Business to the Buddha

Tag: world

  • One world







    Can we have a world where there is no need of defense and police?

    Earlier human beings had fear of wild animal now of other humans. Have we become like wild animals or we’ve civilized bit more? Recently there was a terrorists attack in Egypt. I wonder what’s wrong with us human beings, we’ve become dangerous than wild animals. Animals kill to eat and that too when required. One animal does not kill the other because the other is not following what one is following, teaching or has learnt.

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    Recently, when I landed in a country for the first time, my suitcase was thoroughly checked. As usual with most Indians, I too had taken home made, Indian food because the country where I went was predominantly a non-vegetarian food eating country and I am a vegetarian. I opened by suitcase, the security person took out the food and dumped it in dust bean. There are two different types of feeling – 1. individual level and 2. social level. Individual level 1. there is a saying in Marathi – anna he purna bramh (roughly translated as food is divinity) 2. people die hungry and you are throwing the food and 3. that is my at least 10 days ration! and Social level 1. Can someone likely be so dangerous to a country 2. why so much concern even with food items and 3. have we become worst than animals.

    This incident translated into two way thinking 1. defense budget of countries and 2. death due to hunger worldwide. Some statistics (source 1) suggest that USD ~4 Billion is required to feed 66 million school age children per year and daily total of 800 million go hungry worldwide. Defense budget (source 2) of the whole world is USD 1686 Billion. If we do number crunching defense budget comes out to be about more than 10% of budget required for food for hungry people. Alas, effectively the defense budget is utilized to kill people. What have we become? Imagine if we utilize the worldwide defense budget money in doing something constructive.

    The other downside emerging with this thought was a news of likely death of 44 crew members submarine of Argentina. Its not that only others are at risk, even the risk of those who are working in defense are equally there.

    A perspective will be that defense is needed for self defense for example against terrorism or other military hostility. Perhaps there will be time, when we will fight for food and water at that time we will need military! Well, in last so many millenniums we are fighting all in vain, when are we going to have a world – one world, without boundaries – as a family?

    Related blogs – Border-less world, world is imperfect, Ambitions selfishness and fear, size of the universe and dont divide we are interdependent.

    1. Image source –Hindustan Times
    2. Hunger statistics source – FoodAidFoundation and DoSomething
    3. Defense budget source – Wikipedia

  • Kingdom of God!







    It was 2010, I was completing my MBA. We friends went to watch a movie ‘Tron‘, a movie by Disney. I was wondering about a few things while watching the movie. One, everyone is trying to make the world a perfect place and two, there is a fight leaving the place as it is or worse than what it was earlier. Why?

    I believe the reason for this is everyone has his/her own definition of ‘perfection’.

    Matrix was destroyed 7 times (in the movie The Matrix). What was the reason for creation of the Matrix?

    To make the world a perfect place. Why destruction?

    In terms of chemistry and dialog of The Matrix Revolution – whatever we do entropy increases. Entropy means “uncertainty of outcomes”.

    The next question arises – why is the trouble with increased entropy and a perfect place?Kingdom of God

    On conceptual levels of any reasonable human being, perfection would result in definitive outcomes. The trouble with that ‘reasonability’ is – perfection is a relative term. Relative concepts create conflicts. What is perfect for me could not be so for you.

    I learnt it from Prof Lopez. I asked for answers and once he told me – “Pravin, exactness is a cage/prison” once you are exact you would not move.

    Trust, this makes the idea simpler.

    The life loves simplicity! How many of us must have felt this. Be it relationship, be it conversations or understanding anything.

    Jesus said the kingdom of god belongs to the children; why because they do not have any filter to make opinion about the world. They see things ‘as is’. The lesson is about 2000 year old, alas! we are struggling hard to make the world a perfect place to live in. Result we making the world more complex, more sophisticated and therefore we are increasing its entropy. Moreover, on a philosophical level, peace lie within us and once someone is peaceful with oneself the place becomes perfect without any chance outside. Kingdom of God lie within us.

    Image Source – http://genius.com/5188338

  • Dont divide – we are all interdependent







    Yes I know you must be wondering as if the topic is not complete or I missed something? This blog is not related with politics or religious division either. No, no I am not going to write about terrorist attacks again. They are becoming something very common now a days. We do need a solution to that with Talks, if that does not work perhaps force.

    Look inwardsThe year started on a very strange note – people wrote if 2016 is similar to 2008? The world bank reduced forecast of world GDP growth rate to 2.9% however had a positive outlook on growth of India. However, as we read news like this, we tend to think – ok make this strata analyse this. How about the developing countries as a whole? How is Europe doing? How about China? So we try to divide and look at each as individual or strata or country, isnt it? We are all interdependent, we must think of the whole world. If we look at worldwide trend, we realize that 2.9% is lowered expectation, that is a cause of concern. When such concerns are raised we must do one thing – turn inwards. This inwards is applied on an individual level as well as a local level e.g. the smallest strata we are considering for growth for example country. Look for options for improvement locally. When we see troubles in GDP growth worldwide – the best option to consider is looking for improving economy at country level – increasing local consumption, improving livelihood of the citizen by infrastructure or other basic needs. Because these small steps add to the monolith of global GDP, isnt it?

    The other thing to keep in mind is – when a hungry person eats, that adds to his/her health. If a stuffed person eats extra, his/her health may deteriorate, isnt it? When we are seeing world GDP, we must concentrate on the underdeveloped not on developed world as the driving force for growth. In the end once again – we are all interdependent.

    Image source – Petfinder.com

  • Neeraj in Kabir’s style







    Gopaldas Neeraj is an Indian poet. He wrote many poems, some I studied in my course work may be. I remember his Bollywood songs such as O meri sharmilee (from the movie Sharmilee) and Phoolon ke rang se, dil ki kalam se (from the movie Prem Pujari) etc. Read more poems here, and one of his poetry book.

    The most I like (rather love) is below – Neeraj ka Kabirana andaz. This poem I copied in a diary in 1998, found that diary when I was relocating recently. The poem title in English can be Neeraj in the style of Kabir. Kabir is (was) a sufi saint in India in 1500’s. Kabir wrote many things (called Doha) and tried uniting Hindu’s and Muslims (against their religious “blind belief system” to an awakened self). Here goes Neeraj (trying to translate in English – bold part below – for readers of other than Hindi readers). This translation is line by line translation. In some places a line should be read after the next line e.g. Line Number N+1 should be read before line number N.

    नीरज का कबीराना अंदाज़

    दिल के काबे मे नमाज़ पड़ (Dil ke kabe me namaz pad – pray in your heart)
    यहाँ वहाँ भरमाना छोड़ (Yahan vahan bharmana chhod – do not shout everywhere)
    सांस सांस तेरी अज़ान है (Sans sans teri azan hai – every breath is a call for prayer)
    सुबह शाम चिल्लाना छोड़ (Subhah sham chillana chod – do not shout day and night)

    उसका नूर ना मंदिर में है (Uska noor na mandir me hai – HIS glory is neither in temple)
    उसकी ज्योति ना मस्जिद मे (uski jyoti na masjid me – nor HIS glory is in any mosque)
    जिस मोती को ढूंड रहा तू (jis moti ko dhund raha tu – the pearl you’re searching for)
    वो है दिल के समंदर मे (vo hai dil ke samandar me – is within the sea of yourself)
    भीतर गोता मार बाहरी (bhitar gota mar bahari – jump Within O! worldly person)
    ये सब खोज खजाना छोड़ (ye sab khoj khajana chhod – do not search outside)

    जो कुछ बोले है पैगंबर (Jo kuch bole hai paigambar – whatever Paigambar said)
    वही कहा सब संतों ने (vahi kaha sab santon ne – same is said by other saints too)
    लेकिन उसकी मानी बदले (lekin uski mani badle – but the meanings have been changed)
    सारे भ्रष्ट महंतों ने (sare bhrast mahanton ne – by all the corrupt religious representatives)
    पंडित मुल्ला सब झूठे है (pandit mulla sab jhute hai – Pandit, Mulla all are liers)
    इनसे हाथ मिलना छोड़ (inse hath milana chhod – leave them, dont follow them)

    खुदा खलक से अलग नही है (Khuda khalak se alag nahi hai – God is not separate from creation)
    इसमे ही वो समाया है (isme hi vo samaya hai – God is within the creation)
    जैसे तुझमे ही पौषिदा (jaise tujhme hi poshida – as your own body)
    तेरा अपना साया है (tera apna saya hai – has its shadow)
    दुनिया से मत दूर भाग (dunia se mat dur bhag – do not run away from the world)
    बस मन की दौड़ लगाना छोड़ (bas man ki daud lagana chhod – stop running within your mind)

    पूजा पाठ नमाज़ जप (puja paath namaz jap – worship, Namaaz, chant everything)
    सब छलना और दिखावा है (sab chhalana aur dikhava hai – are show-off & cheating)
    दिल है तेरा साफ तो (dil hai tera saf to – if you heart is pure)
    तेरा घर ही काशी काबा है (tera ghar hi kashi kaba hai – your home itself is Kashi & Kaba)
    मकड़ जाल है ये सब जग के (makad jaal hai ye sab jag ke – this all is a cob-web)
    इनका ताना बना छोड़ (inka tana bana chhod – leave these framework)

    तू ही तो संसारी है रे (tu hi to sansari hai re – you are the worldly)
    और तू ही संसार भी है (aur tu hi sansar bhi hai – you are the world)
    कैदी तू ही, जैल भी तू ही, (kaidi tu hi, jail bhi tu hi – you are the jailer, you are the jailed)
    तू ही पहरेदार भी है(tu hi paharedar bhi hai – and you are the sentinel/guard)
    तीन गुनो वाली रस्सी मे (teen guno vali rassi me – a knot with these three attributes)
    अब तो गाँठ लगाना छोड़ (ab to gaandh lagana chhod – do not knot this rope)

    Specially in this I like the last bit (I would not want to write that in English, as the translation seem to lose the meaning –

    …दुनिया से मत दूर भाग
    बस मन की दौड़ लगाना छोड़…

    …कैदी तू ही, जैल भी तू ही,
    तू ही पहरेदार भी है…

    Whole world is created by our mind – we are the jailer, sentinel and jailed…

    Kabir Good read