The Six Mistakes Of Man

1. The delusion that personal gain is made by crushing others.
2. The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed.
3. Insisting that a thing is impossible because 'he' cannot accomplish it.
4. Refusing to set aside trivial preferences.
5. Neglecting development and refinement of mind, and not acquiring the habit of reading and study.
6.Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.

( Cicero)

An auapicious start to 2009...

I visited the ISKCON , Mayapur on the 2nd of this month, it was an incredible experience. Though not a staunch believer in any of the many sects professed by the Hindu religion, my visit to ISKCON was indeed one which filled me with pride and a sense of glory for what Bhagavatism has achieved in the international arena of religions.
ISKCON was started by Srila Prabhupada, a follower of Bhagavatism and professing the "Bhakti Marga"... It became an international movement in the 1970's with the establishment of it's first 'mandir' in Chigcago. ISKCON emphasises on 'Bhakti'... singing in the praise of the lord Krishna... as a way to enlightenment and the subsequent salvation.It doesn't believe in the cult of sacrifice or hard hitting ritualism.
My best experience was the early morning prayer "Arty" done at 4:30 am.. in the prayer hall where everyone gathers. What amazed me most was the number of followers from different nationalities, regions, cultures, languages all chanting to gather "Hare Rama Hare Krishna", one ardent devotee whom I had the fortune to meet was a Chinese national, she doesn't know English, Hindi or even Bengali but can speak chaste Sanskrit!!! and the joy she felt while singing along was worth beholding. Then there is this ritual of taking out a procession of the idols of Krishna and Radha every Saturday evening, decked up elephants, two beautifully decorated chariots and scores of devotees take the deities around the ISKCON compound, the entire path is strewn with flower petals and and there is constant chanting of hymns and beating of drums together with the blowing of conch and the fragrance of incense sticks... the atmosphere becomes enchanted and magical and I can tell you that even the most staunchest agonist will become a believer.
The "Mahaprasadam" is another thing of amazement. Probably due to the international presence, a devotee can get anything as the Prasadam, from cakes to pastries to cookies to the very Indian 'mithaies', 'payasam', tasty 'jibegajhas' and what not... of course everything is strictly vegan..they do not believe in partaking of flesh of any kind... This visit of mine will be etched in my memory as long as it can be.. I m definitely looking forward to my next visit to Mayapur soon and hope I'll get another chance to visit soon enough. Hare Krishna...

Invictus.....

I was so encouraged by these lines...thanks Vivek...love u dude... :)

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

The Sprit of Christmas..

Merry Christmas to one and all.. :) the Christmas is here and finally the time for bringing out all the gifts we bought for each other..time for cakes and cookies, get togathers and merry making..in short time to have the 'time of the Year'... so i guess... all of u must have bought stuff for someone or the other...and may have received some in return... some were stuff that u had been hoping to get for many days and some that are pretty useless... only you don't throw them away because they are gifts and you can usually gift them to others later on....
The one thing going on in my mind is what's the best gift one can gift to someone... something they love??? something they have been eyeing for a long time??? something you know they'll appreciate...or simply something that fits into your budget... i know most of us choose a gift keeping all the above factors in mind... i would like to pose a question here..is gifting a 'thing'...something tangible... really important..can't we give something more intangible like maybe our prayers...??? of course most of us aren't really sincere when it comes to praying for others.. it may not be intentional at all... just something we may forget to do..quite natural and humane... But this Christmas..i have resolved to do something..pray for 3 people..who need my prayers..ofcourse people who i know that is mostly my frends..3 frends who i know are in need of something, i have resolved to pray for them..and of course without their knowledge..just pray unselffishly..till 31st December...let's see if i can do it... u guys can try it out... Merry Christmas... Joys be to all.. :)

Moments of Retrospection...

My heart tells me to run away,
My mind stops me...
' Run away, run away, run away from yourself;
Run away and be a lil' free'
At times think I, is it not better to listen to my heart,
Break the confines of my mind,
And seek a new 'start' ?
At times... to find myself, surreal it may seem;
Even of for a moment, even if in a dream.

The Divine Music...

I m not that great a fan of Indian Classical music,I really don't find any enjoyment in listening to ragas and taalams etc..but I do enjoy good music...infact I love music,whatever is pleasant to my senses I appreciate it earnestly... to be honest I have never made an effort maybe if I had made one I would have been interested. Once I very bravely went to this classical Music festival and people.. this is an honest confession I got a really really bad headache.. .either the vocalist was awful or I was a very bad listener,I suspect the later case to be true.
Anyways my younger brothe, he's deeply into classical music and stuff.He was like me, never taking interest in this segment of music but he went to the same festival and develpoed a keen interest. He is now a regular visitor to many a musical events held in Kolkata.Some days ago he almost goaded me into listening this Album by Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, "Moksha"... ofcourse as usual I was extremely reluctant... but after listening, man was I floored... this is divine music, "Moksha" in English means Salvation, and this music is indeed so. I'll always be grateful to my brother for goading me into listening this fabulous piece of music.It's one of the most beautiful pieces I ever heard in my life. If any of you readers get a chance to listen to this album, please do listen to it... you'll fall in love with it just as I have...

The Magic of Festivities..

With the dawn of the autumn West Bengal and particularly Kolkata gears up to it's festive look...three different celebrations, three different communities, the Durga puja, the Eid, and then the Deepawali, but the spirit of celebrations and the festive mood of the people does not undergo any change. There is now a perspective change in how these three festivals are celebrated specially in Kolkata and especially Durga Pujo, clearly the Biggest of all the Bong Festivals, 5 days of unreined festivities and celebrations.
Kolkata is the city in transmission, it's slowly leaving it's post colonial hangover and it's over enthusiastic celebration of intellect and entering into that rat race of the newly liberalized and slowly globalizing counterparts like Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai and so on. In the past five years or so numerous shopping plazas have sprouted up in the city and so has the associated umber of commercial ventures. The number of Call centers and Engineering firms and the increased avenues of income generation brought an overwhelming change in the habits and thinking pattern of the ordinary Kolkatans.
The early Kolkatan was a shy, intellectually innovative and introvert kinda guy, the new Kolkatan is raring to go, he now knows his worth and is out to squeeze every bit of his potential into making his lifestyle "happening"... and therefore as a consequence comes a change in how he celebrates.
If someone has been a witness to the celebrations of Kolkata, the reader will agree with me that our parents and gran parents viewed these celebrations as being great family occasions where long lost cousins would all gather under one roof and celebrate the essence of the occasion which were in the main strictly restricted to being religious. Though the festivals had much to do with enjoyment, still "religion" got to play a big role.
Now these have changed, first and foremost in an age of computers, the old timed pujo Holidays are a thing of past, you can always keep in touch with the big guy in Amsterdam through your Notebook, there's nothing like the old "Pujor chuti"... secondly long lost cousins aren't same anymore, they might just be your favorite Facebook pal, more closer to u than your own sibling, and "religion", ok anyone who says the word is a huge bigamist.... Nowadays the "new Kolkatan" celebrates in shopping malls, they munch on Mac chickens and KFC buckets, wear Nike and Reebok, are big on designer kurtas and choli blouses,Manish Malhotras and Shania NC are in vogue, they binge on Fosters and Colas and once in a while and if they are lucky they do still manage to go around that "happening" Pujo which attracts the sexiest "babes" and the handsome "hunks"....
The khichuri, pore bhaja, Luchi, begun bhaja routine has long been tossed up for the pizza CCD and Barista routine. Yes some still do the all night "pandal hopping" thing but how much Pandal hopping and how much beer guzzling happens is anyone's guess.
Oh and before i forget, the Mahaashtami's anjuli has become a "Ma, mashi" thing, it's just not happening enough... today is Dashmi...Devi Durga will be immersed with the hope that we'll get to see her again the year next but whether the mode of festivities change or the place of gathering, one thing is certain , the spirit will never be gone, whether one is in City Centre or in a sarbojonin Durga utsav the essence of celebration will always remain, this the the magic of festivities, atleast in Kolkata... Jai Dugga.