Business to the Buddha

Tag: Illusion of control

  • Give up Dominion







    Just imagine, there are only humans on the planet earth! I think that was what happened to the Dinosaurs. Perhaps they started killing other dinosaurs just to capture more land – territory – for their survival. They tried to prove their superiority and eventually got over powered by the universe with some meteoroid. Whatever the reality of dinosaurs was, try to see if there seems to be an analogy.

    We humans are almost doing what dinosaurs did. They were the kings of the planet, they tried to capture as much land from other species as well as their own species e.g. other dinosaurs. We are one step ahead – we are eating in the mind-share also.

    Wikipedia definition of mind-share – When people think of examples of a product type or category, they usually think of a limited number of brands. The aim of mind share is to establish a brand as being one of the best kinds of a given product or service, and to even have the brand name become a synonym for the product or service offered. For example – in India Colgate is Toothpaste, Maggi is instant noodle more recent across the world, searching something on net is – Google it!

    The mind-share in larger terms happens to be in many forms – Forbes creates a list of most rich, powerful, etc etc list. Recently, Economic Times published a list of 100 most power CEOs (business people) of India. Product or service as example given above, religion creates another different type of mind-share. But effectively, the problem with this kind of mind-share is – a complex of superiority. My brand is better, my religion is better, my company is better and I am most powerful etc.

    Here is another short video from the movie Instinct staring Anthony Hopkins and Cuba Gooding Jr. This is in continuation of the previous blog – We the takers!

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGriwjHA8bM]

    Here, Dr Powell ( character of Hopkins) says something interesting (source – script) –

    …We have only one thing to give up – our dominion. We don’t own the world. We’re not kings here, not gods. Can we give that up?

    Too precious!

    all that control? Too tempting, being a god?

    Dominion - source- http://eremozoic.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/ego-eco.jpg

    Actually, at times I feel that physical ownership can be given and taken easily. You own land and sell it to someone else, now the owner is changed. Tougher is mental ownership. I am a born Hindu, for me Hinduism becomes most sacred religion because I was taught this. Think of a Muslim or Christan child he was taught the same. We fight more wars based on our religious belief rather than anything else. Though I am a born Hindu (actually a Lingayat who do not consider themselves as Hindus as such) but I think the method of giving up this dominion is Yoga, Meditation, Prayers (any religious prayer without superiority complex) or Service (check Sikhism & the Art of Living).

    Why I put Yoga first because Patanjali has said first few very important steps to get rid of this mind problem. Why I specifically put Sikhism and Art of Living because I have seen Sikhs that way (go to a Gurudwara – the richest would be serving) and I have been involved with few service projects of Art of Living.

    Thank you Vijay you made me watch Instinct.

    Related blogs –

    Illusion of control, Ego, Forbidden word, Evolution

    When will we stop?, What more we need?, Cogito ergo sum

    Dichotomy of happiness, Cause, What difference will it make?

    Image source – http://eremozoic.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/ego-eco.jpg

  • Illusion of control







    I was watching Kung Fu Panda. In one discussion Master Shi Fu and Master Oogway are talking. Watch the video below Illusion of control

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li9wgw0a2QI]

    This video is interesting, it talks about the “illusion’ of control we’ve in our mind. Actually, for a couple of months I’ve been thinking – am I controlling my life? Am I in control of the project I have in my hand? I remembered my MBA days – at times, I used to be authoritative with my group (confession, I may be wrong though). I remember Ashar (he blogs here) and I discussing about being on top of the deadlines. Ashar is very diligent, committed and punctual guy, I always enjoyed working with him in a team.

    So I always tried to be on top my deadlines, work etc. At occasion this control of being on top of deadlines and control of everything related to me seemed an illusion. This began with few questions and few things I slowly connected later.

    As a kid I had heard about Jaora in MP (there is a tomb of a Sufi saint there), had heard about possession and the other world. Recently, I came to know about Meera Datar Dargah and witness firsthand what we watch in movies (e.g. Vidya Balan in Bhool Bhulaiya). This is called possession (demonic possession), and under this influence a person loses his control on him/her self. When I saw that I asked myself – are we in control in our life? Lately, I got to know about Hazarat Gazali’s Dargah near RC Church. At the Dargah I met Taufik bhai, a very simple, devoted and pious person. Though I want to talk to him but he is generally very busy. Does something else (the other world) dictate us? The question remained – are we in control in our life?

    Next thing that made me think about control was astrology. One of my friends father is an astrologer – he predicted about Harshvardhan Navathe would win in KBC (Ref old Mid-Day news). Do stars dictate us? So the question remains – are we in control?

    I was getting puzzled, kept on doing my work and thinking also. One night, just out of the blue, I started watching Kung Fu Panda. I have watched this movie many a times so forwarded stuff I didn’t want to see again. Suddenly I reached the part of the movie where Master Oogway talks about ‘Illusion of control’. I stopped there, switched off computer and slept (it was already 1:20AM next day I had office). Somehow, I thought that I got a direction for answer, if not answer. I somehow could connect the dialog of Master Oogway of illusion of control to the Geeta (Karmanye Vadhikaraste…)

    कर्मणयेवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
    मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि।   2.47 – more on this by another blogger here

    My inference was this -1.  forget about control, 2. even the illusion of control and 3. do you work! Well 4. forget about the result too.

    There have been some connections made but few dots have opened Pandora’s box because we have many questions on – possession, astrology etc.

    Disclaimer – Author only knows about paranormal activities, demonic possession or astrology, but is no way an expert to provide inputs etc.