Po[love]litical Science

  

Po[love]litical Science

In a Parliamentary Democratic Republic all the executive actions of the government are taken in the name of the President, with negligible role in almost all the ideas, policies, proposals and legislations introduced in the Parliament.
Likewise, is the case with my mind, all the good I do, all my introspective thoughts, decisions & actions are taken on her name, though it is me, who is the 'actual' chief policy maker.
She might have been a symbolic person, just a nominal head, not of much importance according to observers, hence termed a 'rubber stamp'. But, for me she was an important and integral part of me; even if she had no real power or control over me.
Just like a President, the most important symbol of a Republic irrespective of his powers!
         

Fun fact:

Did you know the President of India is said to have a bigger pocket than that of the President of America? ;)

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Didn't get it?

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The answer is: The Pocket Veto!

Unlike the President of America, in India the President has the power to not take a decision on a bill passed by the Parliament for an indefinite period of time. This is called the Pocket Veto and hence the joke about having a deeper pocket !

PS:  I wrote this one, a long while back. Just that it never made it to the blog from the draft phase. I have been keeping very busy and hence unable to write something new, that's worth putting up here. By reading & deducing from something that belongs to the past doesn't imply it's the same in the present, situations and people change.....

"Change is eternal, undeniable... It is the only permanent in this impermanent world."

Things might be bad, life might not be great or maybe things are great and life may never have been this great! Irrespective of either, it's good to be grounded and be prepared. For everything changes, nothing lasts, except perhaps memories.

So, while you're at it, do make some good memories no matter how things are in life. ;)

Keeping with the theme of this blog, the very institution of Parliament is for bringing in change to laws according to the needs of the time. If the Parliament stagnates, it indicates the imminent death of the democracy.

Other quirky terms associated with the Indian Parliament-
________________________
Lame ducks

Guillotine

Kangaroo closure


Nope, not explaining those, search them :P ;)

Never Back Down: Be a Winner !

I know where I’m going and I know the truth, and I don’t have to be what you want me to be. I’m free to be what I want.
- Muhammad Ali

I was reading about Muhammad Ali's death in the paper. He passed away, yesterday.
Although by the time I was born he had retired from competitive boxing. He left behind a legacy of his experiences, strong political perspectives and actions, which inspired many across the world.

This was an impromptu poem from the past (when I was facing a tough time and reading about him and listening to his talks inspired me.) which just happened to crop up while reading the poem: "Float like a butterfly. Sting like a bee", that he had recited before his legendary bout with George Foreman, while also reflecting on parts of my own life.

You think the world was shocked when I fell to the ground?
You played games and left me with a wound...
On top of a pile of shattered memories, more like a mound,

But I ain't gonna give up on life so easily,
There's more to it, than taking revenge or having hatred in my heart.

Wait till I turn this negativity to the best thing in my life,
Life is about possibilities..

But those are left to one's own sensibilities!

You never tried to see me for what, I am.
Don't try to catch me with your looks,
That ain't gonna matter in my books!

Win my heart, with your deeds,
Coz that's what my heart heeds..

You were my need, but never my greed!

People say to redeem yourself it's too late,
But the game's not over till the fighter gives up, mate..
Coz only I can define my own fate!

One day life might hit you like a punch
Although I hope it doesn't, but you know girl, nobody is immune..
That's how nature sets its tune!

You'll never be able to forget me,
even when you're with age, sodden.
Though, I forgive you girl, you shall soon be, forever forgotten..
But you ain't ever gonna win my heart, the priceless gem you could've gotten !

Of course, none of it really matters now. It's just that the event was such that, I finally decided to put this up !
So, just read, enjoy and forget.   ;)

RIP, Mr. Ali. You shall continue to inspire many more generations.

Dream: The Love that is and the Love that never was...

The story continues from @ The Dream: Before the confluence of rivers...(Click), that was the last time I met her.

         I was sitting under the open sky, looking up at the fading stars above. Soon it would be dawn and my re-discovered friends of childhood days (the stars) would fade away. I had missed them ever since the overcrowded, highly polluted metropolitan city of the sub-continent where I was brought up, had started hiding them from my view. I only got an opportunity to get a glimpse of them while on trips to such remote places. The Thar desert, although barren had its own intoxicating beauty. Every place in India is beautiful in its own way. It is just sad, that most Indians of my generation are disenchanted by anything authentically Indian. Only foreign, exotic locations are appealing to their social network profiles. Even, if India has something better to offer. They complain, “Oh the hotels, resorts are not up to the mark and if they are, they would be too expensive, there is no infrastructure, I don’t like the local food there, etc.” but, they forget these places are home to someone. Those people revere the land as their mother.

If we have 5 star hotels with infinity pools and cottages everywhere, brought in Thai, Italian, Lebanese cuisine restaurants everywhere, what’s the point of travelling to a new place in India? Everything will be the same in all these commercialized destinations, world-over. Would they not lose their appeal by losing their own unique identity?

“What are you thinking about?”, I heard that familiar silvery voice speak from behind, my heart skipped a beat. I was so deeply involved in my thoughts, I hadn't noticed that, she had tiptoed surreptitiously behind me.
Pretending not to be surprised, I responded, “Nothing, just appreciating the beauty of mother nature.”

“Oh, she is more beautiful than me, isn’t she?”, she teased. Women, they just have to get themselves compared to everything living or non-living!
“Well, she is very beautiful, but nothing compared to the beauty of your company.”, I replied.
She laughed, “Can you never stop being diplomatic?”
I merely smiled and stood up.
She nudged me with her elbow, “Why do you seem sad?” and before I could respond, she embraced me and lifted her legs off the ground. And whenever she gave me such hugs, I could hear an invisible Mariachi band performing in the background.

'Ha pasado mucho tiempo, y otra vez vi aquellos ojos Me miraron con despejo, fríamente y sin enojos'


Honestly, I can't understand a word that they sing, but I love their music because, it comes from the heart!!! It remains pure and that is important!
.....................................................
“What do I do, sweetheart? My face is like that. Acute sadness syndrome, whenever I think about my life without you...”, I started feigning a fit of laughter. “But, you are also the reason behind my happiness.”

She didn’t seem to find it funny, “For someone who loves me, so much, even if I cannot be with you, I do not want to see you sad and without hope in life. Alright?”

I couldn't say no to her. She broke the embrace to look at me. I managed to force a smile on my face...
She reciprocated with her own and whispered, “There, that's how I want to see you all your life.”
I asked her, “Is this really you? Or am I dreaming, again?
Now, I cannot even tell dreams from reality... I have them so often.

She held my right wrist with her left hand and brought her right arm close to mine. I didn't take my eyes off her hands, following each movement she made.
She said in a loud voice, “Look into my eyes.”
Taken aback by the change in her tone, I took my eyes off her arms to look into her eyes. I could see empathy, compassion and helplessness all at once in them. And she said, “Now, look at your arm.”

I glanced back and saw her right hand pricking my arm with a needle, blood oozing out, yet I felt no pain.
It dawned on me, this was a dream. I had no control over it. I looked back into her eyes. She smiled, and said "I think that answers one of your questions, if not all."

           

It did.  I enquired, "Why do you come to me in my dreams, so often?”

“You know, even if I am never part of your life, I am always there with you in your heart, in your memories and in your dreams. Don't see it as a bane. It’s a boon. When nobody is there with you, I am always there. It's just you and me and many hours of us together in your dreams. Is it not what you wanted? If not exactly the same..”

“But those can never substitute you in real life.”, I grumbled. “The fact that it has been years, that I kept making so many efforts in the most benign way possible, despite, so many setbacks surprises me, when I look back at all those times.”

I paused, “One of the hardest decisions in life was to walk away or try  harder. I chose the latter, the former could’ve been done at any point of time.”

She looked away and started speaking, “Well you did try very hard, I must say. All those surprises, those beautiful gestures, that wonderful proposal on an audio recording, those cards you sent, the cake, those mind-boggling letters with their analogies and last but not the least, your blog. I thought you would go on forever. How did you manage to stop trying?”

“The last time I saw you, I had mugged poems in Urdu and many cheesy lines, yet when it came to saying any of those, I couldn’t say a word. I got nervous. The only thing that went correctly that day was, me wearing a suit, holding your hand, on my knees while you were still in the car. I looked into your eyes and said, those three special words confidently, without flinching. That’s because, I said what I really felt for you, unlike those poems or lines. I didn't even plan that part. Most people use those three words liberally without realizing their real meaning and worth.”
I continued after a brief pause, “Honestly, do you really call it love, when you find a new person with whom you fall in love, each time you move into a new city? Sometimes, three or more places and persons within a year?” 
“And my love is of no value? When despite the distance, cities, years and many new women whom I came across, there was only one person I loved all along? I did all of those things, that you just mentioned and many more unknown to you, only because, I was not one of those extravagant, expressive persons who could say things to impress you. I am a very shy person by nature. I still tried to come out of my shell, but it simply wasn’t my forte. I did things for you, not to blackmail you, but to show you, that I care for you and I am willing to do anything for your happiness. I enjoyed doing each of those and hence, it was also for my own joy that I did those. I was never good at one to one conversations in this matter. I thought, actions might speak louder than words. But I guess, they weren't loud enough... You termed them emotional blackmail."
“Many people barely know love. All their life, they might remain under an illusion. I am nobody to lecture anyone about, ‘What love is or how it should ideally be like.’ I think, you are wise and able-minded to compare my love and your love, to come to a judgment about which parts of both, together or individually define ideal love...”

I could see tears welling up in her eyes.

It caused me immense pain, yet, I ignored them and carried on, “You once said, you fall in love and out of it with ease. That people shouldn’t get emotional in love and relationships. But aren’t love and relationships themselves, all about emotions? You fall out of love, because your so called love isn't compatible with your needs anymore or simply because you lost interest or because you moved to a distance, too far for your own comfort. Is that really love?”

She kept silent. I knew it was a dream and there wasn’t any point in arguing with my own imagination. She covered her face and hurried back to the tent and I followed her into it, after one last glimpse at the rising Sun in the horizon. The winds were re-shaping and moving the sand dunes. Time changes everyone, everything changes. She had tucked herself away in one corner, quiet and foreign to her surroundings. She was truly the Desert Rose that personified in my imagination, whenever I heard Sting, sing the song by the same name. The only thing that kept flickering in my mind every now and then was, 'the best kind of beauty is the kind that is mostly ignored.'

Suddenly my surroundings started turning hazy and everything turned dark. I woke up in the middle of the night on my bed. Her distant voice ringing in my ears, “Don't see it as a bane. It’s a boon.”

I laughed, and thought to myself, “They are both different sides of the same coin..”

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Within a few days it would be 3 years since the events of "Dream, Secrets revealed – I (The Recap part)" <--- click
Within a couple of months it would be 2 years since the events of "Dream, Secrets revealed – II"  <--- click
And finally, today is exactly one year since the events of "The Dream: Before the confluence of rivers..."  <--- click   (The last time I ever met her...)

I could’ve walked away long back, but when something means everything to you, in life, it’s not easy to just give up. I tried harder and gave my best so that, I do not regret later in life, that I could have done something more when I had a chance. I decided to leave the rest to destiny/fate/luck/probability or some even call him/her God.

What made me stop trying?
No, I didn’t stop loving her.  I just realized that, even if I love her, I need to stop trying. Maybe, because, that was hurting her in some way and anything that hurt her, caused a lot of pain to me, as well.

My transformation had started long back. I had realized and learnt many things and was even working on stopping it. This method (àThe answer to Everything) just accelerated it towards the destination, like a fast forward button. It taught me how exactly to go about it, against my own method of learning from hit and trial.

In the past, I wanted a reason to hate her and get over her. I wished I could get angry with her to go and say things to her that would hurt her, but if I hurt her, I knew, eventually I would be the one in pain. I didn’t know what to do, to get over her. I thought, I had already tried everything.
Everyone said, ‘let her go, she doesn’t deserve you.’ That, you need to move on. Though, nobody told me, how exactly?

“How do I just forget someone who means so much to me?”

If, there is a process or a method or a set of steps, that I could follow to get over her, trust me I would’ve accomplished it, even if it is the most painful process. I would do it for her. Nobody had an answer…

I felt tormented, I saw no hope. From trying to become a good person, to trying to improve myself in every aspect of my life, where I thought I’d needed some improvement, I did everything. I didn’t want someone to say, “The love for her, has turned you into a monster.” I wanted people to take inspiration that, even if, things didn’t go well, I used my love to become a better person. Somewhere inside all these feelings, good/ bad were eating me up.

I felt all doors were closed now. I lost confidence in my own ability to do anything. Trust me whatever you lose in this world is of no value when you compare it to the belief one has in himself/herself.
This Method (link) helped me achieve a lot more. It had a solution not only for this problem, but for all my problems in life. It completely changed my perspective about everything in life.

I always thought my story was something like, Ted from HOW  I  MET YOUR  MOTHER. In fact, as pointed out by my friends, I was the only one who seemed to be happy with the ending of that story.
 I shared many things in common with Ted: interested in facts, grammar, history, geography, GK and all those things which others found boring. A weird sense of fashion.(the red boots!) Just like him, I always kept looking for my true love, to settle down in life. Never having realized, that she, Robin, was always right there with me, while I was looking everywhere else. I did realize my love for her, but never told her because of my fear of losing whatever I had with her. At one point of time, I heard, that she was single and I confessed about my feelings for her. Things didn’t work out. Despite that, I gave my best to woo her, for the next almost 2 years and when my best didn't yield a response, I finally decided. “Now, it’s time to let go of my Robin. If it’s meant to be, it will be."

But without any hopes for a future with her. I don't expect more co-incidences from the story line, now.

What I called love, back when it had started wasn’t exactly love. I expected something in return from her. Now I've become more mature, I am more practical and with all that I feel, this is real Love. I found love, not the superficial one where I expect to be in a relation with a person to legitimize my love, to make that person mine. True love, is about loving someone without the need of that person to reciprocate. You just love them for what they are, even if, you don't get anything in return.

And you feel satisfied or fulfilled about it all the time. The path wasn't easy, but I'm finally there!

So, I was just accorded with the “Black Belt of LOVE”

What is left of her is someone with the same face and body (with nothing else in common) and many beautiful memories. She has changed and so have I. That’s the rule of the universe. Change…

Who knows the omnipresent might one day unplug his/her headphones and hear my prayers.
Though, I'm not relying on it. In my quest to get detached from her, I find my myself getting detached from everything else in life.………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
PS:  Ye Icky, Micky, Shicky, Licky race jeet jaata, toh tumhara dil tootth jaata, aur tumhaari jaisi khoobsurat ladki ka dil main kaisey thodh sakta hun… hmmm?

Tabhi toh mainey kaha tha, kabhi kabhi jeetne ke liye kuch haarna bhi padta hai... aur haar kar jeetne waale ko baazigar kehtey hai.  ;)

Translates to:

If some Icky, Micky, Shicky, Licky (something like Tom, Dick and Harry) had won this race, then, you would’ve been nursing a broken heart and how could I break the heart of a beautiful girl like you… hmmm?
That's the reason that I had stated, sometimes to win, one has to lose something… and the one who wins, despite losing is called an Illusionist. (baazigar)

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A message for her – That is, if she ever ends up reading this.

I get that, you don’t see us together in the future. I even told you, I wanted to be friends. You know, it’s the hardest thing to say to someone you love, yet, I said those words. And I really meant them!

Why didn’t you just talk to me openly for once? Like face to face… and not on text or a call. I just wanted to meet you one more time, to end it on a good note. So that, whenever I remember you or am reminded about you, I would at least have a smile on my face, for the friendship that we had. In my eyes you would always be my friend first, irrespective of what other relationship we share or do not share in the future.

The Irony is, whichever girl was part of my life, earlier, I always used to say, ‘She is that one love and I am really serious about her.’ Everyone including you believed me, while I never knew what 'love' actually was. I was immature. However, I realized later, what love really is all about, when I was sure about my feelings for you, that was, for the first time in my life I really loved someone selflessly, for what she actually was as a person, (and not for the ideal things like- looks, habits or compatibility that I had always looked for in other girls.) but you never believed me. I don’t know if the job and the city where you live now, changed you. Even if it did, I am nobody to comment on it. I loved a girl and I shall assume, that girl is lost forever. I miss my friend, in her. Whoever she has become now, “the new her” didn’t value our friendship, for when I asked her, 'to meet me just once, if ever, she considered me, her friend.' She didn't respond.
"Humne ishq ka naam kya liya, tumne barson ki dosti ka janaaza he nikaal diya?"
(I merely mentioned the name of love and you took out the funeral of our friendship of so many years?)

If your answer is, “I was silent and non-responsive only to help you get over me.”
My response would be, “Tumhein bhul sakta toh kab ka bhul jaata…” (If , I could’ve forgotten you, I would’ve done that a long while back.) Searching for a trace of love in you, I discovered something very profound about myself (more like how to see, that which cannot be seen). A small part of that realization was that, love is there everywhere, in every living being, it's just us who are not willing to open our eyes to witness it. I hope and I pray that, everyone gets to experience the peace that, I have experienced. May everyone be  happy, because in everyone even you and I are included.
Keep smiling. J

Lastly, they say, “All dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”
I have the courage to pursue them, but I will not do so at the cost of your discomfort, about it. Let probability take care of the future outcome of my dreams. ;)
Although, I do hope, someday my friend would be back, but I shall leave that to her. If, I merely say something more, she might misunderstand.
Let us see what new adventure awaits our hero, now. ;)
I might not be blogging often, from now on. It's about time, I focus on the much neglected parts of my life.

The answer to Everything

The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything...

NO!
It has nothing to do with the super-stupid, over hyped HGTTG or 42.
(The self certified Geeks would probably wanna assassinate me for this, my only request would be read this post completely and decide!)

The answer to everything or the directions of how to find the answer to everything lies within you!

Yes, the human mind and the body that contains it. Together they are supreme.

There are 3 types of Knowledge in this world:

1) One which we acquire by listening to someone and reading about something.
2) One which we acquire by just thinking, whether what we heard or read about complies with any logic.
3) One which is gained from experience.

I'll illustrate with an example--  As a child I was very fond of Milk (surprisingly most of my cousins and other kids I knew just winced at the sound of milk!). My mother used to get the milk packet, empty it into a vessel and boil it and much to my dismay, prolong my wait to let the milk cool before letting me have some.
When I asked why do we have to wait? She used to smile and tell me, "the milk has many small germs which die when we boil it and after that we let it cool, else if you drink it directly it will burn.". (Type 1 Knowledge) So on a cold winter evening after my mother was done with boiling milk she covered the vessel with a mesh like lid and left the kitchen as usual. Eager to have my daily share of milk a bit earlier that day, I sneaked in a stool from the living room clambered on to the shelf and upon seeing a big vessel full of milk, an excited 3.5 years old me gave it a thought.(Type 2 Knowledge) the air around the vessel is a bit warm and in this cold weather it feels comforting, how can this hurt me? Maybe mother doesn't know that, we can drink milk even without waiting.
I think you can imagine what happened next. I was 'enlightened' :P   Yes, complete with a halo around my head! (Type 3 Knowledge) and burns around one of my arms.


This is just a small example but isn't this something we all have been through, of course the magnitude and example would vary but the crux remains the same. Experience derived knowledge is supreme. We trust it because we, ourselves have felt it.

Likewise most of our problems in life the pain, the miseries, etc. are created within us. We create our problems and seek "the answer" to alleviate it from others. Others might try consoling us and give suggestions to alleviate our problems but that respite is temporary. The suffering, the anger, the jealousy, the greed, the lust and many other things get suppressed and is hidden from our conscious mind but keeps growing in our subconscious mind. Waiting for the right opportunity, like a dormant volcano building up pressure and finally bursting out in the form of a violent eruption.

Eruptions could be in many forms.. again examples.

1) When you have a small disagreement with someone over parking space, you are already tired after a long day at work and 1.5 hours of driving through the busy roads across the city before that, you had your boss shouting his head off, threatening to fire you if, you managed to miss the project deadline again in the future. Oh and your morning started with your spouse complaining that, you neither spend more time with him/her nor do you earn like his/her best friend's spouse who just bought an expensive luxury car yesterday, brought back surprise gifts each weekend, etc etc.
Now, your volcano is all ready to erupt! The disagreement on the parking space turns into a heated argument and in some time you start exchanging blows. If, the volcano is too violent it might lead to some serious injuries or even killing that person. (We read a lot about road-rage the world over, don't we?)




2) You had a pleasant comfortable life, you had good friends, things were smooth. You had problems but they seemed manageable. One day you realize you had started developing feelings for one of your oldest close friends. You get to know he/she is seeing someone else. You feel hurt. You think it is better to wait till he/she is single again. He/She mentions his/her GF/BF in conversations with you, you feel hurt again. You see them posting photographs on social media, Check-ins at different venues that you had once thought you would take him/her to, status updates, etc again you are hurt. You think it's not fair for you to reveal your feelings right now and ruin someones's relationship. It just doesn't seem ethical. The constant hope of a better future and waiting leaves you with many missed opportunities in terms of relations, friends, career, etc and you keep getting hurt and depressed all the time. Finally you get to hear he/she has broken up and you get all happy and excited make an elaborate plan to ask him/her out. But on D-day, alas, he/she surprises you by getting his/her brand new GF/BF and BAM you get hurt real bad. You wait. Same thing happens. Break-up, hopes up, elaborate plan, this time you ask him/her out without delaying it. You get turned down, he/she has already started dating someone again. This time all that hurt has created a hollow ground under you. Eventually the top layer just cracked apart and you fall into a very deep pit. Other aspects of life like friends, career and family so far ignored in this blind pursuit also seem to be in an irreparable state.

In the above two examples or any other situation be it rage, depression, jealousy or any other such emotion depending on the situation or a combination of more than one of those you realize, the origin of such situations are mostly not because of your own fault. They happened as a matter of probability/chance/luck, it was just random. We also know, there are other people who have greater problems and pain in life. Yet, each person feels his/her pain is the worst that, no-one can understand his/her pain.

Although, in our mind we also know that a part of that extreme pain however small is self-inflicted, because we keep adding fuel to fire, making it more painful. We crave for the things we like and we try to avert the things we do not like. Both of those act as fuels to our affliction. Our conscious mind is aware what is wrong and what is not it suppresses these for sometime. It shuts down when we sleep and takes rest in between. However, the subconscious mind never rests, it is always aware. It keeps recording what is happening all through our life. It never forgets. When you get some extreme emotions the subconscious mind takes over the conscious one and lets out whatever was inside in the form of undesirable words and actions.

There is a famous saying:

 "A person who can control his/her body (actions) is great, anyone who can control his/her tongue (words) is greater but, the one who can control his mind is the greatest."
It is because thoughts are the first to spring up in our mind subsequently, they get converted into words that we utter and finally when we think merely words cannot do the job, we try using physical actions. Thus, the key is to control your mind and take control of everything else as well.

But the problem is nobody tells us, "How exactly are we supposed to do that?"

Controlling your mind is actually training your conscious mind to take charge of the subconscious mind. Once you do that you are rid of all your problems. This is what our religions, philosophies world over term as enlightenment, nirvana, swarg, heaven, jannat, etc.

We all know that, each religion has some rules, teachings of their own, right? We also know that each one differs from the other in some way, at least. Have we all not wondered at least once in our life that, when all normal humans are the same they all feel pain, love, anger, greed, jealousy compassion or any other sensation, then why is there no universal set of rules, philosophies and teachings applicable to all and acceptable by all. Something beyond religion or laws of the land.

Something which not only tells us in words about what things are and how things are, something that is not just compatible to our logic when we think about it. Something that we all can experience and attain? Because like I explained earlier "Experience" is the supreme knowledge. It needs no further proof as we know it for ourselves having experienced it.

Scientists of ancient India the Rishis (mind you they weren't Hindus or of any other religious group as is often misrepresented) believed in this universal law of nature that they discovered. A law applicable to all, they found a method to experience it and realize it. The ideal law which punishes a person for breaking its rules while a law abiding person is rewarded. (the latter is nowhere to be seen even in the greatest democratic societies from the beginning of human civilization, till this very day.)

After venturing into some scientific discoveries and inventions these scientists realised all these new methods would make a human's life more convenient and comfortable, yet in turn these would create new unforeseen problems in the future. Something we all know from history and experience- The greatest example being the Industrial Revolution leading to global warming and frequent disasters we see mostly in tropical and subtropical countries, colonization, epidemics like swine flu, bird flu, ebola virus, terrorism, wars, geopolitical tussles, lifestyle diseases, economics- if China sneezes Peru might catch cold, problems of religious intolerance, drug abuse, male dominated society, rapes, etc any problem that a person faces from physical pain to mental agony. Are all of these problems not created by our own so called new inventions and discoveries directly or indirectly?

They found a method that could be followed by any mentally fit person whether he is physically fit or disabled. A method through which one could experience for oneself. It taught one to take control of one's subconscious and become its master. A solution for all problems, pains or miseries by becoming 'equanimous' to both pain and joy.

The answer to the creation. maturity and destruction of life, the universe and everything.
Sadly over thousands of years this method was lost and re-discovered again and again or sometimes it got modified into an unrecognisable form which obviously became non-functional. Call it destiny or the will of the unknown superior power who witnesses us and our lives, that this method was practiced by very few for thousands of years preserved and handed over in its pure form over many generations.

I, for one had gone through much pain and suffering. Somewhere within, I knew that I, myself had aggravated my pain. I kept telling others but, nobody seemed to understand the nature and magnitude of my pain and worse my pain never seemed to wane despite letting it out and sharing it with others.

I tried many routes to get away from it- initially alcohol(thankfully I never really liked the side effects so there was no question of getting addicted and I quit for good with some effort), keeping my mind busy all the time, meditation (Which for me was closing my eyes, sitting cross legged and focusing on some particular image/form/word in my mind), visiting famous shrines of various religions praying to the almighty to grant me what I wanted the most in my life, (seemed more like striking a biz deal with the Lord) I started doing good deeds and helping those in need in the blind hope that someday, someone might in turn help me get what I wanted. I also felt good when I helped others but it was not the only reason I did all that for, which was wrong.
Likewise I tried many things, nothing seemed to work and the pain kept growing with no end in sight. I knew I was crumbling from within, it had been a long time since I was denied, what I thought I rightfully deserved.

An unaffiliated and secular guru whose logic and wise words always seemed to make sense to me, one day just happened to mention that, "If in life, you think you have lost all hope and it seems that all doors are closed, try this method." He himself practiced it though, he was unqualified to teach it to me. Having tried many other things I blindly went by his word and learnt this method. Without consulting anyone else or researching much about it,
It worked better than I thought. I went to solve one big problem of my life and here I was gaping at a solution to all the problems in my life and in the life of everyone else who needed help. I am yet to get better at it. With practice I guess, I will gradually be rid of these problems soon.

I no longer pray (a better phrase would be 'strike a deal') to some almighty to grant me, my wishes, I put my best effort in what I want from life, leaving the outcome to probability/chance/luck. Winning or losing doesn't affect me. I still do pray, but I pray for the well-being of everyone because I'm also a part of everyone. I no longer do good deeds with any expectation. I do it because it makes me happy to help others and I know exactly why I want to help. Every action of mine from now on would be motivated by what I learnt from this method. I see this method if applied in the right manner as a solution to everything in life and I hope it benefits every human and animal alike. May all be alleviated of their miseries like I have been, may all feel the peace that I have felt, may all be rid of their unhappiness as I am being rid of it each day by practicing it. The answer to everything lies not somewhere out there, not in books or philosophies or the so called holy places one visits, it lies within "us". This method teaches us how to look for the answers.

So, if you have managed to read till here, you have been very patient. To learn it you need not spend any money. It is taught for "free" to preserve its sanctity.Yeah, even I was surprised when I got to know. It seemed too good to be true. If you are really serious about it and want to know more about it and where to learn it from, you can e-mail me.

tigerwhitethe[at]gmail[dot]com

As to 'Why' am I, not putting something so good which I want everyone to benefit from, here itself?
Well, I found out that unless you really need it, you might never be able to appreciate its true value. You will be one of those who will waste his/her time by going and learning it, and eventually out of laziness and disinterest discontinue it. Or perhaps just laugh it off. Which would be an insult to it. Also, I feel, the greater the problems you have, the greater the beneficial effect it has on you.

My advise if in case you decide to try it:

~ Till the brief period of learning it, is over, strictly follow whatever rules the teacher asks you to abide by. After learning it, you are free not to follow it.

~ Do not research much and go there to learn with prejudices. (I know it's hard to try something blindly without reading much about it online or asking others. Even I had the same feeling. But, it's worth it. Take my word for it.)

PS- It's not like you get a magic potion and you drink it to see the effects immediately. It takes some time and practice. It totally depends on you, yourself as to how fast it will work. Even I have just taken baby steps and still have a long way to go!
Also I have left a lot of clues for you to find out the answer. Some might have already heard about it or known of its existence. Don't worry if you didn't figure it out, I am always there to help.

I experienced nothing is permanent in life, except change and I found the path to my Peace and Liberation. And did you?

Do share your experiences if you have tried it out!

Good Muslim, Bad Muslim, the Real Musalmaan...

If there is a sin in this world, it is weakness; avoid all weakness, weakness is sin, weakness is death.
                                 -Swami Vivekananda

Empower yourself with knowledge and change your interpretation of religion and the world that surrounds you to something you, yourself can derive from your scriptures... Don't let anyone else dictate what is right or wrong. Judge a human for what she/ he is and not for what she/he looks like or what background she/he hails from. No religion preaches violence.

What does Muslim mean?
               Musallam- eemaan, jiska imaan har haal main kayam hai.

i.e. The one who is true to his/her faith in every situation....
Well, doesn't that make many of us Muslims in a way?

But, going by the title of this post, which one are you?

Now, I know this is quite a controversial topic. There has been much debate about the same in recent times. I'll try to bring a liberal Indian perspective to it. But you could count it as my own personal perspective.

Let me start by placing a few questions in front of you and subsequently I shall be answering them.

Why Pakistan was created?

             Power struggle between the Congress (INC) and the Muslim League(AIML), which had been propped up by the British to weaken the freedom moment with the aid of their Age old policy of 'Divide and Rule'. A divided subcontinent was conceived to be an asset for potential future Geopolitical maneuvers.
(for the inquisitive: read Spykman's Rimland theory, its application causing the conflict of North and South Vietnam, North and South Korea, driving a wedge between India and Pakistan, furthering the Shia-Sunni divide in West Asia, Afghanistan problem, Iraq issue the list has no end)
                    

The seeds of this policy had been laid down by Britain from the very beginning, right after the first effort of an united revolt by the Indians in 1857. Later adopted by the New Super Powers of the world.

Was it like this from the beginning?

             Well, for around 500 years, Muslim rulers ruled different parts of Hindu majority India and in those many years, no single instance of communal riots between the common citizens was ever noted to have occurred. The exceptions being a few minor conflicts in the beginning...during the consolidation of the new empire. People had accepted one other and a homogeneous tolerant society had developed.

On the other hand all the wars during that period were given a communal hue for political gains by the Rulers because religion was the common uniting factor and it gave spark to the suppressed emotions. So that, a soldier would even give up his life to save his religion, his God. In that era religion was very deeply ingrained in the socio-economic and political life yet, each followed his own religion without interfering into the other's. In fact, most wars portrayed as conflicts between Hindu rulers and their Muslim counterparts, had contingents of warriors of both religion ad other religions too on each side. (There are well documented evidences, but you need to take the pain of searching them.)

                    

Urdu, in fact, was born in India and along with the other unique forms of art and architecture is a fine example of Indo-Islamic cultural synthesis.

So, the Big Question.

Why did this Communalism start in India?

Communalism  is a modern phenomena, deeply rooted in the socio-politico-economic colonial structure. It emerged out of modern politics based on mass mobilization and popular participation.

If I have to put it in two simple words "Economic disparities." There might be many minor reasons which added to the cause, but this was the root of all the problem.

It all started in 1835… with the Declaration of Macaulay. It was about the introduction of "modern education" in India in English medium.( For the sake of cutting costs to increase profits of the East India Company. Services of the educated Indians would be a cheaper substitute for the high pay cheques of European Clerks.)

As most of us familiar with India, must be aware Hindus have castes within themselves, which are completely dedicated to education. They'll sacrifice everything for education like, the Kayastha (Scribes) community and Brahmins (Priests). For them education is the almighty, they will sell whatever they have, live in abject poverty and go through any hardship flung at them for the sake of attaining knowledge.

Hindus therefore welcomed the English medium education with arms wide open and subsequently got the government jobs in an age when there were no well paid stable jobs. The job shortage could also be attributed to the fact that, the Indian princes defeated by the British could no longer employ or patronize as many Indians, as they used to when they were independent and the murder of the Indian cottage industry to give impetus to the British goods.
This lead to birth of an enlightened, aware middle class in the Hindus as they were exposed to the new Western education, subjects and ideas of rationalism, humanism and scientific temper.. that had first emerged during the renaissance of the West.

           For any society to progress, this is the class which makes the greatest contributions. The lower and upper class have limited scope because there is either too less or too much at their disposal, for them to take an initiative. Coming back, the Muslims refrained from embracing this new revolution. So, the case so emerged that, they got no government jobs and hence no middle class was formed, leaving most(not all) of the Muslims out of the path of progress.

This might also have been a ploy of the Muslim elite to stay in power because if a well informed middle class emerges from within them, who would then pay heed to their words?
The Muslims would have had the capacity to think beyond and make their own choices. To add to this factor, the British were initially anti-Muslim in outlook right after the 1857 revolt as they held Muslims to be the main culprits for the revolt. (A stand they later changed to help their own cause by misguiding secular Muslims into radicalism and encouraging communal politics in Muslims.=  establishment of The Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College and formation of All-India Muslim League)

This economic disparity gave spark to the conflict between the Hindus and the Muslims.
One fine example can be seen today in Syria, where most of the population are adherents of Islam, yet they have frequent clashes. The reason is that the economically and politically powerful minority (Shia) control the country of a majority (Sunnis). Similarly, in the case of the formation of Bangladesh out of Eastern Pakistan, the powers in West Pakistan had dominated the Bengali's of East Pakistan, treating the Bengali speaking minority population as second class citizens.

The previous two examples are just one among the many that prove religion is not the reason for the conflict. Conflicts have always been and would always be there, when one set of individuals try to impose or force their ideology on the other. While they should actually put their efforts in convincing the others about the merits of their own ideology in a positive manner.

It is just a bad coincidence that it is Muslims in Myanmar, India, China, Palestine or elsewhere who suffer. But any population being exploited have themselves to blame for their situation. If they accept knowledge and scientific temper as the supreme truth instead of listening to their orthodox priests and their radical ways whose main objective has always been to maintain their clout over the masses of their own community through violence instead of empowering the masses by encouraging productive, progressive education and work. All religions are plagued by this orthodox radicalization problem. In fact, those Indians irrespective of them being Muslims or not, who have embraced education and have abstained from orthodoxy, following their own interpretation of their religion are doing pretty well and are the reason behind the gap between say, India and other countries who got independence at a similar time.
Despite majority of India's population and regions going through innumerable problems related to differences from religious, linguistic, caste, etc and infrastructural bottle necks it has emerged to become one of the fastest growing economies when big economies like USA, China, Japan and Germany despite being strong are on shaky ground today. Can we not imagine if we iron out these petty and unproductive problems, we all could live in a much more peaceful environment, without fear... A peaceful, conflict free life is all that most people dream of and pray for.

What do I know about Islam?

Well, to be honest not much, but I think I have a sufficient understanding of its values. Everything Islam had in it's initial unadulterated form was good.(same for all religions when they began) In fact, they were the most progressive individuals around, when Europe and India were going through their respective, dark ages and stagnation by caste system. Arab Muslims were the people who learnt the greatest mathematical and scientific discoveries from Indians and preserved them till Europe emerged out of the dark ages to propagate it further. Without them, I presume the amount of progress and prosperity the world is witnessing today, especially in the fields of maths, engineering, science and technology, wouldn't have been possible. We all owe them!

The Shariat law was not made to seem inhuman & barbaric without a reason. It was made so because, it would have acted as a deterrent for people to even think of doing a crime. Linking it with religion made majority of the population think of it as an obligation to the divine, not to commit a crime.

Islam prohibited loans with interest for a noble reason. To prevent conflict because once one doesn't repay it, it spoils relations between the borrower and lender be it a family member or a close friend or anyone for the matter of fact. It also prevented exploitation of others for one's own profit.

The brotherhood of Muslims was created to stop conflicts. So that, people could live peacefully, treat everyone equally but unique to India even Muslims have castes, discriminating each other by the kind of jobs they do. Sadly due to orthodoxy, lack of self introspection and the wrong interpretations of heretics the words of Allah Sunnatullah through the great Prophet Muhammad have been lost in or got deteriorated with time...

I speak of all of this not to offend anyone, it's just to bring a point to everyone's notice which we all might have noticed yet ignored. The acts of a small fraction of the Muslim community is bringing bad name, creating problems and numerous difficulties to the majority of the good Muslims who after all are normal people who want a normal peaceful life away from all this...... To lead a simple fruitful life.

I still get to read about multinational companies, factories, etc denying a person a job because he is a Muslim or not willing to rent their house to Muslims. Stating ridiculous reasons like they don't have a problem with the person being a Muslim but the real problem is them eating non-vegetarian food. While their own kids hide from them and have non-vegetarian food with their friends. Muslims being lynched for undue reasons. Muslims subject to embarrassing pat-downs(frisking) at the Airports or elsewhere. Suspicious glances for their beards, skull caps, hijabs, etc. The problem is worse for a Kashmiri Muslim. Not only do they get harassed and discriminated by people from other religion, even Muslims from other regions prefer not to have anything to do with them. @thanks to terrorism in J&K.

And we wonder why Kashmiri separatists have any support? 

Kashmiri muslims feel unwelcome in other parts of their own country. Not just India, things are so anywhere in the world for a Muslim in USA, Israel, UK, France, Germany, Australia, China, Myanmar, etc maybe not always but at some point of time or other. If this constant bias goes on even the good Muslims might become vulnerable with all that frustration built up, to be easily brainwashed by radicals that, the whole world is conspiring against Islam. Our actions might just turn it into a vicious cycle.

Any major incident(you know of what type!) and anyone could very well anticipate, next thing who will be pointed out at and blamed for it...

The choice is and has always been ours, it is individuals who make up this society and not the other way around. So choose wisely, educate others before their misconceptions cause more problems!

True secularism is best depicted in Dr. Abdul Kalam.
When religion is one of the biggest issues in the subcontinent he, stood apart. He had respect from people of all faiths alike. I don't think his religious belief became a barrier for his career or for his approach towards other people. He considered it a personal affair and treated all alike as humans and in turn was treated and respected in the same manner by others too. Maybe he never mentioned it but I am sure he must have also felt some discrimination at some point in his life but he never brought it up, therein lies his greatness.

Imagine the, communists, the leftist and the rightist, the Hindu nationals, the Orthodox Islamic & Sikh outfits, the high commissioner of Pakistan, the mostly anti-Tamil Sinhalese government alike everyone came to pay their last respects to him. The sense of loss Indians & others felt at his demise transcends division of caste, region, religion, language, political affiliation or even nationalities.
This emotional unity in an extremely diverse India is rare in peacetime.

India's defacto norm is acceptance and taking the best of the rest and changing with changing times. Only when you are progressive, open to new ideas can you survive and be successful, not just for others to look at but from within.
Indians have no particular racial type they just have tendencies toward different racial groups. Over time this became rigid and separate identities developed. In order to make our society truly inclusive we should take some lessons from our early ancestors. Great, adventurous people who let their bloodline mix so much. :P
Hence get out there and marry some person from a completely opposite background. That's how we will have a strong, united, unique and progressive culture.

Can I ask you a few questions?

Muslims believe that all  Muslims are equal in the eyes of Allah that no Muslim is superior or inferior,  the concept of universal brotherhood, but why is it not so for women? Are they not Muslims are they inferior Muslims, are Shias inferior to Sunnis? Is any pious, good human being who believes in god and lives a humble, honest life not a Muslim himself? No matter by what name he addresses his God as.

As for Hindus, they believe that God is part of all humans and he is omnipresent, but if they were true to their belief why don't they ever incorporate it in the real world? In that sense even Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhist, etc have God in them. But before that the women, dalits or shudras also have God in them. Why not accept that?

What can we do? 

It really needs nothing more than common sense and open mindedness... Most conflicts in the world are because we don't see what is there right in front of us, we don't listen to what our conscience says and instead we choose to listen to some orthodox, obnoxious hypocrite who is a self proclaimed authority in all matters of our relidio-spiritual life.

Personally I do NOT believe that any religion is superior to another, they are different routes to the same destination. Like, 'life ultimately ends with death, it is up to us to choose which path to follow to our final destination.' Of course sometimes circumstances do force us to choose a path not of our liking, but that is not always the case. If someone really wants to show his religion is superior why not just show your respect and acceptance of other religions and their beliefs. I am sure  someone who sees these qualities would himself want to convert to your religion and won't need violence or economic sops to do so. The latter two can make a person switch sides as a matter of time and circumstances while the former method would be a more permanent conversion.

                             

PS: So far, most of what I have written in this post and the earlier ones has been limited to Muslims and Hindus, because being an Indian these are the two major communities that you come across. If you are wise enough you can relate to this, no matter which religion you follow or which region of the world you belong to.

I never intended to offend anyone by this post, It is my own personal perspective and I am open to your differing views, if any.

http://theworldthroughtheeyesofthewhitetiger.blogspot.com/2015/11/good-muslim-bad-muslim-the-real-musallmaan.html

This is my effort to spread the message. In case you like it, please share the link ^.^ with as many as you can. Let's make it the Secular Jihad !