't get attention, I can proudly say "This is my child."

Now I don't mean any disrespect for those who are really enjoying their profession. Double thumbs up to them! This reminds me of a quote shared by Joel Goldman - a writer, author and active member of Google+ - which said:

It's a beautiful thing when a career and a passion come together

This quote is so simple and yet it says a lot! I feel all of us must have hobbies. It keeps our minds busy and protects us from drowning. I can never imagine how volatile our minds are! Its possible of doing deadly things if not used constructively or if its not doing anything. There is one more thing that I would like to throw some light on. Based on my personal experiences I have seen that when money starts meddling in any relationship (especially between loved ones - friends, children and parents or relatives) then the relationship will be on a brink of disaster. It won't survive for long. To me, the same rule applies to hobbies. If I decide to make my hobby as my money making machine, then I won't be doing it with interest or passion. Writing is one of my hobbies and I love it. So, if I write for the sake of earning money, my writing might not have the natural ideas I really want to express. I am forcing my brain to work on ideas which aren't original although my heart is reluctant to comply with me. What's the bottom line? I am carelessly insulting my hobby by rating it by money rather than by its integrity. I won't let that happen!

You should see my father. He is crazy about gardening. He treats plants and trees with great love. He  pampers them and nurtures them. You will no doubt find my house extremely beautiful. He is in his 60's now and yet he maintains our garden single handedly. Its not his strength but his passion for gardening that's driving him. My mother hates him for spending more time in the mud hole. Yet she wants our house to be admired by everyone in the neighborhood. How ironic! My mother is into literature. I guess its her blood that is flowing in me.

Well, all these thoughts came to me when I was talking to my friend and he said "You know, you should make money from your blog." I said "No, I don't want price tags attached to it. That will happen only when writing becomes my profession!"

April 2013

Such a Funny Thing

I received appreciations and awards at work recently in recognition for my performance. Honestly, I am not really happy with it, because there is nothing special I should feel about. I didn't invent a technological marvel. I just did my job. Yes, I agree I should be overwhelmed with my achievements but I am not. I feel it’s a mean world which we all live in. Let me elaborate the reasons of me being a downer (well, not exactly a downer, hmm, you can say not being joyful). If I look back, say, since three years, I don't think I have changed intellectually. My intelligence was the same as it is now. Only difference is that my efforts are now being recognized in the form of awards and appreciations. Why didn't people see my efforts then? I believe my production levels at work were the same. In fact, these things didn't make me more knowledgeable or more intelligent. In the end, it’s a funny thing to think that I was working in wrong places where people failed to know me. And now comes the worst part. Because of all these certificates of appreciations I received, people think of me as a priceless guy. It's like having a list of evidences of my efforts. How bad is that? I believe in myself and I know my abilities. I don't need a proof for that! It’s such a mean and brutal thing when one's worth is measured in certificates. And those people will also be under the impression that I will be motivated to work harder. No sir! Sorry! I will give my best shot, that's all. I don't work to impress anyone. I work for my livelihood. Where were all those people then when the same old me was walking around the block when they didn't even care to have a glimpse of me, and now from nowhere they come hunting for me? Alas, the words embossed on a certificate are more valued and have become the only means to know a person's worth. Ah, this is just another one of my rants; the philosophy of my mind. I am not sure how many people can understand or relate to this.

What is poetry for me?

I have read few poems in some online magazines of today. And I am not totally disappointed to observe that my poems are not a good fit for those magazines. Mainly because my poems rhyme while most editors prefer free verses. They want to know how far a poet can go on playing with the language; using singular words in the verses which I find difficult to understand. Often I end up using a dictionary to get the meanings of the words and thereby losing the context of the poem itself. Having said that, I don't mean any disrespect for poets who compose free verses. I have written few verses myself; but without any words which you need a dictionary.

To me, a poem should be a tiny story, a small journey taking you through subtle time and space, and it should make you sing along (rhyme). The way the poem flows, is also very important; every stanza is a small leap forward. I believe the poem will have the same intensity if the idea is good. So the words I use are very simple. A good idea is the one that provokes a reader's mind; it should shoot a bullet right through his brains and make his heart throb. Then no matter what the level of vocabulary is, I am confident that my work is good. I am aware that not all of my poems are good, but I have small list of poems which I believe are my best. I know I sound conventional or old fashioned to some, but hey, that's the way I like it.