Warrier's Collage 01092020 : Mindfulness

Warrier's Collage 02092020 : Mindfulness https://youtu.be/ts2SEZhnmXQ Chinmayananda on "Mindfulness" Posted by: M G Warrier A Interaction 1) K Ramasubramanian Ref : Collage of August 31, 2020 " Some steadfastly follow traditions and save the culture to posterity. We salute them" **** " Madam stories are easy form of driving the underlying message as your mother has adopted to imbibe the quality of circumspection. Well written Vathsalaji." **** "Language has always been used to discriminate, divide and rule. The emotional factor I, that is so powerful, that division of linguistic states today is forcing the country to disintegrate on languages, three or more formulas. A medium of communication need not be used for political purposes . But politics smells wherever power and money is. Very unfortunate that today TN does want two language while Kerala has no objection for 3 languages and other states having some opportunistic views. The solution, readers, please find out yourselves." 2) S K Gupta, Panchkula "Hats off to B.S.Raghavan for highly emotional and wonderful expression of his sentiments. Though he may physically be 93 but behaviourly appears to be quite young as exemplified by his positive thoughts. All the best to this 'full of hopes' personality." 3) S M Sendil, Chennai " Thanks, dear Warrier. Happy ONAM greetings to you. Today's Collage is like the ONAM feast. A sumptuous one. The relaxations of the Lockdown have been announced when the benevolent ruler Mahabali is visiting. Let peace and prosperity prevail. What B S Raghavan has written is applicable to all aged persons. But he is very agile and active, I have seen him three years ago in a function of nonagenarians in Mylapore. Regards, Sendil" B Current Affairs 1) Banking Reforms https://youtu.be/Cb-uOo17rD8 RBI Governor bats for more Banking Reforms 2) Prashant Bhushan update https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/sc-quantum-of-sentence-prashant-bhushan-contempt-case/645153 Re1 fine or 3 months jail or 3 years ban on practising law. 3) India's challenges https://www.india.com/news/india/covid-19-pandemic-to-border-aggression-indian-envoy-touches-upon-challenges-faced-by-country-in-2020-4112532/ India can. 4) Staff Review https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/centre-to-weed-out-inefficient-and-corrupt-employees-asks-departments-to-review-service-records-of-staff/articleshow/77835822.cms This is something they are supposed to do on an ongoing basis. Even without waiting for employees to age. Unfortunately, the relevant provisions, since inclusion in "Rule Books", were misused all along. 5) Indian Economy https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/06/opinion/india-economy.html Kaushik Basu's views. C Readers Write 1) V Babusenan Tholan's literary adventures In common parlance, Tholan is a bore incarnate, but the Tholan, we are referring to, is exactly the opposite of it, a very interesting character, a Rasikasiromani of the 9th century C.E, a contemporary of Sri Sankara and a courtier of Kulasekhara Alwar, one of the Vaishnava saints and the founder of the second Chera dynasty who ruled with Mahodayapuram (which included the present Kodungalloor) as capital. He was a Namboodiri of exceptional talents whose real name was Neelakantan(?). Opinions differ as to why he was called Tholan. One school of thought is that it was a worn-off version of the Sanskrit word 'Athula ' meaning unique. The other interpretation is less credible. According to this, his celibacy having been spoiled by the servant maid, he was ex-communicated and he had perforce to continue to wear the leather, the sign of brahmacharya, as no one came forward to remove it. Anyway, that did not affect his super- intelligence and resourcefulness and he is credited not only with reforming and systematising Koodiyattam but starting the Manipravala movement in Malayalam literature.(Manipravalam is either mixing of Sanskrit and Malayalam orTamil and Malayalam). Here we are not concerned with either. We may focus on a couple of his pranks: Chakki was the servant maid in Tholan's Illam where the members were he and his mother. One day, his mother was serving him food.Taking advantage of this, Chakki got inside the patthayam(a big top-open wooden receptacle to store mainly unhusked paddy) to steal. Tholan wanted to warn his mother. A Brahmachari should not speak while eating and, if he should, it must be in Sanskrit only. His mother did not know Sanskrit. Deciding to speak in seeming Sanskrit,he said: "Panasi dasaayaam paasi".His mother understood and Chakki's attempt was foiled. What did he say? Panasam (Jack fruit)in Malayalam is Chakka. Panasi, therefore, is Chakki. Dasam is patthu (10). Paasam is kayaru (rope). What he meant to convey was: 'Chakki patthayatthil kayari '(Chakki got into the patthaayam) Chakki was no fool. She seduced him as a result of which he lost his Brahmacharya and got excommunicated. He married her later. Another story: The local beauty wanted Tholan to write a sloka about her. He wrote : Annottha pokkee kuyilottha paattee Thenottha vaakkee Thilapushpamookkee Daridra illatthe yavaagu pole Neendittirikkum Nayanadwayatthee (She walks like a swan, her voice is like a nightingale's, her speech flows like honey, her nose is as well shaped as a sesame flower, she has a pair of eyes as long as the kanjhi-rice and water-of a poor Illam.) She threw it away and asked him to write in Sanskrit. He obeyed and wrote: "Dasaradha nandana sakhi vadane Gajamukha vaahana ripu nayane" That made her immensely happy. The two lines together meant she was a green-eyed monkey! Regards with Onam greetings." (Reminded of "Pathram Visthrutamatra Thumpa Malar Tholkumorannavum..." By changing "Sandhis" this will mean either "Excellent rice served on broad leaves" OR " Overcooked spoiled rice served on very small leaves"-Warrier) 2) Vathsala Jayaraman Management Lessons from Ramayana and Mahabharata In epics and ithihasas have plenty of such instances. Even people who are equal in education, intelligence and status react differently to different situations. Some react and some respond. Sometimes 'response' proves successful and sometimes 'reaction' proves great. Response is stated to be an act of maturity and 'react;' is stated to be based on 'emotions'. Normally comparisons should be made between two comparable individuals, though situations are alike. Here Jatayu , a bird reacted as his emotions commanded and Bhishma with his adhering to "Rajadharma', behaved as his intelligence dictated. When we compare Shri Ram and Krishna, there is a sea of difference. Both are Avatars of Mahavishnu, equal in every aspect. In Hindu mythology there are two great epics. One is called Ramayan and other is called Mahabharata. The centre story of both these books is around victory of good on evil. In one story Lord Ram leads his army to defeat Ravana in his land. While in the second Lord Krishna oversees Pandavas to defeat Kauravas in the battle at Kurukshetra. In Ramayana, Lord Ram is the best yodhaa ( warrior) of his side. He leads his army from the front. Strategizes & directs different people to do things which will meet the objectives. His people are happy to follow orders & want to get all the appreciation for being the best executors. Lord Ram set direction & also tells people what to do during difficult times. Ultimately they won the war & the final outcome was achieved. On the other hand Lord Krishna told Arjuna," I won’t fight the battle. I won’t pick up any weapon; I would only be there on your chariot as a charioteer. And he did what he said. He never picked up the weapon & he never fought. Still, Pandavas won the war & final outcome was achieved. So, what was different? It was their managerial style & it was also the type of people who were being lead. Lord Ram was leading an army of ‘MONKEYS’ who were not skilled fighters & they were looking for direction. While on other hand, Lord Krishna was leading Arjuna who was one of the best archers of his time. While Lord Ram’s role was to show it & lead from the front, Krishna played the role of a coach whose job was to remove cobwebs from his protégée’s mind. Krishna couldn't teach Arjuna archery but he could definitely help him see things from a very different perspective. Here are some of the basic differences in two styles: Lord Ram- A skilled warrior, lead monkeys, was emotional, gave precise roles & instructions, motivated the army to fight for his cause. Lord Krishna: works with best the professionals, provides strategic clarity, allows team members to take lead, fights for the cause of the team, did not depict his true emotions Look at your team/family & reflect what type of leader/parent you are, One who keeps answering/solving problems for people/kids Or Who asks relevant questions from their people/kids so that they can find their own solution. Are you someone who tells/directs all the time Or Someone who clarifies doubts & allows their people/kids to find their own ways. Are you someone who has monkeys in the team & the way you deal with it Or u have the brightest experts in their area getting stuck with issues? Younger generation guys don't want you to tell or show how things are done, they want to know the meaning of their task and how it makes a difference in this world. They are Arjuna’s who don’t necessarily seek more skill/knowledge but they need someone to clarify the cobwebs in their mind, if u still apply Lord Ram’s style on them, u are bound to fail as a manager. On the other hand if there are people who aren't skilled enough but rely on your expertise to sail through, Lord Ram’s style is appropriate. Isn't it good for us to reflect & think what managerial style will bring the best result for us and our team/family ? Is it Lord Ram or Lord Krishna? The Managing Leader vs the Coaching Leader!" 3) Shankaracharya bows*... " When Shri Adi Shankaracharya bowed to a Chandala... Once Adi Shankaracharya, along with his disciples, was on his to the temple, after bathing in river Ganga. Suddenly he saw a Chandala (an outcaste) with his 4 dogs, standing in his way. He promptly asked him to move far from his, as was the custom in those days, when Brahmins did not touch Chandalas. The Chandala turns around and asks; Who exactly are you asking to move far from you? My body or my Aatman? How will you become impure by touching me? How do you differentiate between a Brahmin & a Chandala.. because both our bodies are made of the same elements: earth, water, fire, air and space, even though we look different. Our Aatman (Brahman) is the same and is absolute. This one Alllllllllllllatman is expressed in all living beings. So tell me, when we are made of same elements and same aatman, how can you ask me to move away and not touch you? That is when Adi Shankaracharya realised the Chandala was teaching him his own philosophy of Advaita Vedanta, and prostrated before Chandala and composed Manisha Panchaka. Edit: Chandala was God Shiva, per another narrative. Either way, the basic principle of Adi Shankaracharya’s philosophy is let us not discriminate or practice untouchability" *Forward received from Shri Shetty, Mumbai D Blogs and Links 1) World deserves attention https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/political-reforms/7-billion-humans-deserve-a-better-world-24753/ 2) Stress and depression https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/whatyoufeel/is-depression-the-real-culprit-25342/ Attention parents