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Business to the Buddha

Tag Archives: awareness

Assumptions

28 Tuesday Jul 2015

Posted by KRD Pravin in Business to Buddha

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Antony De'Mello, assumptions, awareness, banish, Jew, Rome, The prayer of the Frog

I’ve heard of a variation of the following story, I don’t want to come between you and the story. Read it, enjoy it and remember – try to avoid assumptions – as much as possible – in professional and personal life.

Source – The prayer of the Frog I & II by Father Antony De’Mello.

prayer of frog

AWARENESS

Many years ago, back in the Middle Ages, the Pope was urged by his advisors to banish the Jews from Rome. It was unseemly, they said that these people should be living unmolested in the very center of Catholicism. An edict of eviction was drawn up and promulgated much to the dismay of the Jews who knew that wherever else they went they could only expect worse treatment than was meted out to them in Rome. So they pleaded with the Pope to reconsider the edict. The Pope, a fair-minded man, offered them a sporting proposition: Let the Jews appoint someone to debate with him in pantomime. If their spokesman won the Jews might stay.

The Jews met to consider this proposal. To turn it down was to be evicted from Rome. To accept it was to court certain defeat, for who could win a debate in which the Pope was both participant and judge? Still, there was nothing for it but to accept. Only, it was impossible to find someone to volunteer for the task of debating with the Pope. The burden of having the fate of the Jews on his shoulders was more than anyone man could bear.

Now when the synagogue janitor heard what was going on he came before the Chief Rabbi and volunteered to represent his people in the debate. “The janitor?” said the other rabbis when they heard of this. “Impossible!”

“Well,” said the chief Rabbi, “None of us is willing. It is either the janitor or no debate.” Thus for lack of anyone else the janitor was appointed to debate with the Pope.

When the great day arrived, the Pope sat on a throne in St Peter’s square surrounded by his cardinals, facing a large crowd of bishops, priests and faithful. Presently the little Jewish delegation arrived in their black robes and flowing beards, with the janitor in their midst.

The Pope turned to face the janitor and the debate began. The Pope solemnly raised one finger and traced it across the heavens. The janitor promptly pointed with emphasis towards the ground. The Pope seemed somewhat taken aback. Even more solemnly he raised one finger again and kept it firmly before the Janitor’s face. The janitor thereupon lifted three fingers and held them just as firmly before the Pope who seemed astonished by the gesture. Then the Pope thrust his hand into his robes and pulled out an apple. Whereupon the janitor thrust his hand into his paper bag and pulled out a flat piece of matzo. At this the Pope explained in a loud voice, “The Jewish representative has won the debate. The edict of eviction is hereby revoked.”

The Jewish leaders promptly surrounded the janitor and led him away. The cardinals clustered around the Pope in astonishment. “What happened, your Holiness?” then asked. “It was impossible for us to follow the rapid thrust and parry of the debate.” The Pope wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, “That man is a brilliant theologian, a master in debate. I began by sweeping my hand across the sky to indicate that the whole universe belongs to God. He thrust his finger downward to remind me that there is a place called Hell where the devil reigns supreme. I then raised one finger to signify that God is one. Imagine my shock when he raised three fingers to indicate that this one God manifests Himself equally in three persons, thereby subscribing to our own doctrine of the Trinity! Knowing that it was impossible to get the better of this theological genius I finally shifted the debate to another area. I pulled out an apple to indicate that according to some newfangled ideas the earth is round. He instantly produced a flat piece of unleavened bread to remind me that, according to the Bible, the earth is flat. So there was nothing to do but concede the victory to him.”

By now the Jews had arrived at their synagogue. “What happened they asked the janitor in bewilderment. The janitor was indignant. “It was all a lot of rubbish,” he said. “Look. First the Pope moves his hand like he is telling all the Jews to get out of Rome. So I pointed downwards to make it clear to him that we were not going to budge. So he points a finger to me threateningly as if to say. Don’t get fresh with me. So I point three fingers to tell him he was thrice as fresh with us when he arbitrarily ordered us out of Rome. The next thing, I see him taking out his lunch. So I took out mine.”

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Why not Celebrate daily? Happy New Year

01 Thursday Jan 2015

Posted by KRD Pravin in Buddha, Misc

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

2014, 2015, awareness, Barasti Dubai, Celebrate life, Death, economic crisis, enjoy, Festivals, Festivals in India, Fun, Happy New Year, Holi, joy, my new year wish, political crisis, possession, Sri Sri, Vasant Panchami, Wake up

In India we celebrate maximum number of New Years – Hindu New Year, Christian New Year, Parasi New Year etc etc. Besides all these new year celebrations we have many more festivals. I believe is we go by every tradition and religion followed here, every second day would be a reason to celebrate. And why not? We should enjoy and celebrate life, why wait?

When I reflect and visualize ancient India, I can only visualize happy songs and some festivities of this movie – Utsav. Not the whole movie but the rustic milieu and everyone knowing the other and festivity. I remember as a kid we used to have almost a one month holiday during Diwali. We used to celebrate a lot of festivals, one was Vasant Utsav during Feb March followed by Holi. Holi too used to be an interesting festival and we used to say – “Do not mind its Holi today” (बुरा न मानो  होली है).

holiI relate most celebrations to Holi (though now a days holi is celebrate with wilderness, which I do not like). Our every celebration should be like Holi celebration. Wish we can learn from that one sentence – do not take life seriously, Enjoy life. Now we search for reasons to be happy and enjoy life. Thought this “search” can be accommodated however “joy” should be with awareness. I think we are missing that link of awareness now a days.

I heard Sri Sri’s (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar) old talk QnA session. In that session he emphasized on celebrating every moment. It is a good idea.

Celebrate daily, celebrate every moment – with full awareness.

Image source – http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/india/120308/holi-celebrations-color-poisoning

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Sickness teaches you

27 Sunday Jul 2014

Posted by KRD Pravin in Buddha

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

awareness, Bible, God afflicts! I doubt, illness, observation, Psalm 119, sickeness, teacher, Viral fever

God afflicts one with sickness? I doubt. Here is what I went through and my two cents on sickness/fever/illness.

I fell sick last to last week. I was feeling very weak & could not even write a blog, well that apart. I had a very strange idea in that sickness as well. I was observing many things. One thing I observed was this – my body (each cell of the body) does not know that it is a part of something really big, still each of the cells do help in recovery. The cells as individual units & as a group must not be aware of an awareness that resides in the body. The cells may not even know that it is a part of the body which houses some consciousness! I know I may be completely wrong, but I felt this.

SicknessThe other observations I made included getting to know that we waste a lot of energy. When I was weak, I realized that brushing our teeth also require a lot of energy and we do many such things effortlessly when we are in good health that we waste a lot of energy. One must conserve this energy and use it for better purposes.

Awareness was a wonderful lesson I learnt. I learnt that I could observe myself however weak I was, but I could have awareness. One need not wait for such observation of self. I dont want to fell sick again but at times I made few very interesting observations. It was that time I realized that I can blog about it. Yes sickness can be a good teacher.

Lastly, I would not want to blame God for afflicting sickness/illness on me, but here is something interesting from Bible you should read (Psalm 119- 67 to 75) – “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word…It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees…I know, O LORD, that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me.”

Two cents from my side – next time in case you fell sick (wish that does not happen), try to observe – where your body pains, the weakness and how and where you feel weak. Where your body is hot, how is the movement of any part of your body is happening. Things/actions become so slow that you can do these observations.

Image source Wikimedia

Bible Psalm source – Link

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Why wait?

15 Saturday Feb 2014

Posted by KRD Pravin in Buddha, Business, Business to Buddha

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Atul Nishar, awareness, Business, entrepreneurship, Hexaware, middle path, Passion, The Buddha, Vipassana meditation, Why wait?

Last week I wrote on being at a crossroad. Generally, we are all making some or the other decision. I specially like entrepreneurs who need to be constantly analyzing situations their business and survival + growth. Life becomes very interesting, challenging and driven by passion. One has to balance between Guts, Analysis and if possible one can work on instinct with the help of awareness. Follow my one tweet recently.

I am no expert, yet feel there has to be a balance in life. Balance between extremes. Whether its about love or hate, passion or dispassion, emotions and logic or Socialism and Capitalism. The balance (which we professionals) generally is restricted to something such as Work-Life balance. Balance goes beyond that limited definition. Yet for the time being assume balance as work-life balance. I want share a news few months back.

Founder of Hexaware, Mr Atul Nishar sold off his stakes in the company and the news was that he wanted to go for a 10 day Vipassana meditation. Read the news here – After selling Hexaware, Atul Nishar longs for ‘nothingness’. I am no one to comment on a very successful businessmen yet in the news one point made me think.

QUOTE – “I have been constantly working for more than last 30 years and never took a break. This is a great opportunity for me to take a pause and feel nothingness,” says Nishar… UNQUOTE

I was thinking that there are two options – 1. learn from this statement and start bringing balance in life now or 2. struggle tirelessly and – may be and may be – one day we’d be next Mr Nishar to experience “Nothingness”. Question is, why wait? concurrently why go on any extreme? Grow as businessman/professional and spiritually together?

Related blogs – “Balance”

The Middle path, Balancing Act, Irony, Dichotomy on happiness…

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Anthony de Mello Art of Living balance buddhism Business Capitalism Caste system Chinu corruption Dr Anand Saxena Dr Anand Swaroop Saxena economics economy education Ego Father Anthony de Mello greed Guruji happiness Hinduism India innovation interdependent co-arising Islam LBC Loose Bloggers Consortium Love marketing meditation middle path Mumbai osho Prayer of The Frog Prof Boman Moradian Professor Tomas Lopez Prof Harkant Mankad Ramana Rajgopaul religion Religion and Spirituality spirituality Sri Sri Sri Sri Ravi Shankar the book of Mirdad The Buddha TRIZ

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