Warrier's COLLAGE June 3, 2021

Welcome to Warrier's COLLAGE On Thursday JUNE 3, 2021 1) What is Sin? : Chinmayananda https://youtu.be/UcEAGQM_PYw 2) Why do we pray ? : Speaking Tree https://www.speakingtree.in/article/why-do-we-pray-167821/m-lite (Links Selected by: M G Warrier Mumbai) Good Morning Nice Day 🙏 M G Warrier A 1) Responses S Nallasivan Hyderabad One cannot even comprehend how the mind of a father who lost his grown up son to the deadly Virus would be. It is an uncontrollable and unmanageable tragedy. How I am going to express my grief and find words to console Shri E T Rajendran and his family is beyond me. God, they say is compassionate and would protect and save his devotees from such personal tragedy. He who has failed Shri E T Rajendran alone could give him courage to get over the profound loss. All we can do is share the grief alongwith the family and offer prayers for the departed Soul to Rest st in Peace S Nallasivan 2) R Jayakumar Mumbai I Very sad to know about the demise of the son of Mr E T Rajendran. My sympathies to the bereaved family members. May his Soul Rest in Peace 🙏 II I wish to convey, through the Collage, my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Mrs and Mr S Nallasivan on their 49th Wedding Anniversary Celebration. R Jayakumar 3) C V Subbaraman Mysuru It is refreshing to hear about the decent autodriver of Hyderabad. It is now six years since I left Ahmedabad and I do not know what is the present situation there. But earlier I lived for almost 25 years in Ahmedabad. I salute the Ahmedabad autodrivers for their reasonableness and fairness. If the meter would show Rs.14.50 and you gave Rs.15, he would dutifully return 50 paise: there would be no appropriation of your 50 paise without any word, no bargain of extra (Meterukku melae, as is wont in Chennai) and no excuse that the meter is not working and no economic theories of Chennai autowallahs quoting petrol and diesel prices! The success of any Chief Minister of TN should be judged by his or her making the Chennai autowallahs running the autos by meter, not overcharging. Any taker for accepting this challenge? Subbaraman 4) V Sundaresan Immediately on receipt of Nallasivan's mail, I could sense the brewing of filter coffee with aroma of ghee-filled kesari bath from Hyderabad side and felt that something special should be happening there. I sent the following mail. If I am not wrong I might have been the first to greet him. Sundaresan. V "My dear friend Your narration is a riddle-ridden one and if I have successfully solved it, let me have the pleasure of greeting you on this D-Day. I would like to wish you both, a successful and healthy Golden Jubilee in the year to come (01-06-2022). After my return from Thiruvananthapuram, I had no occasion to see and interact with her and it is more than two decades. You can expect me at your doors the moment the lockdown is lifted and Covid is driven out of Hyderabad. All the best to both of you! Regards, Sundaresan. V" B 20th Century Malayalam Poetry Chandala Bhikshuki : V Babusenan Thiruvananthapuram The great Malayalam poet Kumaran Asan again. The kind words spoken about the present writer by persons like Shri Subbaraman have emboldened him to pick up the mobile phone. Asan's another long poem 'Chandala Bhikshuki,' written in 1922, one year before he wrote 'Karuna' and two years before his demise. Asan took his theme from Prof Lakshmi Narasu's book 'The Essence of Buddhism' published in1907. Let us have a look at the story: It was a summer month in Shraavasthi, an ancient town in the present Uttar Pradesh, sanctified by the long presence of the Buddha. A young Buddhist monk was returning from preaching the Buddha's teachings in the neighbouring village. His name was Ananda. He was exhausted by the oppressive heat and he took shelter under the lone tree in the desolate area. There was a dilapidated well close to the tree but there were no means to draw water from it. Luckily a charming young woman came there and started drawing water from the well. Ananda approached her for some water. She was startled. She looked at the very handsome young man standing before her and said: "I am a chandala girl, the daughter of the head of an untouchable group living close by. How can you, an Arya, drink water from my hands?" The monk smiled and said gently: "Sister, I didn't ask your caste. I ask only some water to quench my thirst" She gladly gave him as much water as he needed. He thanked her profusely and said: " Sweet girl, Lord Buddha will bless you for your kind deed." Then he went back to the shade. Now, it is the turn of the poet to bless her. He says: "Punnyasaalinee nee Pakarnneedumee Thanneer thannude Oaroro thulliyum Anthamatta sukritha Haarangal nin Antharaatmaavil Arpikkunnundaavaam." (My dear lucky girl, perhaps, you don't know. Each drop of the water you poured for him to drink might have changed into a garland of good deed adorning your inner self.) It was true. Maathangi -that was her name-didn't get a wink of sleep that night. The handsome face of the young man, who looked up after drinking water, didn't vanish from her mind. She was caught in a vortex of thrill and she left the house before her chirping friends woke up and reached the Vihar in Shraavasthi where the Buddha stayed. He received her with utmost kindness, transformed her infatuation for the young monk to pious feelings and sent her to the vihar meant for Bhikshukies. Soon she merged with the new surroundings and became one like the others. News soon spread that one Chandala girl was living with upper caste Bhikshukies. Orthodoxy could not tolerate it even though it was done by the Buddha himself. The caste Hindus approached the King Prasenajit to remedy the grave social offence. The king, with a select group of the complainants, visited the Vihara to plead with the Buddha. Prasenajith himself was a follower of the Buddha and, to spare him the embarrassment, the latter opened the topic himself saying: "Rajan, I know you have come to question me why I permitted my daughter Maathangi, an untouchable, to stay in the Vihara for bhikshukies who came from the so-called upper class families." " Please understand that the untouch- ables are not like weeds growing beside the rice plants. Given the chance, they will also grow like other plants. My daughter Maathangi herself is the best example." "Will you say that a brahmin is born on creepers or on the cloud or on the ritual fire ? Do you think that a brahmin's sperm will not grow in a chandali's womb?" This is what I have to say: "The mistake committed yesterday becomes a ritual today. Who knows it will not become a sastra tomorrow? Therefore, Rajan, please don't yield to such stupidities." The Buddha said these and much more about the meaninglessness of caste considerations and concluded by saying: " Rajan, you teach your people to love each other. Please know that it is from love that this world has emerged. It is from love that the world takes sustenance. It is love that gives strength. It is love that gives happiness to all. Love is life and the negation of love is death." It was a very precious monologue and the king listened to every word in rapt attention. He returned with his entourage without seeking clarification on anything. A kind of peace prevailed in the kingdom and spread far and wide as a result of the king following the Buddha's advice. The poet says that this peace remained for about ten centuries in Bharat. In 2022, that is next year, Kerala, in all likelihood, will be celebrating the centenary of this poem. It will be a pity that, by then, casteism will have raised its ugly heads everywhere. C Mythology Kaala Sankalpa : Time Line Vathsala Jayaraman Chennai In fact in Bhagavata Purana ,3rd Skandham,10th Chap the issue has been discussed in greater detail. " Time, (Kaala),is undifferentiated and has no beginning or end and it is actually a metamorphosis of World Phenomenon." Actually the words Anu and Paramaanu ( which denote atom these days) signify a measure of time. It is interesting to know a table or vaaippaadu as per Bhagavatham. The minutest particle is Paramaanu. 2paramaanus=1 Anu 3Anus =1 Trasarenu ( Trasarenu is the minutest particle seen floating in space) The measure of time taken by the sunray to travel across a group of 3 Trasarenu is called Truti 100 Trutis =A vedha 3 Vedhas =1 lava 3 Lavas =1 nimesha( twinkling of eye)and not minute 3 nimesha =1 kshana 5 Kkshanas =1 kaashta 15 kaashtas =1 laghu 15 laghus =1 naadika 2 naadikaas =1 muhurta 6 or 7naadikaas =1prahara( depending on long days or nights) 1 prahara=one quarter of a day/night This is how the matter ( anu) is connected with time. Bhagavatam speaks of sandhya or sandhyamasa being the sleeping hrs of Brahma after each yuga.Everything else is withdrawn into him.( perhaps corresponding to crunch, According to Bhagavatam, the Satya Yuga consists of 4000 years and 800 years of crunch( Sandhyamsa) For every yuga , 20% of the period is stated to be Sleeping Over. Kaliyuga consists of 1000 celestial years followed by 200 years of rest.In terms of human years kaliyuga will last for 432000 years. But historical research done by carbon dating and other astronomical data place Rama's date some 7000 years back and Mahabharata war sometime in 3700B. C. This has absolutely no relevance with 864000 years of Dwapara Yuga and 12,96 000 years of Tretayuga. We are at a loss as to what to believe. Though this confusion will never stand in the way of our daily life, it makes us think. What surprises us more is when we realize all these dashaavataras took place in this present chaturyugi which is day time of Brahma, so these avataras were there for very few divine hours, for us that is yugas. These thoughts not only astonish us but make us feel that our existence is just micro micro dot in the Time Line. D Readers' Contribution R Jayakumar Mumbai There was a father who had two sons. When they were grown, one son stayed at home with his father and cared for him in his old age, took care of the house so his father could remain there. He possessed a sense of duty that served him and his father well. But he never told his father he loved him - with words or in any other way. The other son left home and moved to another state where he started a career and a family. He visited the father rarely and didn't do the little odd jobs that needed doing when he did come back. But he called his father every week and listened to his stories and at the end of every phone call he would say to his father, "I love you." Which was the good son? Which son was better? There was a father with two sons. One went to his father and made his demands. He would say to his father, “You owe me.” The other son never asked for a thing and never imagined that he was owed a thing in this life by his father. Or anyone. But he never gave him a thing either. His philosophy of life was, “Everything I am I did myself. Everything I have I got myself. I look out for Number One, like everyone does, and I don’t owe anyone a single things.” Which son was the good son? Which son was better? These are the kinds questions asked by such stories of fathers and sons. They are either/or stories. Which one is right, which one is wrong? Who wins and who loses? These are familiar questions, because we often do look at things in dichotomous terms: either/or, wrong/right, in/out, black/white. Many things in life are like that: you can either have this or that. You can do this or you can do that. One is right and the other is wrong. Make a choice, and wonder whether you chose well. Sometimes you know right away, sometimes you never find out. I grew up in a family of four sisters and I can say I honestly never knew if either of my parents had a favorite. I think my sisters would have to say the same. But that never stopped us from thinking about it and making guesses. There must have been one. They must have had a favorite. Kim and I have four children ourselves. We don’t make a big deal about our wedding anniversary, but there was one year when three of the four of them gave us a card. The other one treated us to an anniversary dinner with champagne; and her friends said to her, “You are sure their favorite child right now.” Scott Avett sings a beautiful song about family love... "I wonder which brother is better, which one our parents love the most. I sure did get in lots of trouble; they seemed to let the other go. A tear fell from my father’s eye; I wondered what my dad would say... He said I love you and I’m proud of you both in so many different ways." FORWARDED MESSAGE BY R JAYAKUMAR E Tips for Happy Life* : Haresh Tarachandani Do you feel compelled to constantly check your smartphone for texts, emails or social media posts? Do you find yourself multi-tasking throughout the day just to get things done? Yes? Then you may be robbing yourself of the very happiness, peace and joy you crave. Happily, there is a simple remedy. According to the latest research, a powerful technique called “mindfulness”—the practice of purposely focusing your attention on the present moment—has been found to be the key element to happiness and a healthier mind and body. But there is hope! Did you know that you have enormous power to lower your stress levels, improve your level of happiness, and be more resilient in the face of adversity? Thanks to the mental health experts at Harvard Medical School, you can discover dozens of easy-to-apply tips and techniques to help kindle more peace and joy in your life. These techniques — backed by the latest research and proven in the lives of men and women like you — are revealed in a Positive Psychology Train your brain to be happier and more content First, you’ll discover how to quickly move past the obstacles to true happiness — like how to defuse a harmful “mind wandering” habit that can lead to a spiral of despair. Next,4 powerful principles — all supported by insightful quizzes and practical applications — that can work wonders on your personal happiness. These steps have been shown to help improve your physical health, too! In Positive Psychology, •Get into the happiness “flow”, described as that happy zone where you’re completely engaged and absorbed, where time flies happily by, and where toxic thoughts are banished from your mind. •Identify and build on your personal happiness-boosting inner strengths and make them even stronger. These eye-opening strategies can help you feel more energetic and perform better. In fact, a recent study showed that people who identified their key strength and used it in a new way each week significantly increased happiness and reduced depression. •Magnify the happiness impact of gratitude. Discover the powerful gratitude secrets to help you better deal with adversity and build strong relationships with friends and family. You’ll see how to develop an attitude of gratitude about your past and present plus a spirit of unbridled optimism for your future. •Enhance your ability to recognize and celebrate the simple pleasures in your day as they occur, plus how to shape abundant pleasures in your future! You’ll also discover the #1 roadblock to savoring life’s pleasures and how to avoid it at all costs. Armed with these practical strategies — and many more revealed in Positive Psychology — you’ll be able to choose happiness and inner strength and say “NO” to habits that can drag you down. Master the techniques psychotherapists now use to treat depression, anxiety, addictions, and conflict *Received via Group mail F Leisure Quotes about Leisure https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/leisure-quotes G Leisure Polish Joke* Lock Down Pole Joke🙏 A Polish man had married a Canadian girl after he had been in Canada for a year or so and although his English was far from perfect, the couple got on well. One day, though, he rushed into a lawyer's office and asked if he could arrange for a divorce for him...."very quick!!!" The lawyer explained that the speed of getting a divorce would depend on the circumstances and asked these questions: LAWYER; have you any grounds?!" POLE; "an acre and a half and a nice 3 bedroom house!!" LAWYER; "no, I mean what is the foundation of the case?!" POLE; "it is made of concrete, bricks and mortar!!" LAWYER; "does either of you have a real grudge?!" POLE; "No, we have a carport.... don't need a grudge!!" LAWYER; "I mean, what are your relations like?!" POLE; "All my relations live in Poland!!" LAWYER; "is there any infidelity in your marriage?!" POLE; "yes....we have hi-fidelity stereo set and DVD player with 6.1 surround sound!!" LAWYER; "no, I mean does your wife beat you up?!" POLE; "no, I'm always up before her!!" LAWYER; "why do you want this divorce?!" POLE; "she is going to kill me!!!!" LAWYER; "what makes you think that?!" POLE; "I got proof!!" LAWYER; "what kind of proof?!" POLE; "she going to poison me. She buy bottle at drug store and I read label. It say.... POLISH REMOVER!!!!" *Received from S Venugopal Chennai (Though presented as joke in a "Polished" way, many of us communicate each other like this in real life 🙏-Warrier) H Obituary : D Krishna Warrier Devaki Krishna Warrier (74), son of Devaki and Dr P K R Warrier passed away in Thiruvananthapuram on June 1, 2021. He was ailing for about one year. He is survived by wife Sheela, daughter Jameela Warrier and family. A note shared by his SiL Aravind reads : "He was in ICU for the past 12 days. Unfortunately after his demise he tested Covid positive. Hence No formal funeral or function. Please do not visit us as all are in quarantine. Your Prayers are all we require. Take Care and Stay Safe" Anand Narayanan's tribute: "Deeply sad moment for all of us. We have lost a wonderful guru, mentor, and friend. Last time I spoke to him, he said how deeply he missed being with all of us, and was looking forward to the AASTRO* get-togethers after the pandemic. As many of you know, the last several months have been quite tough for him, physically. In spite of his age, he was always there, more so than most of us, in our monthly programs, night sky sessions, March for Science, ever ready for some spirited conversations about science. Those beautiful moments with him are going to be our cherished memories. He once told me, while talking about Hardy's speech on Srinivasan Ramanujan, that in farewell speeches, obituaries, and eulogies people should put more astronomy ideas, like the vastness of space, immensity of time etc, so that we realize how meaningless it is to latch on to any sentiment for too long. That was Warrier sir, always a fresh perspective on things, showing us the way... I hope we can initiate a yearly astronomy lecture in his memory, and bring in some great communicators of science to talk. That's how, I think, Krishna Warrier sir would like us to remember him. That would be the kind of get together that he would have loved to attend." *AASTRO Kerala : http://www.aastro.in/p/about-us.html?m=1