Warrier's Collage May 18, 2021

Welcome to Warrier's COLLAGE On Tuesday MAY 18, 2021 Vedantasara : Sarvapriyananda https://youtu.be/3NmEXkufxGE (Link Selected by M G Warrier Mumbai) Good Morning There will be no regular issue of Collage on May 19, 2021. Nice Day M G Warrier Satsangam with Panchapagesan @ B A 1) Vathsala Jayaraman Chennai Today's Collage (May 17) begins with Gita's famous verse patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati tad aham bhakty-upahrtam asnami prayatatmanah" Especially during festivals like sri jayanthi, when lot of bhakshanams are prepared as neivedyams, everyone murmurs, 'all these things are required for not 'sami( God) but only for aasami( human beings). After all, God is satisfied with a leaf, flower, fruit or a drop of water. Many commentators on Gita feel that these words have much deeper meaning than just leaf, flower, fruit and water. Gita is interpreted in multiple different ways but the knowledge that imparts is Truth. What is the proper offering to God? It is said, a leaf, a flower, a fruit and water (patram, pushpam, phalam, toyam). What are these? The body is the leaf; the heart is the flower, the mind is the fruit, and the tears of bliss is the water. Instead of attaching undue importance to this ephemeral body, emphasize on the Atmatatwa (Atmic principle). The body is also to be surrendered unto God. How? By acts of worship and other sacred deeds. The same Bhagavadgita, there is reference to some leaves of a tree therein. "Oordhwa moolam Adhah shaakha, Ashwatham praturavyavam, Chandamsi yasya Parnaani, Yastam veda sa vedavit". As you read the commentaries we observe that the Lord refers to a big Ashwatha tree with roots upwards and branches spread out at the bottom. The verses of the Vedas are its leaves. These are the leaves the Lord is referring to. Someone capable of learning and reciting these verses ought to do it and those are the leaves the Lord accepts. Not any ordinary leaf from an ordinary tree. What are the flowers the Lord mentions here? "Ahimsa pratham pushpam, Pushpam indriya nigraha, Sarvabhoota daya pushpam, Kshama pushpam visheshataha, Gnana pushpam Tapah pushpam Dhyana pushpam thataivacha, Satyam ashtavidham pushpam Vishnoh preetikaram bhavet". The Lord is referring to eight flowers: Non-violence, control of senses, compassion to all living beings, tolerance or patience, knowledge, austerity, contemplative meditation and truth. These are the eight flowers that the Lord refers to and not any other flower from a bush or tree. What is the fruit that is to be offered to the Lord? He has advised to do one's deeds without desiring the fruits of those deeds. But the fruits do chase the doer; the deeds never lapse without yielding fruits. This fruit, "The Karma Phala" is the fruit the Lord mentions to be offered with all love and devotion. That brings us to the "Drop of Water". A righteous soul travels the length of his or her life (his or her refers to the body probably, for soul is neither he nor she) doing this "Nishkamya Karma". And as the end approaches, the fearless soul is ready to welcome the death of the mortal body with open hands. The tears of love towards the Lord and the final drop of water from the eye, not in sorrow but in joyful acknowledgement of the love showered by the Lord all along one's life is the water drop the Lord mentions. 2) S Nallasivan Hyderabad Dear Shri Warrier, N T Rama Rao had just started his new party the TDP and sychophants in the party told him that to catch immediate attention the new party shoul make every one to notice and they needed a catchy slogan. One of the geniuses suggested a slogan, "Madras manathe" that is to stake claim to Madras that have a substantial Telugu speaking population. Besides NTR had his Bungalow at Madras. The NTR's popular slogan was brought to the knowledge of MGR, the first actor turned Chief Minister. MGR just smiled and direçted to stop power and water supply to NTR's Madras house, where his family was staying. Just within two hours, MGR received a phone call from NTR begging MGR to resume power and water supply immediately. As a senior politician MGR had a few wise words for NTR and cautioned him the futility of his Party staking claim to Madras. NTR learnt valuable lessons in politics mainly not to mess up with powerful people. Otherwise they will find water, power, e-mail ID, and WhatsApp getting suspended before you blinked. S.Nallasivan (I'm leaving it to my readers to decipher why you are telling this to Warrier!🙏-Warrier) 3) Vathsala Jayaraman Chennai Food habits (Ref: Prasadam, May 17, 2021) Whatever food is available in a particular region is a healthy balanced food for people residing in that area since the constitution is based on the climate,geographical condition of the place, plants, vegetables and fruits available in the region and the animals that inhabit the region making themselves available as food items. According to Yoga Sastra we have five sheaths covering our body. Derived from Sanskrit, kosha means "sheath" or "covering." As such, the koshas are often called the five sheaths ie. The Annaamaya, Pranamaya, Manomaya, Vignaanamaya and Anandmaya koshas. The Annamaya kosha, which translates as “sheath consisting of food” or “foodstuff sheath,” is the sheath of the physical. The word 'Anna' means, not necessarily rice, but the rasa or essence of earth, that includes both plants and animals too. The yogi who understands himself/herself within this kosha would define himself/herself as a physical body: blood, flesh, bones, fat, and eating and drinking to sustain the body. Within the Annamaya kosha, there are three other koshas: Sthula (physical) ­– where one realizes the taste and importance of food Sukshma (subtle) – where the importance and effect of food is felt Karana (causal) – in which the mental impressions (or samskaras) of food are preserved It is believed that an individual’s physique as well as their personality traits stem from the health of the Annamaya kosha. Although the Annamaya kosha is the first and most basic layer of one's self, discovering each kosha is believed to bring the individual closer to oneness with the universe and the true Self. Many of us know only about this physical body. We are the food, that we eat, say the elders. That is, if we eat saathwic food, we become saathwic in character. But the question arises if we show the other cheek always don't we prove ourselves as 'fit for nothing'. Psychologists by their various experiments are trying to prove that the food that we eat does not have much connection with our character formation. In fact they try to prove the choice we make in our food items depends on the character which is based on genes. Recently I read in a journal of psychology that food, habits and character are different areas. A person having undesirable food need not necessarily have bad habits, and a person having certain bad habits/vices need not necessarily be a bad person. Vice versa also is true. A person having craze for undesirable food items may be a successful person in life if his ambition excels his lust for food. A disciplinarian in food, habits and behaviour may not be a success in life. We need not be too obsessed towards anything including health consciousness, always talking about nutrients and anxiously searching for some infections in some remote corner. A balance in everything is an admirable quality. Vathsala Jayaraman 4) C V Subbaraman Mysuru I Some intentions are good but they do not work in practice. Warrier's idea of ideal TV presentations is one such. TV presentations and TV "debates" (read noisy exchanges drowning each other's voices) of present day standards depend on whom the TV anchors and/or channels want to back or deride. There is no common ground. Do we have a readership of Collage that has any unanimity? (I agree. Most of the national issues like Gold Management, Indian Pension System, Costs, Prices, Wages and Income Policy, and Income tax about which I have a different perception and which I have tried to express in public within various constraints since 2004 are remaining live. My role is limited. 🙏-Warrier) II Babusenan's quote of Malayalam song sends an ideal message. Unfortunately, those who believe in this idealism are not in political power positions. The term 'secularism' is the most abused and misused one in our political history and life. For true secularism, mutual trust is essential. And secularism does not thrive in any religion-dominated or based country. 5) V N Kelkar Mumbai D Readers' Contribution (May 17) Your mind is an astrologer Bhagwat Geeta, Chapter 2, Shlokas 62 and 63. Thinking and thinking on the objects of senses, man develops attachment to them; from attachment comes desire; from desire anger sprouts forth. इति Shloka 62. From anger proceeds delusion; from delusion, confused memory; from confused memory the ruin of reason; due to the ruin of reason he perished. इति Shloka 63. I am sharing an explanation for the above two shlokas from a commentary on the Bhagwat Gita. What is enunciated here may be explained through an example. A man goes to his office every day seeing on the road many people, but not taking note of them. Like mere phantoms they appear and disappear. An attractive figure one day left a faint impression in his mind. On the following day the same figure drew a little more of his attention. Subsequent sights of the lovely figure made him reflect; it was a young woman that took possession of his mind. He developed attachment to, and picked up acquaintance with her, which steadily grew into friendship. Then came in him the desire to make the charming woman his own. Rivalry now ensued between him and another young man courting her. Competition between the two changed into bitter anger. What else is anger if it is not an obstructed desire ? From the sort of anger provoked in one, the nature of the desire lurking in one can easily be detected. Anger is temporary insanity. When the mind is occasionally upset, it is anger, when permanently, it is lunacy. In effect both are the same; delusion ensues in either case. In the woodlands the trees, creepers and plants are all discernible. But when there is a dust laden tempest the trees are tossed so much that one cannot be distinguished from another. It is a mass of confusion. Akin to this is the state of mind given to anger. It gets deluded first; next comes the loss of memory of things good and bad. A violence is resorted to indiscriminately, paving the way for self-destruction. The prolonged bitter anger in the two wooers of the woman burst one day into a rage. A scuffle ensued in which one tried to do away with the other. They forgot in the excitement about the severe punishment that the law of the land meets out for attempted murder. Both were jailed and the woman had her own love to marry. Loss of discrimination paves the way for self-destruction. A minute peepal seed gets into a crack in a wall, sprouts, grows and dents the wall asunder. Similarly an evil thought germinates in the mind, developing it's own way and wrecks the man ultimately. Thought can make or mar man. Good thought mends and makes, while the evil one ends him. VNKelkar (Thanks 🙏-Warrier) 6) Sitendra Kumar Dear Shri Jayakumar and Shri Warrier, Why we won't choose "CHOLI KE PEECHE" SONG? Indeed why? Or songs are meant for family entertainment for all age groups. The idea is to have wholesome entertainment. The song Choli ke peeche is filled with double entendres. Listened in isolation, what it conveys? Something disgusting which is anathema to us. It's fine for the advocates to argue that the song blends with the movie and is indeed central to the movie (they can argue in any manner to prove their point, they can prove vulgar songs to be artful) , one can't deny what irrational and indecent thoughts it can produce amongst the teenagers. When the soundtrack of the song was released, was it not termed obscene and the song was banned on DD and AIR? So we in our wisdom also must banish this song from our circle. We discuss the songs in our Group which have certain morals to convey, which are literary and have some social message to communicate. What the song Choli ke peeche has to give to us? An abashed exhibition of overt, selfish female sexual desire which no doubt would repel all of us. This raunchy song might have been a crutch to the weak script of the movie but as far as we are concerned, we won't touch such type of songs with a barge pole. I hope I am clear. But I do value the opinion expressed by you. Regards, Sitendra Kumar (Dear SitendraJi, I really don't know why you are explaining this to me. I'm not aware of who are all included in the "we" who are making the choice of songs you have in mind. If you are reading Warrier's Collage, you must be aware that Collage or Warrier do not claim any ownership for the personal views of readers and contributors or content. You can't drag me into a discussion on the nature of content we share in personal and Group e-mails, which will embarrass others. Collage is happy about the healthy debate that ensued sharing of the song. I understand there was interesting interaction among readers by personal exchange of messages outside Collage also. Thanks to the readers for causing such debates. I respect your right to have and express your opinion. Still, it was not necessary for you to drag me while responding to R Jayakumar's views about a song which is in public domain. Collage is a personal message from me to my contacts. I'll continue to share it with groups also as long as Group Moderators are comfortable. Collage has no views of its own and would like to share Jayakumar's response on this issue. Personally, I enjoyed reading the portions in your response where the words "barge pole" and Jayakumar's response where the word "mothers" appear. I need not elaborate. I have no views on the content/lyrics of songs and music 🎶🎼 I just listen and enjoy 🙏-M G Warrier) 7) R Jayakumar Mumbai Dear Sitendra Kumar Sir To tell the truth I had imagined that like any other hit hindi film song you would have some reason to appreciate the song Choli Ke Peche Kya Hai. For its choreography, for the music, for Madhuri's performance, for the cinematography.. The songs chosen by PPR Sir are of classical value and belong to the golden era of Hindi films. That is prior to 1960s. The films which came later were of purely commercial entertainments. Cabaret dances became part of every film and that is mostly half clad women trying to seduce the hero with sex appeals. We all liked Helen's dance Piya Tu Ap To Aa ja from Caravan. We had Mugda, Mugda.....Mangta hai To Aaa Ja by same Helan in the film Inkaar. Beedi Chali le Jigar Se Mera by Bipasa in Omkara. Mere Photo ko Chitkale Fevikol se by Kareena in Darbhang. Chikni Chameli Pavva Chada ke Aayee by Kathrina from Agneepath. These songs are liked by all and mothers have no hesitation in their daughters learning these dances for stage performance and competitors. Different songs satisfies the taste of different age groups of cinegoers. And Choli Ke Peche Kya Hai is also purely for entertainment. Regards R Jayakumar (Dear Jayakumar, music is for entertainment. If we start dissecting like peeling onion to remove skin completely, the end result will be what India boasts having contributed to Mathematics 😁🙏-Warrier) B Satsangam with Panchapagesan Chennai Janmamrityujaravyadhidosanusandhanam Perception of pain and ( suffering ) of birth, disease, old age and death.. 12th quality........GNANI having 20 qualities.....Gita XIII 7 to 11 Slokas... Life is full of pain and suffering... Analyze each part of life separately.. Birth is painful. We started our life crying.. Again growth is painful.. The budding of teeth, mastering an art , living in a New environment etc...all cause pain.. Disease is painful. We suffer physically and often go through mental anguish.. Old age is full of misery. Our health degenerates, sense organs lose their vitality, memory fails, Concentration weakens.. Society isolates and ignores us.. In the last stage of our life death creeps in with a lot of physical And mental pain.. We understand that we will have to go through these stages... But we have no choice..They are a part and parcel of life. So we do not cling to any part of life unintelligently .. Let us watch them come and go taking objective view of life.. Everything in life passes away.. Life is a procession of birth, growth, disease, old age and death... This is the history of every human being.. View life in its entirety, totality. Do not get mentally stuck to and bogged Down by its parts...As we gain objectivity we become less involved In the different stages of life..In every experience we gain an awareness That life is not merely what we are understanding at the moment.. We realize that the present experience had a beginning and will have an end.. We begin to observe the world as an onlooker..as a witness. We view our own life as we would a play enacted on a stage... That is the way of a GNANI who looks at it as a whole.. V T Panchapagesan C Current Affairs 1) Cyber security issues: Kartik Shinde* https://www.cnbctv18.com/views/cyber-threats-intensify-as-neobanking-evolves-rapidly-9325161.htm Excerpts: "As the world struggles to battle the pandemic, banks and financial institutions are compelled to implement future-proof technologies and build business models that promise long-term competitive advantage. With numerous new entrants in the fintech segment, banks will need to view open banking in an all-new light in order to compete with non-traditional players that offer tailored services to address changing customer preferences. To keep up with such digital disruptors, existing banks are reinventing their operations and developing new business and technological capabilities. They're rethinking their business models, investing in open technology architecture, and redefining how they manage data. Digital payments, too, have become a "commodity," as the most preferred way to transact in the times we are in. In addition to that, consumer demand, new technologies, market competitiveness, and regulatory pressure have all contributed to the growth of the electronic payments industry. While on one hand, banks are actively working on ways to provide integrated digital solutions whether by developing in-house capabilities or partnering with FinTech partners, on the other, open APIs are being used in conjunction with emerging technologies to provide personalized and cross-platform device payment options." *Kartik is son of Ulhas Shinde, Ex-RBI a well-known name in RBI Family. Best Wishes 🙏-Warrier 2) Living with Lockdowns Mastering lockdowns: https://thg.page.link/kDjyXZFbCFRCj3QJ8 D Readers' Contribution: 1) D Rajam Thiruvananthapuram Essence of Gita* A beautiful Bhagvat Gita message that explains the meaning of life !!! A man died... When he realized it, he saw God coming closer with a suitcase in his hand. Dialogue between God and Dead Man: God: Alright son, it’s time to go. Man: So soon? I had a lot of plans... God: I am sorry but, it’s time to go.? Man: What do you have in that suitcase? God: Your belongings. Man: My belongings? You mean my things... Clothes... money... God: Those things were never yours, they belong to the Earth. Man: Is it my memories? God: No. They belong to Time. Man: Is it my talent? God: No. They belong to Circumstance. Man: Is it my friends and family? God: No son. They belong to the Path you travelled. Man: Is it my wife and children? God: No. they belong to your Heart. Man: Then it must be my body? God: No, No... It belongs to Dust. Man: Then surely it must be my Soul! God: You are sadly mistaken son. Your Soul belongs to me. Man, with tears in his eyes and full of fear, took the suitcase from God's hand and opened it... Empty... Heartbroken and tears falling down his cheeks, he asks God... Man: I never owned anything? God: That’s right. You never owned anything. Man: Then? What was mine? God: Your MOMENTS. Every moment you lived was yours. Do Good in every moment Think Good in every moment Thank God for every moment Life is just a Moment. Live it... Love it... Enjoy it... *It is the soul of BHAGVAT GITA. Forward. 2) Loneliness: Let the birds fly in the air Vathsala Jayaraman Chennai Loneliness is a common problem faced by our generation. Either for quest for knowledge or for career prospects, children fly away, of their own, a few compelled by parents.The result is the same.Birds will fly out of nests one day. We are not birds, we are bundles of emotions. Change is the only unchangeable thing in the world. Most of the seniors want to age 'in place' They have developed confidence of being independent. The idea of living as per one's own desire appeals to every one. Living in their own comfort zone is highly endearing. They have an inseparable attachment with a place where they have spent a significant amount of time. The situation is neither the parents nor the children can move. Shri Haresh Tarachandani has given wonderful suggestions*. Children have to respect the parents' decision. But due to memory impairment or any other major illness affecting the elders, children have to take bold decision to keep the parents with them. Otherwise children can make necessary arrangements for their safe stay, meals delivery system, house keeping, health aids etc. Lots of products and on line services have come up in India. Once settled in one's own home or old age home, job is done. No more worry about different life styles, sleeping cycles, noise level, social calendars etc. Let birds fly in air. Let parents age in place. It is win-win situation for both. Let it not be construed as Loneliness. In fact it is solitude. Loneliness is suffering; Solitude is relaxing. Loneliness is fear; solitude is Shanthi or peace. Life is a journey from loneliness to solitude. A journey in which the path, traveller and destination mean one and the same. Vathsala jayaraman *See 3 here: 3) Conquering loneliness* Loneliness affects more than a third of older Americans. Another third of older adults feel isolated: they may be living alone, lack transportation, or live far from loved ones. Or they may have outlived a spouse or friends. Loneliness and isolation can have serious health consequences. Research has shown that people who feel lonely or isolated are at increased risk for developing coronary artery disease, stroke, depression, high blood pressure, declining thinking skills, an inability to perform daily living tasks, or an early death. Steps you can take to conquer loneliness: •Connect meaningfully with family and friends in a way that works best for you: whether by phone, via video chat, or even by talking with your neighbors across the fence or in a park. •Be thankful. Loneliness can lead people to focus on themselves and their hardships. Aim to express appreciation toward friends, family, and strangers. •Focus on what you can change. Spending time dwelling on your current situation can perpetuate loneliness; rather, focus your attention on something within your control and work at it. •Enjoy being busy. Complete a chore, spend time writing, find a new hobby, or just allow yourself to delve into a new activity. •Remove negativity and smile. Surround yourself with people and activities that bring you joy. Consider taking a break from the news, or at least limiting your consumption. Just the act of smiling can make you feel better. •Be kind, understanding, and patient. Work on treating yourself and others with compassion. Engaging in pleasurable interactions can also help those around you, and may result in deeper connections. •Develop a routine that provides balance and familiarity. Create a daily plan that includes physical activity, time for connecting with loved ones, a project or hobby, and a relaxing pleasure. *Received from Haresh Tarachandani via Group mail Thanks 🙏-Warrier E Vedantasara Upanishad https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/vedantasara-upanishad/m-lite F Leisure One by Two or Two by Three* One for a laugh doc... ONE BY TWO – by PETER COLACO East is East and West and the twain shall never meet, said Rudyard Kipling. But when they do, as in Bangalore Kannada, the results are often scintillating. Kanglish words acquire new layers of meaning which baffle (and amuse) speakers of plain English. Who but a local can understand the cryptic expression `By Two' or even `One by Two.' It was a peculiarly Bangalorean expression meaning one coffee in two cups. Some restaurants put up an advance warning: `No one-by-two.' People also drank two by three coffees and other fractional delicacies. Imagine trying to make a two by three dosa (they gave you two dosas, three plates, and six spoons and politely ignored your antics thereafter). Establishments who objected to this complicated geometry, imposed an all inclusive ban: `No Fractional Service.' By-two coffee was a local speciality, to be experienced by the out of town visitor. In small towns and on highways, vegetarian hotels would identify themselves by a sign in Kannada saying `Oota' (which means a full meal with rice and sambar). This later became `Meals Ready' or `Meeless Ready', both well understood. In Kanglish `meals' has no singular. The proper grammatical statement is: `Have you taken you-urr meeless?' There were two ways that small, non-vegetarian hotels on the highway used to position themselves :`Miltry Hotel' and `Hindu Miltry Hotel', a subtle difference unless you were initiated. `Miltry hotels' served an Indian style cuisine including mutton and other kinds of meat. (Mutton was not as derived from the French mouton (sheep) but was a generic term: as in cow mutton (normally not specified), sheep mutton (specified), pig mutton and so on.) On the other hand `Miltry Hotels' which restricted themselves to chicken (koli mattaan), fish and maybe sheep mutton clearly distinguished themselves as `Hindu' Miltry Hotel, a subtle way of saying we do not serve beef. The adjective military was based on the presumption that all men from the `services' when on leave preferred non-vegetarian food, in `brandhi' bars. Military hotel, meant non-veg in varying degrees, as explained above. They sometimes spelt their name as `Military' or variations like `Milatary' and `Miltiary'. But Miltry is the way most people pronounce it. A hotel near Russell Market, which served delicious kababs, chickan bhoona and coin parothas had a sign:`Dogs not allowed.' (which seemed clear and fair enough in the interests of other customers.) But they later added a sign on the opposite side: `Infected persons strictly prohibited.' One would not have given the matter a second thought, till then. (In small inexpensive `kaka' hotels, the dirtier the walls and table , the tastier the Chicken Masala, the crunchier the parothas.) But after reading the sign it became a compulsive paranoia to scrutinise all fellow customers. There were always one or two who seemed quite possibly infected, with unnameable diseases. And the food never tasted the same. We moved our custom elsewhere. `No Smoking' signs are often put as a formality. But, not only do customers smoke, they also drop their butts and bidis on the floor and stamp them underheel. I have seen very few managements tackling the issue; at most they leave it to other customers to protest. I am told that its main function is to appease the Gods and Goddesses whose pictures hang behind the proprietor, adorned with fresh mallige and worshipped with agarbathis, every morning. `No washing hands in plates.' was another standard warning in most vegetarian hotels (bhavans in those days; darshinis now.) And`No washing hands in glass.' They were more honoured in being not taken literally than in preventing the misuse of plates/glasses as washbasins. At the most it made customers commit the crime quickly, surreptitiously. And have you ever seen anything remotely like this. `Anyone detecting other customer stealing spoons will be suitably rewarded.' Incredible? Well it used to adorn a wall in a `kaka' sort of place not far from MG Rd. And something similar about the silver service was engraved on the bottom of the tea and milk jugs in a popular upmarket cafe in the vicinity. I wonder how many sorely-tempted, kleptomaniac, drinkers of coffee were dissuaded by the warning inscribed on silver. General graffiti provide a greater scope for creativity. One of largest selections are the impassioned protests put up by people whose walls are used for `committing nuisance'. A series of warnings on every panel of a new wall, near my home, says explicitly `Unauthorised persons urinating here will be prosecuted'. I wonder, as I pass, to whom one would apply for authorisation. And then would it be O.K. to commit nuisance? And, in an emergency, could one wait that long. And one more for the road! Inspired, crisp and crystal clear was a message near the imposing gates of a government office. On one side it had the routine: `No Trespassing.' Symmetrically opposite, an identical board warned: `No Pisspassing.' *Forward received from Dr T V Surendran Mananthavady G Quotes about cyclones https://www.inspiringquotes.us/topic/6909-cyclones Like: "In the centre of the cyclone one is off the wheel of Karma, of life, rising to join the Creators of the Universe, the Creators of us. Here we find that we have created Them who are Us." -- John C. Lilly (John Cunningham Lilly was an American physician, neuroscientist, psychoanalyst, psychonaut, philosopher, writer and inventor. He was a member of a generation of counterculture scientists and thinkers that included Ram Dass, Werner Erhard and Timothy Leary, all frequent visitors to the Lilly home.)