Warrier's COLLAGE June 14, 2021

Welcome to Warrier's COLLAGE Monday June 14, 2021 Non-Dual Awakening : Sarvapriyananda https://youtu.be/DVmWlRmOnSo (Uploaded last week) Good Morning On behalf of all readers of COLLAGE Wishing a very Happy Birthday and peaceful, healthy and long life (Ayurarogyasaukhyam) to all readers whose birthday is falling in this week, 13 to 19 June 2021. Nice Day M G Warrier M A Responses* 1) S Nallasivan Hyderabad Don't you think the Venkatesa Suprabhatham has been posted a day late? Saturday was an auspicious day! Yesterday Shri Venugopal through his Facebook shared a very rare, one of its kind video, the Arti being performed to the main Deity Shri Venkatesaperumal. And to make it up, as you are fond of sharing Venu's mails/forward quite often, could have posted the rare video clip too in the pages of the Collage S Nallasivan (Saturday would have been Sunday, if we had a Six-Day week 🙏-Warrier) 2) C V Subbaraman Mysuru Talking about Chaaturvarnya Code et al. In Gita the Lord Himself says that the four Varnaas (not castes) were created bh Him consciously. This was done apparently on the principle of division of labour and responsibility in society for smooth functioning of all sections of the people. There is nowhere any indication that one varna is considered superior to another in any manner. As for Pandit Nehru's lofty pronouncement that he should have been said to be the First Servant of India, well, statements can be issued to win the hearts of the people. Why did he not designate himself as per his ideal? He had full powers to do so. 3) R Jayakumar Mumbai God never fails.... Madam Vatsala has rightly said that to answer our petitions it is God who makes the choices and not the petitioner. God never gives in our hands the finished products we need but he provides the raw materials to meet our needs. He gives the seeds in our hands when we ask for fruits. He has already provided elsewhere the fertile soil and the water and the sunlight. It is for us to plant the seed and wait for the leaves to come out. Then for the ear of the corn to appear which will finally mature into grains of fruits. It is our responsibility to grow the tree and wait for the fruit. Initially it may look like a cactus or a caterpillar but in due time they will turn into beautiful flowers and butterflies. All the seeds God places on our hands are not always to produce material gains. He also gives us some seeds for our spiritual growth. He also supplies the seeds of good intentions which when sown gradually bring forth the blade of virtue and ultimately the mature ear of charitable works. When established in virtue, we are made ripe to harvest in plenty for God's glory.. It is just the seeds. But the earth itself starts the process, first the blades of leaves, then the ear of corn, then the full grains in the ear. While God grants us our own wishes..Let us also be fruitful to others in some ways.. R Jayakumar (*Collage shares diverse views on faith/spirituality/philosophy and all views are personal. This observation is not with reference to views expressed in today's Collage. The purpose is dissemination of information 🙏-Warrier) B Current Affairs 1) Recent RBI Announcements : June 4, 2021 https://m.rbi.org.in/Scripts/BS_PressReleaseDisplay.aspx?prid=51684 Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies This Statement sets out various developmental and regulatory policy measures on (i) liquidity management and support to targeted sectors; (ii) regulation and supervision; (iii) financial markets; and (iv) payment systems. C Health & Hygeine 1) Help your body to remain fit to carry you longer : Vathsala Jayaraman Chennai WHEN breakfast deprived in time in the morning, the stomach remains gripped in fear. Every twenty four hours if one fails to drink 10 glasses of water, kidney shudders. When not getting into sleep by 11p m & by not waking up before sunrise, the gall bladder turns inefficient. When cold/stale and left over food of previous day is eaten, small intestine struggles. When large quantities of fried food and spicy items are consumed, large intestine stressed. Lungs shudders when one smokes cigar or cigarette and breathe air from polluted surroundings. Deep fried, junk and instant food irritates liver. Foods high in salt & rich in bad cholesterol are consumed heart cries out hoarse. Foods tangy and tasty and easily available sweets are consumed frequently, pancreas would be in hue & cry Eyes in darkness, when exposed to computer & phone monitors for long hours, remain frightened. Whenever Mind is filled with Negative thoughts, gray matter ie brain goes haywire. Therefore one should take care of the organs by eating selectively in time and avoid bad habits and practises which are detrimental to the health of body parts. Do not frighten body parts. Thse body spare parts are not readily available in market. Even if they are available, it would cost you a fortune. Invariably such spare parts may not readily be accepted by the body. Therefore, it is imperative to keep body parts in sound condition, so that they can help it's owners continue to enjoy and remain in pink of health. Vathsala Jayaraman 2) Mumbai Gutters https://www.warriersblog.com/2021/06/mumbai-deserves-cleaner-gutters.html Mumbai deserves cleaner gutters* M G WARRIER The Pocket Oxford Dictionary before me defines a gutter as ‘a shallow trough beneath the edge of a roof, or a channel at the side of a street, for carrying off rain water’. In Mumbai, gutter has assumed different meanings for different people. For most of us, a gutter is a trench provided by municipal corporation where dirty water get collected and people dump waste. Now, let me ‘come to the point’! A 12 feet wide gutter flows adjacent to the housing complex in Bhandup (West) where we stay. It comes from somewhere beyond Pawai and silently flows beyond our area, perhaps terminating somewhere near Vashi creek. The stretch of the gutter from Powar Public School to some distance beyond Bhandup Railway station has huge accumulations of waste and water has no free flow. The sides of the gutter ‘house’ snakes, rats and other ‘wild life’ creatures. The gutter provides a fertile breeding ground for mosquitoes and a variety of fleas. The one kilometre stretch visible from Bhandup Railway Station supports the following: i) Sale of about 20,000 units of mosquito repellents per month to 10,000 households. ii) Fumigation contracts in several housing societies in the area. iii) Extra income for the medical profession providing healthcare support to residents in this area. iv) Savings for some families which throw their waste into the gutter. The list is illustrative and not exhaustive. Just wondering, whether any vested interests are preventing the authorities from periodical cleaning of gutters. When normal and routine thing do not happen normally and routinely, citizens use their imagination to formulate ‘allegations’. In Kerala, at one stage, people alleged commercial interests of ‘anti-rabies medicines lobby’ to be behind supporters of ‘save street dogs campaign’! Speaking from the ramparts of Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had exhorted people of India to cleanse their premises. ‘Swacch Bhaarat Abhiyaan’ is a follow up of this. In Mumbai, gutters are cleaned once in a year, sometime in May/June to ensure free flow of water to prevent flooding of streets. What is preventing Municipal Corporation from ensuring that the gutters remain clean during other periods also? If someone has an answer, express it! *************** *Article published in Satya Kiran Times, November 1-15, 2016 No: 243420112016 D Readers' Contribution 1) C V Subbaraman Mysuru What caste? There is a Samskrita slokam: Janmanaa Jaayate Sudrah, samskaaraad Bhaved dwijah.( every - One is born a sudra and becomes a brahmin by samskaara). What is samskraara? Not mere ritual, but by conduct and action. How did dacoit Ratnaakara become Maharshi Vaalmiki? Raamajapam anantham made him the reformed person, elevated him to the status of Maharshi. Did not Ekalavya become a Kshatriya (warrior) by his own action? there is an interesting commentary on Shiva Panchaakshari recitation: क्षत्रियः पञ्चलक्षण क्षत्रत्वमपनेष्यति । पुनश्च पञ्चलक्षण क्षत्रियो ब्राह्मणो भवेत् ।। मन्त्रसिद्धिर्जपाद्यैव क्रमान्मुक्तो भवेन्नर । वैश्यस्तु पञ्चलक्षण वैश्यत्वमपनेष्यति ।। पुनश्च पञ्चलक्षण मन्त्रक्षत्रिय उच्यते । पुनश्च पञ्चलक्षण क्षत्रत्वमपनेष्यति ।। पुनश्च पञ्चलक्षण मन्त्रब्राह्मण उच्यते । शूद्रश्चैव नमोऽन्तेन पञ्चविंशतिलक्षत ।। मन्त्रविप्रत्वमापद्य पश्चाच्छुद्रो भवेद्द्विज। नारीवाथ नरो वाथ ब्राह्मणो वान्य एव वा ।। Whether man or woman or whatever caste one might be in, every one can elevate oneself to the status of Brahmin by repeated recitation of Panchaakshari Mantra, it is said. By recitation it does not mean mechanical recitation without applying mind into it. By the time one recites it wholeheartedly, with unalloyed devotion, one gets such superior bliss that one is automatically transformed to the supreme status. Even a brahmin by birth does not remain a brahmin unless he attains by conduct the status. Who can really say that lakhs of "brahmins" who serve (do daasa pravrithi) can truly claim themselves to remain brahmin? One has to secure the status of Brahmanatwa by action. subbaraman 2) Down the Memory Lane : Vathsala Jayaraman Arumugakavacham It was the month of Aadi in 1975. Myself, my husband, our two young kids along with my mother-in-law had been on a trip availing LFC to various places such as Trichy, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari etc. From Tirunelveli to Tiruchendur we travelled by bus and reached Tiruchendur at about 7 AM. On getting down from the bus when we were going towards Senthil Andavan Chatram(INN), I found out that one of my diamond nose studs with four diamond droplets was missing and the mere screw alone was sticking to the nose. I did not know whether it had fallen inside the bus or anywhere in the bus stand or in the sea sand while going to choultry. Absolutely no clue. Anyhow we went to the same bus stop and enquired the conductor whether we can search for the jewel inside the bus. He told that the bus was scheduled to leave for Tirunelveli in the next 5 minutes and during the return trip the bus would stop in Tiruchendur for 2 hrs during which time we may have a look into the bus, if we so desired. We went to the chatram, had our bath. The intended Special Pooja was not performed. I had lot of scoldings and the pleasure trip turned into a horror. Our thoughts centred around the costly jewel and not on the fascinating Muruga. Time passed. Leaving my mother-in-law and children at the lodge, both of us went to the bus stop. At about 11.45 the same bus arrived at the Tiruchendur Bus Stop, with the same conductor and driver. All the passengers stepped down. The bus was empty. As agreed to by the conductor, we entered the bus with a new broom stick. Unfortunately this was the first article we had to buy in the pilgrimage centre. I started sweeping the floor of the bus very slowly and carefully-nobody would have done since its manufacture. We could find pieces of papers, half peeled ground nuts, pieces of plantain leaves with spoilt Chutney and Sambar, two or three hand kerchieves full of vomittings and two or three pieces of clothes with defecation by infants --that is all. Our search was over. At that time we found one torn out slipper with straps totally gone. We took the slipper and swept the floor underneath. Nothing could be traced. When we were about to throw the slipper out along with other garbage, somehow I turned the slipper upside down. To my great amazement the main mookkuththi with the droplets was sticking with mud in between the uneven undulated surface of the sole of the slipper. ( Even those days the jewel was valued at about Rs 2500/-) More than the financial worth the sanctity attached to nose stud is great. No need to say that we felt very happy, met the conductor and conveyed our thanks and offered some amount. He bluntly refused to take any money. He said, "Just to console you I asked you to come after 3 hours. With so many passengers getting up and down such a small jewel would have been dragged into the earth, without anybody being aware of it. The jewel has fallen on the floor. Fortunately somebody has left his useless slipper on it and so it was not dragged off. 'இது அறுந்து போன செருப்பு இல்லைங்க. ஆறுமுக கவசம் "என்றாரே பார்க்கலாம்! நாங்கள் அசந்து போய் விட்டோம் .( "This is not torn out slipper. But it is an armour of Lord Arumuga" -this remark from a conductor startled us.) நாலு மணி நேரமாக 'நகை நகை' என்று அலைந்த நாங்கள் எங்கே?அறுந்து போன செருப்பை ஆறுமுகமாகக் கண்ட மனிதன் எங்கே?அந்த நிமிடம் அவர்தான் எங்களுடைய அறிவின்மையை உணர்த்திய ஆறுமுகமாய்த் தோன்றினார். ( Where are we, who have been longing for the jewel for the past 4 hrs? Where is the conductor who visualised the torn slipper as Lord Muruga? Actually he appeared as Lord Skandha who made us realise our ignorance) Some experiences, whether they happen due to divine grace or by sheer coincidence, create an awakening in us. This small incident made us brood over so many things : 1.We felt rather uncomfortable to clean the bus for an hour or so, that too with a selfish motive. What will be the feelings of scavengers who are forced to carry night soil on their shoulders? 2.Why didn't we accept the loss of jewel and proceed further? 3. If the conductor himself had swept the floor, he would have found the jewel. Why didn't he do it? Even today whenever we think of Tiruchendur, more than the sea waves, more than Lord Subrahmanya, this humble simple gentleman stands before us. Whenever I feel the strings of my diamond studded nose ring, I recall the torn and worn out slipper, the unforgettable face of the conductor who saw Lord Himself in the slipper, and of course Thiruchendur Subramanyaswami? Lord manifested himself to us in the form of a slipper, if we believe so. Thiruchendur Murugan, who could stand only a mute witness when his diamond studded "vel" was stolen, and stealthily replaced with a fake one, was graceful enough to restore our nose rings. It is another story, the "thief" was run over by a sand laden lorry, Mayilvahanan. While reminding about the incident, I feel that our action of sweeping the bus as the best worship we could offer at the sanctum sanctorum and it has a real message. The loss of the nose ring on the way to a place of worship, irrespective of the worth, carried some sentimental value; had we not retrieved our jewel, perhaps we would always associate Thiruchendur with the loss of a nose ring and certainly not the serenity of the sea shore temple. As far the sweeping the bus, you must have seen at the entrance to the "Harmandir Sahib", The Golden Temple, the mighty, filthy rich and highly influential Sardars cleaning the shoes and slippers of the pilgrims, left there for safe keep. Similarly, during Shastha Preethi, a feast offered to Lord Ayyappa, ardent devotees, take it a privilege to remove the leaves and clean the left over, as they believed that the Lord Himself partook in the feast. In Shrimath Bagavatham Dattatreya talks about 24 Gurus including a wasp, a hunter, a thief and a courtesan. I would certainly include the conductor and the worn out slippers as my Guru, having taught us unforgettable lessons in life. Vathsala Jayaraman 3) A Room With a View A room with a view : https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/a-room-with-a-view/article34797782.ece "Dusk is my favourite time for gazing outside the window. The sky is a carnival of colours: tangerine, fuchsia, magenta, coral and many more shades in between. Quite a few times I have tried clicking pictures on my phone but have always been disappointed at how unfaithfully they capture the mesmerising hues. A high-resolution camera would perhaps be equal to the job or perhaps those fleeting colours are meant only for the eyes which care to stop and stare for a while. In these grim times, I consider the view outside my window to be nothing less than a blessing. It preserves my sanity and calms me down. I am humbled by the beauty, awed by the patience of the trees. As I look up from writing now, I spot a pair of cranes flying in tandem across the evening sky. Down below two mongooses are chasing and playing with each other without a care in the world for the time being." E Collage Poetry 1) Poetry for serious reading https://madrascourier.com/art-and-poetry/upon-the-coroners-table/ Excerpts : "Both eyes, wide and glistening The coroner stops, fingers twitching Lips curve upward in a well-deserved grin He pulls out Strings and strings and more knotted strings Of words From the throat All unspoken." 2) Life & Death* Lovely poem which went viral sometime back, attributed to Ram Jethmalani, who died on September 8, 2019 at the age of 95 years ———————————— Sometimes in the dark of the night, I visit my conscience To see if it is still breathing, For its dying a slow death Every day. When I pay for a meal in a fancy place. An amount which is perhaps the monthly income Of the guard who holds the door open. And quickly I shrug away that thought, It dies a little. When I buy vegetables from the vendor, And his son "chhotu" smilingly weighs the potatoes, Chhotu, a small child, who should be studying at school. I look the other way It dies a little. When I am decked up in a designer dress, A dress that cost a bomb And I see a woman at the crossing, In tatters,trying unsuccessfully to save her dignity. And I immediately roll up my window. It dies a little. When I buy expensive gifts for my children, On return, I see half clad children, With empty stomach and hungry eyes, Selling toys at red light I try to save my conscience by buying some, yet It dies a little. When my sick maid sends her daughter to work, Making her bunk school I know I should tell her to go back. But I look at the loaded sink and dirty dishes, And I tell myself that is just for a couple of days It dies a little. When I hear about a rape or a murder of a child, I feel sad, yet a little thankful that it's not my child. I can not look at myself in the mirror, It dies a little. When people fight over caste creed and religion. I feel hurt and helpless I tell myself that my country is going to the dogs, I blame the corrupt politicians, Absolving myself of all responsibilities It dies a little. When my city is choked. Breathing is dangerous in the smog ridden metropolis, I take my car to work daily , Not taking the metro,not trying car pool. One car won't make a difference, I think It dies a little. So when in the dark of the night, I visit my conscience And find it still breathing I am surprised. For, with my own hands Daily, bit by bit, I kill it, I bury it. (Ram Boolchand Jethmalani was an Indian lawyer and politician. He served as India's Union minister of law and justice, as chairman of the Indian Bar Council, and as the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association. He was noted in the Indian legal fraternity for his forte in criminal law and high-profile civil cases. ) *Received from Kiran Warrier Navi Mumbai. The Week did a fact check. Report @ https://www.theweek.in/leisure/society/2019/09/18/meet-the-author-behind-the-viral-poem-attributed-to-ram-jethmalani.amp.html) F Leisure Book Review : "It's not easy Being Me" https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-06-621107-7 "He was born Jacob Cohen in 1921 to a vaudevillian father constantly on the road and a "coldhearted," "selfish" mother: "I guess that's why I went into show business—to get some love." As Jack Roy, he began performing in his teens, struggled in clubs across the country but quit in 1949 to spend 12 years as an aluminum-siding salesman. At 40, he changed his name and his act: "I was older and wiser, yeah, but I was funnier too." In a major comeback, he made 70 Tonight Showappearances and opened his own nightclub in 1969, followed by TV specials and commercials, albums and hit movies. Writing with hip, showbiz savvy and a backstage bawdiness, he regales with tales of Lenny Bruce, Andy Kaufman and many more, and devotes full chapters to sex and drugs." G Quotes about Calendar https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/calendar-quotes Like : "My wife's jealousy is getting ridiculous. The other day she looked at my calendar and wanted to know who May was." Rodney Dangerfield (Jack Roy, popularly known by the stage name Rodney Dangerfield, was an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, musician and author. He was known for his self-deprecating one-liner humor, his catchphrase "I get no respect!" and his monologues on that theme.)