Business to the Buddha

Tag: Bhagvat Geeta

  • Why would people remember you?

    My previous post was kind of misunderstood. Some friends messaged me about purpose and having no goal in life. My answer to that is We are trying to create a correlation between goal and people remembering you. The point I think is somewhat missed – the question was why would people remember you? I believe a person’s goals in life should not be inspired by a wish that people should/must remember you. I concluded my previous blog – the inspiration and remembrance is choice of other person not necessarily goal of a-person.

    A singer sings, because he has a good voice. People listen and appreciate the singer for his/her voice, probably for the music or lyrics etc. Does it mean the singer sings only for getting those appreciations? If yes, the goal of singer is very low, of course goal is certainly the choice of the singer but it does not mean that every singer will sing for appreciations or money or being remembered for. There were, are and will be many such talented people who would perform their talent for their owns satisfaction. Some will be remembered and many others will be forgotten. Does that make the forgotten talents any lesser talented?

    Personally speaking I have run around with a lot of lofty goals in life, I still have many. My opinion is that my personal goals are my inspirations and “personal”. If someone feels inspired by them, it is their choice. It is their prerogative as well as their own wish. Occasionally, I ended up with the endless need for the next goal and then the next one and so on. Result – it had been a hedonic treadmill run, faster you run it gets faster without any end in sight. I have written on these goals, running around and what next a couple of times earlier. Everything ends up for me on a very famous shloka of Bhagvat Geeta –
    कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
    मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥ २-४७
    Romans
    Karmanye vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana,
    Ma Karmaphalaheturbhurma Te Sangostvakarmani
    Meaning –
    You’ve a right to perform your prescribed action, but you’re not entitled to the fruits of your action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results your activities, and never be associated to not doing your duty.

    So effectively, one’s purpose of live or goal should be limited to the action. Others remembering you or validating “your purpose” is useless (as long as your purpose is not to kill others / infringe on other’s freedom). Further, when I connect these things to spirituality, even “wishing” something, somewhere gives at least a slightest hint of ego.

  • Guide – Duel Between Mind & Heart







    Rarely, you get to see commercially successful yet very profound movies. ‘Guide’ is one such movie. It was a distinct movie by Dev Anand. Though he has made unique type of moives, but Guide is class apart. The end of the movie is a duel between the Bad Guy (within Dev Anand) and the Good Guy (within Dev Anand), this part discusses Bhagvat Geeta at extent and whole of Indian spirituality.

    If I write more it would be less, instead watch the video. Apologies I do not have English translation or script of the same. I will try and post that here some time.

    Watch online Guide (Movie), R K Narayan Novel – The Guide

  • Cast(e)ing doubts – Crematoriums in India







    This blog is in the series of blogs on – against – the caste system of India. In the new year once again* I wish some day we would value people on their

    Capabilities and not Caste
    Action and not Ancestry
    Character and not on Color of skin

    Disclaimer – I belong to Lingayat (Veershaiva) community. Here is the blog I wrote on the community I am born in  Cast(e)ing doubts – Lingayats!

    I strongly feel that we need to grow as human race. I am critical about my community but the problem is with all communities in India. As always I wish we would all be more just and value person as a human and not as his/her caste.

    Unfortunately in Sept 2013, I saw a front page news in The Times of India Mumbai edition – “Jaisalmer will have crematorium based on caste“, yes that was front page news. A long way to go for us.

    I feel utterly shocked that even a dead body is considered Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya etc… that is height of stupidity. Thankfully, in Rajasthan, people this time around have voted out such government which could plan to make crematoriums based on caste!

    Hope and wish one day sooner rather than later we would value people on their being what they are rather than what caste they belong to. And specially at least we will consider a dead body, well “a dead body”

    Note *-

    My Barasti Dubai experience – racism

    Other blogs on cast(e)ing doubts

  • Cast(e)ing doubt – Lingayats!







    This blog is in the series of blogs on – against – the caste system of India. I wish some day we would value people on their

    • Capabilities and not Caste
    • Action and not Ancestry
    • Character and not on Color of skin

    That we all connected there is no two (non-duality) no big vs small no higher vs lower. So let us first understand what is one of the challenges before we reach there.

    First thing first – I have a special love affair for Lingayats (a community in India), let me put a disclaimer – “I am a born Lingayat… (well as per the current Liangayat followers …not practicing Lingayat though.”) It might have been an accident that I am born in this community, but it is all logic and belief that I am beyond the so call Lingayatism.

    A brief history of Lingayatism. It was found (or resurrected) by Basaveshwara in Karanataka. When Basav Anna founded the basic premise was “no-caste system” or in larger perspective – All Humans Are Born Equal. The hypocrisy of this seemingly one of the youngest religion is – it has more than 16-17 different sub-castes. Check Wiki for more details and before someone reads about the Hypocrisy of Lingayats and deletes the reference here is an image from Wiki –

    Fight against caste systemlingayatism-wiki

     

     

     

     

    So Basava fought caste system. It all started by the story of marriage of a Brahmin and an untouchables. Now look at the so call matrimonial sites of Lingayats (image thumbnail below, click to enlarge). Basava must be crying in his grave for such blatant contempt of his fight. Poor fellow fought his fight for eqaility and against caste system (apparently by calling a marriage among Brahmin & untouchable) and here Lingayats have first division as Lingayats and Jangams. Within those two factions they have more division.

    When people ask “What Lingayat are you?” I feel Basava’s fight has gone in vain. No meaning of him having a community which has completely shattered its own foundation of existence. Now read Wiki article on Lingayatism as well you would understand what actually I mean and what is practiced.

     

    Image sources – Wikipedia, www.lingayatmarriage.net and http://www.lingayathmatrimony.com/

    Lingayat Matrimonial site imagesLingayat Marriage 2Lingayat Marriage 4Lingayat Marriage 3 Lingayat Matrimony - Bharat Matrimony 1 Lingayat Matrimony - Bharat Matrimony 2

    Lingayat Matrimony - Bharat Matrimony 3

    Related blogs

    Cast(e)ing doubts – Narendra Dabholkar

    Cast(e)ing doubt – What’s your (last) name?

    Cast(e)ing doubt –  everyone’s tears are salty

    We the societies

  • Cast(e)ing doubts – Narendra Dabholkar







    I am writing a series (on and off) of blogs on – against – the caste system of India (include black skin for other parts of the world). This is another installment in the series.

    Last week, there was a shocking news that Dr Narendra Dabholkar was shot dead. In brief Dr Dabholkar was working against the superstitions in India. If I remember it correctly, his program was once aired on Discovery Channel also. I remember watching some program more than 10 years back. At that time, I never thought that there are so many challenges in India and this (superstition) is a big problem. But yes it is; otherwise why would a simple person be killed for running a social cause. The problem at times is we do not want to change. We accept many things as given and NORM – which Dr Dabholkar wanted to change. When I heard about him in English media the word used was – rational! A good word, rationality asks for a reason. Reason for accepting any belief.

    I would ponder on rationality Vs spirituality or rationality and spirituality in future.

    So, according to Wiki, Dr Dabholkar started his social work with Baba Adhav’s “One village – One well” agitation. Though more on this agitation is not readily available (Google search page 1) on the net. The title of this agitation suggests this – each village should be supplied water from one well.  This seems very naive agitation. Let me tell you – in India there are villages or places where you have one well for untouchables and one well (perhaps one for each caste) for other community. This is the challenges on which I have been writing lately. This all does not stop just here. There are different temples (of same Gods) for untouchables and rest of the community. What more irrational one can ask for? The creator of all is divided by castes. Bhagvat Geeta says soul does not die, it comes back to life after the body dies. What if soul of a Brahmin dies and born as untouchable and vice versa?

    Image source - Dr Ambedkar Wikipedia
    Image source – Dr Ambedkar Wikipedia

    I remember reading that Dr Ambedkar had to face immense discrimination. His container of water (Matka) in his office was separate. Why? Because he was an untouchable. He had to fight this war whole life. We in India define people by their ancestry and not by their action. We define people by their skin color (world over) and not by their character. We define people by their social status and not their thoughts.

    Effectively we have to fight many battles for becoming a more just, equal and inclusive society. Dr Dabholkar was fighting on the superstitions which needs to continue and the other is – equality on financial and social status. All this needs change in mindset – solution? For me it is spirituality.

    Dalits give ‘donation’ to enter temple 2013 – The Hindu

    Dalits told to keep distance from temple 2013 – Times of India

    Dalits enter TN temple first time in 100 yrs – Times of India

    Dalits enter temple amid tight police security 2013

    Dalits enter temples with police protection 2009

    Related blogs

    Cast(e)ing doubt – What’s your (last) name?

    Cast(e)ing doubt –  everyone’s tears are salty

    We the societies