Business to the Buddha

Tag: LBC

  • Religion Vs Spirituality







    There is nothing as “versus”, there is no fight. It is always “and”, togetherness a company. It is our perception that creates this division. My first impression on the title “Religion Vs Spirituality” was this. This was the title for last week’s LBC (Loose Bloggers Consortium) topic. You can read other LBC authors opinions here – Rummuser and Shackman.

    spirituality-vs-religionIt was a Diwali weekend so I came home and thus the delay. Wish my readers a very happy and prosperous Diwali and hope you inhaled less polluted air this Diwali.

    The title for this week was interesting, I met my art of living teacher Dr Shrikant Agashe; and asked him how he would define religion and spirituality. His answer was very clear and straightforward. He said – “There is some Truth, what that is, one does not know. Spirituality is experimenting and finding the Truth without getting biased; religion is accepting a path which is suggested by others with faith (and with perhaps assumptions) and trying to fine the same Truth.” In a way there is less opportunity of trials and exploration in religion whereas spirituality is full of experiments.

    I went on a very different line to define spirituality and religion. Excuse me for my words but this is how I defined it – Spirituality is like love and religion is like sex. There can be sex without love, but love has every flavor beyond sex too. Spirituality is like love, it can exist without religion. Spirituality is the essence of our existence wither religion exists or no.

    I reviewed couple of websites on evolution of religion and came to understanding that the Abrahamic religion (Christianity, Jews and Islam) and Eastern religion (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism et al) started / started evolving / documenting the teachings about 2500 BCE. What is a religion? It is “a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally followed by its followers”. In the end, what remains or leads religion to the end is spirituality.

    According to some sources religion word is originated from Latin religare which means “to bind”, again a Latin words religio which means obligation or bond. This makes religions to be exploited such as present day terrorism is mostly based on interpretation (or misinterpretation) of Islam. There are religions that are no less than businesses. In many cases religion is distorted to such a level that it seems more of an organized crime. Thus, to sane people it becomes more important to either not get bound to the religious dogmas or experiment and find out own’s interpretation, way of life or truth.

    My take – The religion binds makes things (rituals) as obligations whereas spirituality liberates. That is where we may say versus. Yet, religion is a set of path followed by many (and suggested by some masters) towards spirituality towards liberation.

    Image source – SlideShare

  • How do you identify your mojo?







    This LBC (Loose Bloggers Consortium) blog title was suggested by yours truly. It was not a suggested topic in real sense, it was a question raised in mail to all the 12 long time authors of LBC; though only a few write on LBC now. When this question was sent, I was under an impression that Mojo means – your one or few passions that you can do best or something you enjoy doing or something you would do without cheating even if no one is watching you.

    The topic sounds strange when you replace mojo with my assumed meanings. How do you identify your passion, or how do you identify what you enjoy doing? Does not it sound weird. You dont find these things, you just know it!

    Ready to Race

    My problem had been different – I had enjoyed many of the things. As a kid whenever I took something up I took it up very sincerely and seriously, an example is improving mathematics. When I played I played just to win (more here). When I was in NCC I did everything possible to be the best cadet. Anyways. So, mostly if I got involved with something, I was involved passionately. Thus came this thought, how does one find out one’s passion? I did whatever I did with complete sincerity and commitment so I think I dont know what is that something I am passionate about intrinsically. So how can one find one’s passion. This was the question I asked my fellow authors! Do I know what I am passionate about? For example writing on management & spirituality is that I am passionate about? Because besides this I do other things too, so can I learn from others that how do I identify my passion. This was the reason the blog title came into existence.

    So the question itself was incorrect if I review the dictionary meaning of Mojo, which is influence, charm or magic spell. I do not know what is my magic spell. I think I need to go back to few of the potential alliances whom I met for my marriage proposals. I know few of them rejected me – perhaps they can tell me what is not “that good” in me! I am surely going to ask my wife about it.

    Now, when I am looking back at the topic, I am wondering – why should one know about one’s mojo? Do what you enjoy doing or find what you enjoy doing and just do it.

    This knowing / doing point at times confuses me – knowing my mojo (passion or charm) is one thing, utilizing it for achieve something is another. In conclusion on this conundrum I would like to quote a Zen master

    “…The significance of our life is not experienced in striving to create some perfect thing. We must simply start with accepting ourselves. Sitting brings us back to actually who and where we are… Self-acceptance is the hardest thing to do. If we can’t accept ourselves, we are living in ignorance, this darkest night. We may still be awake, but we don’t know where we are. We cannot see. The mind has no light…”

    Missed it earlier – read thoughts of my fellow blogger’s on this topic at Shackman and Rummuser.

  • Purpose of life







    targetHe wanted to become an engineer since his childhood, perhaps even before reaching his teens. It was not easy to get into an Engineering college those days so he had to toil, stop his extra curricular activities and concentrate on studies. The hard-work paid off, now, he was pursuing his engineering and it was a dream coming true. He asked himself now what? Well, let us enjoy this education and become an engineer what else?

    With passage of each year, the question of “now what” became more prominent. He wondered what next? He thought to take up administrative services as his next goal. He filled the form, UPSC responded – instead of the admit card they had sent a letter – “your age is less than 20 years as of 31st July so you cannot take this exam in the current year.” He could have waited one more year but then his father was about to get retired in few years so except finding a job nothing could come to his mind. So, he set another goal, crack campus interview. By grace of God or he was lucky or may be because of his abilities he could secure a job on campus without much difficulty. He still had couple of months on campus to complete his final year. He was happy he got what he wanted. Thoughcliparti1_dream-clip-art_04.jpg this pleasure was short lived, his mind started playing tricks with him again – “Now, you have a job what next?”

    He was a dreamer, ambitious and committed person. So, he kept on feeding to his mind – “I will work hard, prove myself.” So, the mind probing – “You have achieved what you set as your goals without much of difficulty so sure you will get those too, but what next?” He responded to the mind – “well, I would get promoted faster than anyone else!” Mind was in no mood to end the questioning – “What after that?” He said – “I will buy Hyundai Santro. Work hard, get promoted, buy Honda City. work harder buy a house. Work hard, get promoted buy a bigger house.” He couldn’t think beyond these simple cycles of Work hard, get promoted buy car, buy house and again go back to work hard. So the mind said – “Ok! you would get retired one day doing all this, isnt it?” What after that? Why are you going to do all this? What is the purpose? Can’t one survive in smaller house? Can’t one be happy in smaller home? Can one go beyond becoming a CEO? What next? Is there an end to your carving? Is there a full stop? Why are you doing or planning to do everything? What is driving you? He slept questioning this to himself.

    He started asking himself – “Why I do what I do?” “What is the purpose of my life?” He came and asked me – “Dada (elder brother in some Indian languages), whats happening? Why we run around, except filling two square meal in stomach, do we have any bigger goal in life? Is there something beyond the physical world that we should strive for?”

    I asked him – What is the purpose of your life? He said – “I wanted to be an engineer, now I am completing engineering. Next thing came in my mind was a job. Thankfully I got that too in campus interviews, but now I am questioning myself what next? Why? How? What for?”

    I told him – there are various reasons you are running from one goal to the other. These can be put in bigger buckets such as – emotions, social acceptance, materialistic wealth. I cannot say why you wanted to be an engineer but when you set that goal you attached your emotions to that goal – you were “Happy” or you got a “sense of satisfaction” when you achieved it. Than that was in your hand, you didn’t bother about becoming an engineer – because you were doing engineering and there was no way you couldn’t get it any further. So your mind wandered – what next? The next thing came to you was social acceptance as in, job security. Than materialistic goal of car and home and bigger cars & homes. Your mind kept on pursuing these thoughts – that is great. Most of the time people never think beyond first level (“of owning a car to what next”) of these thoughts. But it was good that you could somehow get confused and couldn’t get to the end of your running around. Even if you think you would be satisfied, happy and socially respected when you get something, become somebody that happiness or satisfaction will be short-lived.

    Green-PastureI added – let me try to put these in further perspective – when you decided about a goal you feverishly ran to just get their. You missed the pasture in the race by just checking the milestones – “how much is left? Instead of enjoying the beauty of where you were standing.” I believe purpose of life is not just running from one point to the other making them as your goals. If you think of doing this; your goal will always be a moving target. No doubt you should have some or the other target, why not? But the purpose of your life should be being in present, staying satisfied with whatever you have, doing what best you could do to achieve your goals and yet you should not be feverish about your targets. When you die, you will leave everything here – your Hyundai Santro or Honda City or for that matter the big home you think you will buy when you are 55 (perhaps 34 years in the future!). You know Krishna said in the 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 just do things, enjoy your journey, dont be feverish about collecting flags, batches or medals. Because whenever you have some medal as your goal, your subtle wish is happiness or satisfaction of getting that. So, basically your purpose is more to be happy or be satisfied. My learning in all these years has been – happiness and satisfaction cannot be achieved while your mind runs outside. You can be happy and satisfied when you are in the NOW.

    Your purpose in life can be anything – set the target, plan and execute. Why worry about future, be in the present, be happy and satisfied. Happiness and satisfaction lie in the present not in the future not in achieving the goal.

    Disclaimer – Please do not make a goal of bothering anyone else. Actually teachings of many religion – a very strong teaching of  Jainism – is not to harm others. So when you set a goal (or try to make a purpose of life) do not set it as killing others becoming a e.g. terrorist, at least consciously.

    Purpose of my life – be Zorba the Buddha. Be in the present, enjoy life to the fullest and yet be completely aware about it. It is not something to be achieved, it is something to be lived. That is what I think “enlightenment” is.

    This is an LBC (Loose Bloggers Consortium) blog post, check  Ramana Uncleji’s take on this weeks topic here and another perspective from Shackman uncleji is here Link.

    Image source -Target https://pixabay.com/en/target-goal-business-icon-logo-1151287/

    Dream – http://clipartzebraz.com/files/1/24044_dream-clip-art.html

    Pasture http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I00008ApAOrqwYQI/s/900/900/Green-Pasture.jpg

  • Permanent happiness – Favorite Season







    My Favorite Season will be a season or a moment when everyone finds out his / her purpose in life. My favorite season is the one when we achieve Permanent Happiness.

    How often have you seen dragging yourself going from one thing to the other, from one place to the other and doing it because you “have” to do it. You do things because those are either social obligation or because these are required for survival. How many times – many of us – do things because you “want” to do it.

    A time when everyone of us is doing what he/she wants to do we hopefully will see more constructive world. A world where if it rains it would be the best thing that can happen, if it is chilling winter it would be good and summers would also be enjoyable. Thankfully, I have witnessed almost every harsh season – almost flooding rains, harsh summers and for a short time, almost 0 degree winters. Even with these seasons, I could not find my favorite season, because when it was summer I was waiting for rains or winter, during rainy days I waited for sun to show up and so on. If we are not satisfied inside we cannot be happy. May be permanent happiness is a mirage!

    It has been a quest for some years for me to identify the purpose of my life. After my MBA, there was a mail in my mail box – Manager Marketing for a liquor brand.

    I asked one of my professor’s – “Sir I received this mail, should I give it a try?” happiness

    He in return asked me – “do you feel excited about it?”

    I said – “Sir I am a teetotaler, I do not encourage people drinking.”

    He said – “Don’t even apply there. This job does not sound aligned to your personality. I am not saying you cannot do good work in this organization, but even if you do awesome in this role, you would end up losing yourself on your principles. It would make you dissatisfied in life.”

    His point was – identify what you “want” to do, not what you “have” to do. There may be situations when answers are not straightforward – I want to do marketing. The job is for marketing. You will have to be more specific in that case – “Ok, not marketing of tobacco or liquor”.

    Once I had been offered a similar situation. There are three businesses, online gambling, jewelry ecommerce and some other if you had money where would you invest? I selected jewelry ecommerce even though on all calculations I could find online gambling offers the biggest opportunity in terms of RoI (Returns on Investment). The person asked me why? I said I would not want to compromise on my principles, I do not encourage gambling and therefore even if it offers me better returns I would not consider this business.

    If all of us can make rational decision on what we enjoy doing our works wont remain works, they would become hobbies. That time would be the best time for our society – that would be the best season to live on earth. Is not it? Otherwise – permanent happiness is a mirage!

    This week’s topic for LBC was “My Favourite Season” suggested by Ramana uncleji. As usual I twisted it as per my choice – what I want to write instead of what I have to write. 🙂 You can read other blogs of other Loose Bloggers Consortium members at Ramana Uncleji, Shackman and Lin.

    Image source – http://www.picserver.org/images/highway/phrases/happiness.jpg

  • I always wondered why?






    “I always wonder why birds choose to stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on the earth, then I ask myself the same question.”  – Harun Yahya

    Adnan Oktar (born Ankara, 1956), also known by his pen name Harun Yahya, is advocate of Islamic creationism in the creation-evolution debate. He is considered to be the leading Muslim advocate of creationism.

    I have wondered about many things in life. It includes creationism, economics and war. Many of the thoughts are posted in the blogs here. Recently, Ramana uncleji commented on my blog post – Free will and Fate.

    Sitting quietly. doing nothing, spring comes and the grass grows by itself. Zen Meditation

    How often we looked at growing grass as the Zen saying states. I’ve a difference of opinion though. The growing grass does not do anything on the surface, but inside it, below the surface too there are a lot of things going on. Struggle of survival, isnt it?

    The other thing I wonder a lot about is economics and our interdependence. I know many people do not consider economics as a play of interdependence however they see it has how do I improve my marginal utility. Most of the times this thinking of these smart people is based on “how do I… at the cost of other”. This needs to change. The discourse of economic value has to change. It needs to include everyone. If there is inequality we would not achieve peace.

    On the debate of creationism and evolution – I wonder why people keep on fighting about creationism but accept – and use too – scientific discoveries? I liked the way The Buddha kept silent on the question of existence of God.

    There are many more things I’ve wondered, why? The most regular point I cogitate is economics and spirituality – interdependent co-arising. This blog is an outcome of the same wandering of mind.

    It was topic of Loose Bloggers Consortium for this Friday. Others who have written this week are – Shackman, Ramana Uncleji and Dunnasead.

  • Pets







    “Pets” as a topic to a blog sounds weird, especially when it is put on a blog site titled – Business to the Buddha. Well the topic reminded me of my old blog – Master is servant’s servant, Lessons from Twitter etc.

    The defiDognition given at Dictionary.com for Pet is – “a domestic or tamed animal or bird kept for companionship or pleasure.” Can we push the envelope of this definition and define pet without the word ‘animal’? Because we see many people also behaving like animals – anti-social ways and as pets (perhaps like sycophant) both! Though, I feel when animal’s show affection it is not necessarily sycophancy the way humans do. Well, if you ask a person who shows the characteristics of a sycophant, he/she would say – in business/professional life one has to do it. Wonder if the other is not a professional (perhaps not a successful professional).

    In my case Internet and specially Twitter sounds more of a pet than any animal. Or its the other way round – I am a pet of Internet / Blogging / Twitter et al.

    Pet reminds me of my very first and only pet a dog – Snoopy – I had when I was 12 years. It was more of a responsibility for my mother than for me. Snoopy was more of a toy to me; a cute little 7 day old pup. My mom told me to leave it with its mother because Snoopy is too young. I agreed and that ended my small stint with a pet. However, that small period taught me that animals too have emotions & their requirements. Affection of mother was more important to Snoopy than anything else. Alsroseo, my pleasure was not the only thing that was important, it was wish, willingness of that small dog was equally important. Mostly we forget the second lesson in our interaction with fellow humans too. That turns out to be possession. The other person becomes a pet & your affection becomes a cage for him/her. This I am writing on Valentine’s Day, so hope few people will learn some lesson from here. Furthermore, if people learn from pet’s that love does not necessarily demand anything in return or any favor we would have a better world.

    Happy Valentine’s Day.

    Spread love to every living being and everything equally. World would become a happy peaceful place automatically, isn’t it?

    Image source – Dog – http://www.furballfitnesspetcare.com/ Rose – http://flowers-earth.blogspot.in/2012/04/rose.html

  • Once upon a time







    Where are we taking the earth?
    Making it full of pieces or full of peace?
    Are we gifting our generations hate or harmony?

    Check this wikipedia link Terror incidents in 2015. It had to be divided in 2 half and monthly status, where are we taking our civilization? Ashes!China Air

    Once upon a time
    the pasture was greener
    the air was cleaner
    Water was transparent
    and environment was pleasant

    Wish we all sign-off 2015 with a commitment to ourselves that we would do what we can for making the environment as good as it was Once upon a time and harbor peace.

    Wish you all a Very Happy New Year. Hope sense prevails we work towards better environment and society in 2016. Wish we learn that we grow if we keep in mind ‘interdependent co-arising’ we all grow together and we have to grow together otherwise there is only false sense of personal growth / wealth or health.

    The topic of LBC was suggested by Lin for the weekly Friday Loose Bloggers Consortium where currently eight of us are supposed to write on the same topic every Friday. The seven other bloggers who are expected to write regularly are, in alphabetical order are Ashok, gaelikaa, Lin, Maxi,Padmum, Rummuser and Shackman. Do drop in on their blogs and see what their take is on this week’s topic. Since some of them may post late, or not at all this week, do give some allowance for that too!

    Image source – CNN.com – China Parade blue sky!

  • Family Occasion







    I some times contribute to LBC (Loose Bloggers Consortium) where a couple of people write every weekend (Friday to be precise). This week the topic was “Family Occasion”.

    Sounds weird as a topic, isnt it? This topic has two words Family and occasion. Family we generally define as a smallest social unit of society. This small social unit has parents and kids, dictionary.com has one alternate explanation to the definition – all those persons considered as descendants of a common progenitor.

    I have been taking interest in theory of evolution for some time of late. According to that we are all evolving and have evolved over the years. If we take the definition of family too much back in time, we all are a family. This point brings me back to a concept of Buddhism – interdependent co-arising and another of Hinduism – Vasudhev Kutumbakam (one world family). Effectively according to both the concepts we are all related (in terms of a family) and connected (in terms of something affecting you has an impact on me too). These two concepts are too subtle for understanding on gross level. But since we are struggling at global level from climate change it becomes easy to understand. A car driven in Mumbai is affecting the whole world, because it creates pollution. Hope the point is clear.

    The other word of the topic is Occasion which according to dictionary.com means – a particular time, especially as marked by certain circumstances or occurrences. Well, climate change is an occasion in this definition. Climate change is a definition for family occasion for all of us. Recently we saw Chennai Floods – what is that? That is a family disaster, and largely all of us are responsible for such events – because all of us are responsible of climate change. The mobile I am using for twitting #ChennaiFloods, the laptop I am using for writing this blog all impact climate. Think it over!

    4On a lighter note – I had two family occasions last week – my 1st marriage anniversary (6th Dec) and my fathers 75th Birthday (7th Dec).

    The topic of LBC Family suggested by Maria the gaelikaa for the weekly Friday Loose Bloggers Consortium where currently eight of us are supposed to write on the same topic every Friday. The seven other bloggers who are expected to write regularly are, in alphabetical order, Ashok, gaelikaa, Lin, Maxi, Padmum, Rummuser and Shackman. Do drop in on their blogs and see what their take is on this week’s topic. Since some of them may post late, or not at all this week, do give some allowance for that too!

  • Instructions – Sleep






    1. Put your left hand in Chin mudraanuloma
    2. With your right hand thumb close right nostril
    3. Middle two fingers of right hand on forehead
    4. Ring finger of right hand on left nostril
    5. Close left nostril and open right nostril
    6. Breath in with right nostril
    7. Close right nostril
    8. Open left nostril
    9. Breath out with left nostril
    10. Breath in with left nostril
    11. Close left nostril
    12. Open right nostril
    13. Breath out with right nostril
    14. Breath in with right nostril and repeat the process

    When I heard these instruction while doing alternate nostril breathing (Anulom Vilom Pranayam) I was thinking these instructions sound so complicated and small but too many to follow. Yet when you practice this it is very simple.

    At times it is easier to DO than following instructions or even listening to them, isnt it?

    I read on a website that (Source) – “it (alternate nostril breathing) is a calming centring practice that will help you to unwind from your daily activities”. Another website which lists 12 benefits of this Pranayam states that it helps improve your quality of sleeping. (Source). The last sentence I want to reiterate is – at times “one must just do it”

    The topic of LBC Sleep (Generally, I change these topics a bit) suggested by Padmum for the weekly Friday Loose Bloggers Consortium where currently eight of us are supposed to write on the same topic every Friday (This time too I am bit late). The seven other bloggers who are expected to write regularly are, in alphabetical order, Ashok, gaelikaa, Lin, Maxi, Padmum, Rummuser and Shackman. Do drop in on their blogs and see what their take is on this week’s topic. Since some of them may post late, or not at all this week, do give some allowance for that too!

    Image source – http://www.indovacations.net/yoga/anuloma-viloma.htm

  • Family – Lingayats







    “Vasudhev Kutumbakam” is a concept in Indian (Hindu philosophy) culture. It means “one world family” that is – whole world irrespective of caste, color, creed or belief system is one family. I received this message recently on whatsapp –

    I crossed my street ?, they asked my caste
    Crossed my district/town???, they asked my city
    Crossed my state ???, they asked my native language
    And I became an Indian ?? only after I crossed my country ✈!

    These things sound different but are related. It may have been true with many, but I had another experience recently. Basaveshwara – poor fellow – died this time in similar sounding country – Canada – than the Kannada where he belonged 800 years back. I feel bad to write “poor fellow” to refer to the saint. I wrote that because of the community he created – Lingayats. I belong to the same and it has missed his thoughts completely.

    I am in Canada and went to attend an event recently. In that event, people generally asked me where are you from where do you work, where do your parents live (as I am from India and others are also Indians). It was all fine to me until one young lady (I will call her Ima) asked me the same questions. I made her name as Ima for Ila’s Mother. I was playing with this 4 year old baby for a while and to hide the identities of these people I have changed the names.

    I said I work in Mumbai, my parents live in MP. Ima said ‘so you are from MP?’ I said yes, I am born in MP but basically I am a Kannadiga.

    Ima probed – Ok where in Karnataka?

    I said our forefathers migrated long back we belonged to Gulbarga.Lingayatism Wiki

    Ima took little more interest this time and further asked – What community are you?

    “I am a Lingayat of Karnataka. Are you aware about the community?” I asked.

    Ima said – “Yes I am a lingayat too, do you worship the ling?”

    The worship she was referring to is a fundamental practice of Lingayats. I was told this by my father, and at times he did it, I said no to her question on the worship.

    “So what kind of lingayat are you?” Was a very blunt statement she made.

    I said except eating rice I am a North Indian.

    The next thing she said was – “You know in Lingayats there are various divisions?”

    This lady knows me as a Lingayat in last two sentences not more! The first question was about the ritual and second was about Caste! According to my knowledge When Basava formed Lingayatism he created it because he disagreed with the caste system. Check image.

    I told Ima – “You know what? Basveshwara formed or say resurrected Lingayatism on a concept of – all humans are born equal, and a person is known from his deeds and not his birth. This is what I have read on wikipedia.”

    Ima did not speak with me after that. Yes that is true, I was sitting there for next 5 minute, in fact I was playing with her 4 year old daughter Ila also. On the other side of the hemisphere Basvershwara died once again (after 800 years). Not in Kannada speaking place but a place which sounds similar – Canada. This is how the Families we have created in India. Are we becoming hypocrite? We talk about one world family and then we ask about caste perhaps the sub-caste!

    I feel very good when I connect with one of the Indian concept – “Vasudhev Kutumbakam”. Vasudhev Kutumbakam means one world family. Art of living foundation promotes the same, unfortunately I met Ima in an Art of Living event in Canada.

    Wish the statement of Whatsapp becomes a reality beyond the country point too – Vasudhev Kutumbakam.

    The topic of LBC Family (Generally, I change these topics a bit) suggested by Maria for the weekly Friday Loose Bloggers Consortium where currently eight of us are supposed to write on the same topic every Friday. The seven other bloggers who are expected to write regularly are, in alphabetical order, Ashok, gaelikaa, Lin, Maxi, Padmum, Rummuser and Shackman. Do drop in on their blogs and see what their take is on this week’s topic. Since some of them may post late, or not at all this week, do give some allowance for that too!

    Related Blog on Lingayatism.