Warrier's COLLAGE August 10, 2021

Welcome to Warrier's COLLAGE On Tuesday August 10, 2021 Good Morning Nice Day M G Warrier Spiritual Oneness as Health https://youtu.be/YhlyyJ5pVX4 (Sarvapriyananda) A Responses 1) Vathsala Jayaraman Chennai S Nallasivan's observations about Collage Awesome is the memory of Shri Nallasivan as he navigates through his experience in Thiruvananthapuram office. In fact everyone has such green memories of official experiences both to be remembered and forgotten. But only a few like Nallasivan can weave an interesting fiction in his own inimitable style. Quite enjoyable. Vathsala Jayaraman 2) Dr T V Surendran Mananthavady Second hand trousers of professor, Cambridge Trinity College. Bertrand Russell's wardrobe (rather the absence of it). Poem forwarded by Sri Jayakumar... And all contents of today's Collage... Filled my stomach and heart B Story Time with Vathsala Jayaraman Chennai A Beautiful Story about growing old THE ROSE The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. (Continued at H2) C Common Cause https://in.one.un.org/poverty-and-urbanisation/amp/ Despite impressive progress, inequality remains a core challenge to the Indian growth agenda.Maternal mortality rates for example vary between 61 deaths per 100,000 births in Kerala to over 300 deaths in Assam. Tackling poverty, inequality and rapid urbanisation in India remains critical to the achievement worldwide of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). D The other side of Himalayas Lost in the Land of Devas Stories of the Sages Swami Rama I had heard and read so much about a village called Jñanganj that my desire for visiting this place became intense. Many pilgrims have heard about this place, but it is rare that someone perseveres enough to reach there. This small community of spiritual people is situated deep within the lap of the Himalayas, surrounded by snowy peaks. For eight months of the year one cannot enter or come out of that place, but a small group of yogis lives there all the time. These yogis observe silence and spend most of their time in meditation. Small log houses provide shelter, and their main food is potatoes and barley, which they store for the whole year. This particular community is made up of Indian, Tibetan, and Nepalese sadhus. This small group of adepts resides on the Himalayan border between Tibet and Pithora Garh. There is no other place but this that can be called Jñanganj. (Continued at H3) E Collage in Classroom First Impression The description of 2 persons A and B were presented by the HR consultants to a corporate. The traits of A : Intelligent--Industrious--impulsive---critical---stubborn--envious The traits of B : Envious---Stubborn---critical----impulsive---industrious---intelligent Naturally A is viewed much more favourably than B. The initial traits in the list change the very meanings of the traits that appear later. The stubbornness of an intelligent person is seen to be justified and may evoke respect as a disciplinarian, but intelligence in an envious and stubborn person makes him look dangerous. The same words 'stubborn' and 'intelligence' are interpreted in altogether different manner. Ideal teachers feel that their evaluation of students is marred by this halo effect. The student who has scored high marks for the first question, the teacher is likely to give the benefit of doubt to the student whenever the student makes an ambiguous statement in the following answers. The teacher ends up with his final grades depending on the first answer. They say that the ideal evaluation would be to value the answers to the first question of all the students first and proceed with the second question. In this pattern the teacher may not be influenced by the answer to the previous questions since there is sufficient time gap. This may not be practically possible; but the dependability of the teacher on the answer to the first question as a measure of what the children knew may vanish. Children are normally advised to attempt the questions which they know well first . Not only students, even professionals aiming at top positions are advised to be careful in projecting their Resume, since some open minded remarks may prove totally harmful to their prospects. Vathsala Jayaraman F Leisure Longevity and Lifestyle : Vathsala Jayaraman Chennai A journalist interviewed a 97 year old man and was questioning about his longevity. The old man enthusiastically talked about his discipline., good habits,strict ethical values,moderate food habits, yoga exercises and so on. When the interview was going on some big beating sound of sticks was heard from the first floor of the building. The journalist asked' What is it all about?" The old man replied' My 120 year old father, having drunk full, is dancing with some women in the first floor of the building: This is not to suggest that addiction may lead to longevity:But an information that longevity need not necessarily be associated with strict discipline. Self imposed discipline is always welcome whether it contributes to longevity or not. Vathsala Jayaraman G Quotes on longevity https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/longevity.html Like : "Gratitude is a mindful awareness of the benefits of life. It's the greatest of virtues. Studies have linked the emotion with a variety of positive effects. Grateful people tend to be more empathetic and forgiving of others. People who keep a gratitude journal are more likely to have a positive outlook on life. Grateful individuals demonstrate less envy, materialism, and self-centeredness. Gratitude improves self-esteem and enhances relationships, quality of sleep, and longevity." Max Lucado (Max Lucado (born January 11, 1955) is an American author[1] and pastor at Oak Hills Church (formerly the Oak Hills Church of Christ) in San Antonio, Texas) H 1) Continued from D1 Yoga From the experience of a long time meditator If body is a cart, the two bullocks that run it regularly are the Manas (Mind) and Buddhi (Intellect). Manas can be tamed by concentration on a single thing and expand the attention on it for a longer duration whereas Buddhi needs to be one-pointed to the object that the mind is concentrating on. Therefore, two essential elements needed for successful meditation is concentration and one-pointedness. Generally, taming the mind is the most difficult job as its vagaries are tormenting like a waves in the sea with so many thoughts bombarding us. Once the concentration is practiced regularly, one-pointedness can be achieved as it involves Buddhi. The destruction of the agitation of the mind is the prerequisite for getting an audience with Self that is centered in us. However, the castle around this centeredness has 8 gates to it and they are a) control of the inner senses (yama), b)control of the outter senses (niyama), sitting posture (asana), breath control (pranayama), mind control (prathyahara), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana) and super-consciousness (samadhi). One needs to cross all of these eight gates to reach the Samadhi stage which has infinite bliss. If blissful state is the goal of life, then one needs to cross all of these eight gates that need to be breached. Before we get to meditative state which is the closest to the super-consciousness, we need to cross six different gates and each of them need a lot of practice. In my personal experience, I believe that the first two can be conquered by auto-suggestions to our subconscious mind in order to have a deep commitment to these goals. Sitting straight and breath control can be practiced at anytime and and at any place. Mind control and concentration involve understanding of the mind and observation of our thoughts as a third party and choosing one thought that is worth pursuing. After crossing all of these huddles is when meditative state develops where one is knocking at the door of super-consciousness. At this stage, we get a glimpse of the supreme and one can get in and out of blissful state. When we conquer the final gate, one becomes a self-realized yogi. Vathsala Jayaraman 2) Continued from D I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being. She said, 'Hi Handsome...My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?' I laughed and enthusiastically responded, 'Of course you may!' and she gave me a giant squeeze. 'Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?' I asked. She jokingly replied, 'I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married and have a couple of kids....' 'No seriously,' I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age. 'I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!' she told me. After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months, we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.. Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she revelled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up. At the end of the semester, we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet.. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed, she leaned into the microphone and simply said, 'I'm sorry I'm so jittery.... I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order; so let me just tell you what I know.' As we laughed she cleared her throat and began- 'We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it! There is a huge difference between growing OLDER and growing UP. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older.... That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what they did, but rather for things they did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.' She concluded her speech by courageously singing 'The Rose.' She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end, Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago! However, one week after graduation, Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be. When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice to your friends and family, they'll really enjoy it! These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE. REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL. We make a LIVING by what we get, we make a LIFE by what we give. A beautiful story. It may not be possible in India to join a regular institution after a stipulated age. I recently met a gentleman ,Indian, a qualified lawyer who practised law for 15 years was totally depressed in dealing with criminal cases decided to quit his profession and registered for an undergraduate course in Science and medicine.Though the subjects were entirely new,he could have a better understanding because of his age.After studying for nearly 9 years ,he is practising medicine in a big hospital .He is now nearing 70,very happily settled in medical profession. Perhaps in his thinking settling as a lawyer was like 'growing old'.Now he is' growing up' Vathsala Jayaraman God promises a SAFE LANDING, not a CALM PASSAGE. If God brings you to it..... He will bring you........ through it. 3) Continued from D Lake of the Devil I decided to go to Mount Kailash along with another four renunciates in order to visit this village. We went from Almora to Dharchula to Garbhyank, and after several days, when we reached Rakshastal, we lost our way. It was in the month of July, when the snow melts in the Himalayan mountains. During this season of the year the glaciers move and sometimes an entire glacier crashes down and blocks the path. For several days there may be no way to go. Humor is an important quality that makes one cheerful in all walks of life. As we were walking we found glaciers collapsing, blocking the way behind and in front of us. I was accustomed to such sudden calamities, but the other swamis were new to these adventures. The swamis were very much frightened. They held me responsible for this and started putting the blame on me because I was from the Himalayas. They said, “You should have known better. You are from the mountains. You misguided us. We have no food, the path is blocked, and it is very cold. We are dying here.” We were stranded there by the side of an enormous lake, called Rakshastal, which means “Lake of the Devil.” Because of the melting snow and avalanches, the water started rising. By the second day everyone was in a panic. I said, “We are not ordinary worldly people. We are renunciates. We should die happily. Remember God. Panic is not going to help us.” Everyone started remembering his mantra and praying, but nothing seemed to help. Here their faith was tested—but none of them had any. They were afraid of being buried in the snow. I started joking and said, “Suppose you all die? What will be the fate of your institutions, wealth, and followers?” They said, “We may be dying, but first we will see that you die.” My jokes and my taking this situation lightly made them more angry. Very few people know how to enjoy humor. Most people become very serious in such adverse situations. Humor is an important quality that makes one cheerful in all walks of life. To cultivate this quality is very important. When the poison was given to Socrates, he was very humorous and made a few jokes. When the cup of hemlock was given to him he said, “Can I share a bit of it with the gods?” Then he smiled and said, “Poison has no power to kill a sage, for a sage lives in reality, and reality is eternal.” He smiled and took the poison. Walking with the Devas I said to these renunciates, “If we have to live and if we are on the right path, the Lord will protect us. Why should we worry?” It started becoming dark and again snow started falling. Suddenly a man with a long beard, wearing a white robe and carrying a lantern, appeared before us. He asked, “Have you lost your way?” “For almost two days we have had nothing to eat, and we do not know how to get out of this place,” we replied. He told us to follow him. There had seemed to be no way through that avalanche—but when we followed him we eventually found ourselves on the other side. He showed us the way to a village that was a few miles away and instructed us to pass the night there. He then suddenly disappeared. We all wondered who he was. The villagers say that such experiences are not uncommon in this land of devas, or bright beings. These bright beings guide innocent travelers when they lose their way. The devas are the bright beings who can travel between the known and unknown sides of life. The shepherds with whom I traveled talked about the devas, or bright beings who guide travelers in the Himalayas. We stayed in this village that night. The next day the other four renunciates refused to travel with me. They all turned back. They did not want to go farther into the mountains because they feared more dangers. After being given directions by the villagers I went all alone toward Jñanganj. One of the sadhus there was kind enough to give me shelter, and I stayed for one and a half months. This place is surrounded by high snowy peaks and is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen. Returning from Jñanganj, I came back by the way that leads to Manasarovar at the foot of Mount Kailash. I met many advanced Indian and Tibetan yogis. For a week I lived in a camp of lamas at the foot of Mount Kailash. I still treasure this experience. I traveled to Garbhyank with a herd of sheep. The shepherds with whom I traveled talked about the devas, or bright beings who guide travelers in the Himalayas. They narrated many such experiences to me. It is said that the devas are the beings who can travel between the known and unknown sides of life. They can penetrate through physical existence to guide aspirants, and yet they live in the non-physical plane. The devas, too, have their plane of existence. Esoteric science and occultism talk much about such beings, but modern scientists dismiss this theory, saying that such beings are either fantasies or hallucinations. I have heard young scientists saying that old men who believe in the existence of such beings must be hallucinating. Old age is another childhood, which is full of follies and can give hallucinations. But spiritual people become more wise in old age. They have no chance to hallucinate, for they purify their minds first and then experience the higher levels of consciousness. Scientists have not studied many dimensions of life as yet. They are still studying the brain and its various zones. The physical sciences have limitations, and their investigations are only on the gross levels of matter, body, and brain. The aspect of psychology that is termed transpersonal or transcendental psychology is very poorly understood by modern scientists. The perennial psychology of the ancients that has been cultivated for several centuries in the past is an exact science. It is based on the finest knowledge, which is called intuition."