In the previous episode we were talking about some miraculous finds of a senior Indian scientist namely Dr. Krishan Chandra. Let me continue on that.
Monday, December 30, 2019
GardenTalk06-A Magic solution for all your gardening problems!
In the previous episode we were talking about some miraculous finds of a senior Indian scientist namely Dr. Krishan Chandra. Let me continue on that.
Friday, December 27, 2019
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
(Mind16)-Everything can be explained logically!
Reasoning is a very powerful tool used by our mind to know that which is not directly apparent to our senses. Can we use logic to know everything – even those that cannot be perceived by our senses?
Monday, December 23, 2019
GardenTalk05-A Green Yogi!
You probably are aware of an Indian Yogi who is quite popular these days. This Yogi who runs multi-billion corporate houses, with his finger in almost in every pie, has made his version of Yoga almost a craze among the Indian masses.
Friday, December 20, 2019
(Mind15)-Describing the indescribable
Ancient Indians believed that the entire Vedic literature is the recording of visions of various sages when they were in deep states of meditation. They did not compose them. But they merely had the visions that they later recorded.
One such record of visions of a sage by name Mandukya, namely the Mandukya Upanishad, is considered to be the essence of all the Vedas by philosophers like Sankara. It is a very short record with only 12 verses. Gaud pada uses this short composition as a basis of his theory that we discussed in the previous episode. What do these 12 verses say?
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
(Mind14)-It is just a grand illusion!
Buddhism that started with its anicca or impermanence theory, gradually developed into many more forms.
First, they said that both the body and the mind appear and disappear in quick succession, both being impermanent. Then some of them came up with the theory that bodies don’t exist at all, and ‘it is all in the mind’ as we discussed in the previous episode.
Monday, December 16, 2019
GardenTalk04-Wealth locked is wealth lost!
Friday, December 13, 2019
(Mind13)-It is all in the Mind!
Buddhism that started as Tera Vada Buddhism, evolved into many more forms over a period of time. Adherents to each form claimed authority from Buddha himself. There was Mahayana, Vajrayana, Zen and so on.
One interesting development that revolved around the Mind, which is the topic of interest to us, is the so called Vijnyana Vada that got developed as an offshoot of Mahayana Buddhism sometime around 4th century A.D. They had some interesting views about the Mind.
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
(Mind12)-Buddhist view on the Mind
Buddhism is generally attributed to the great reformer philosopher Siddhartha Gautama who probably lived during 623-543 B.C. Buddha was more concerned with the miseries that afflicted common people and he gave up his throne and went in search of a solution to all the miseries of mankind.
The early form of the religion that got formulated sometime during 300 B.C., i.e. two centuries after the death of Buddha, was called ‘Teravada’ Buddhism – a word that simply meant – ‘the path of the elders’.
Most of what I am going to talk in this episode pertains to this early form of Buddhism which is believed to be based on the preaching of Buddha as recorded in the Tipitakas.
Monday, December 9, 2019
GardenTalk03-A dwarf can be a giant!
There is an interesting story in the ancient Indian mythology. Apparently, there was a wicked King by name Bali. God wanted to minimize his menace to mankind. So, God took the form of a dwarf – Vamana and approached the king asking for 3 foot holds of land.
The king thought – “Afterall a dwarf! How much land he can lay his foot on?” So, he agreed to give him that much land.
Friday, December 6, 2019
(Mind11)-Early attempts to know the Mind by the Greeks
For the past several episodes I discussed our current scientific views about our Mind. I took some interesting excerpts from my book “How does the Mind Work?” while explaining the scientific views.
In the next few episodes, I am going to pick up some interesting ideas about the Mind from my book “Missing dimensions in our current understanding of the Mind”.
My idea is to approach the Mind from both sides – modern science as well as ancient philosophy, pick useful things from both, and finally take you to regions beyond the mind itself! So, stay tuned till the end of this series.
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
(Mind10)-The biggest puzzle!
We started our discussions with the fundamental premise that brain and mind are almost synonymous. One by one, we saw how many aspects of our mind can be mapped on to the activities of the brain.
We said that our feelings, thoughts, consciousness and even the so called ‘free will’ are all just happenings in our brain. We were almost close to concluding that even the illusive entity namely the soul does not exist. We can explain everything about our existence without taking recourse to concepts like soul etc.
But do we really have all the answers?
Monday, December 2, 2019
GardenTalk02-Miracle makers
Now-a-days one keeps coming across many Gurus, who use miracles to attract more followers. They write books on their mystic experiences; put up internet ads promising wonderful results if you enroll in their courses.
But we often close our eyes to miracles that have been going on around us since ages and still very active. But these miracle makers don’t put up ads, nor they are interested in our ‘donations’.
Are you aware of them?
Friday, November 29, 2019
(Mind09)-Do we really have a free will?
We often think that what really makes us different from inanimate things is the ‘free will’ that we are supposed to be having.
An inanimate thing like a fan for example, can start, stop, run slowly or very fast, not on its own but only when we switch it on or off, or when we tweak the regulator. That is because the fan is not alive, though it can move. It does not have a will of its own. It just does what we want it to do.
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
(Mind08)-Are you conscious?
I know it sounds a bit absurd to ask such a question. It is like asking someone whether he or she is asleep! If you are not conscious, there is no way you can answer my question.
Monday, November 25, 2019
GardenTalk01-Self propelled endless store of nutrients
I see spirituality in most of what I do. To me gardening is not just a hobby or pastime, but a deep involvement with the nature around. Some form of meditation, some way of universalizing.
Friday, November 22, 2019
(Mind07)-What is thought?
You probably have noticed that our thoughts are often influenced by our past experiences and memories. One Guru of recent times even goes to the extent of dismissing thoughts as just a jumbling of memories and nothing else!
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
(Mind06)-What is our brain made of?
Brain is such a complex part of our body that you may need a detailed book to understand that. That is what I have attempted to do in my book “How does the Mind work?”. But still, what I have presented in that book is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.
Friday, November 15, 2019
(Mind05)-Faith can do miracles!
Homeopathy is one medical discipline which can cure any disease without any harmful side effects. Nor does it need any invasive procedures, not even any painful pricks. Just take some sugar pills and you can cure yourselves.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
(Mind04) Love – not divine after all!
Love is one of the human emotions that is often eulogized to the extent of raising it to divinity! Not that animals don’t exhibit this emotion. But they probably don’t believe in God as we do 😉
Friday, November 8, 2019
(Mind03 ) Are you getting old?!
It is all right. Everyone does. That is the natural process. Have you noticed the first symptom of getting old? Yes, you guessed it right. You start forgetting things!
Not that you forget everything. You still remember all those nasty things you did in your younger days. Those happy carefree days, those scolding you got from your parents for no fault of yours, and so on. But somehow, you start forgetting where you just left your mobile phone or the spectacles!
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
(Mind02) Are you left brained or right brained?
You probably have heard about this. Some of us are supposed to be left brain dominated and others right brain dominated. Not that we have two brains. What it means is that in some of us one of our brain ‘hemispheres’ plays a dominant role.
Friday, November 1, 2019
(Mind01) Mind your own busyness!
When some one fools around a bit too much with a long poky nose, we tell that person - “Mind your own business!”
But unfortunately, or rather, fortunately, Mind IS my BUSYness!
Friday, October 25, 2019
MB21-Why was Krishna right in doing what he did
No, I am not playing the devil’s advocate. But I am only trying to look deeper and see whether there is any justification to whatever Krishna did; Whether Vyasa really convey the intricacies of righteousness or Dharma through his master piece namely the Mahabharata.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
MB20-Was it really a war of righteousness?!
For the past several weeks, we have been discussing the great Indian Epic namely the Mahabharata.
As we saw, the most significant part of this story is the final war in which millions were massacred – brothers killed brothers, students killed their teachers, sons killed their parents and grandparents, friends killed their friends, and so on. It was a saga of brutal killing and ‘fight unto death’ with utter disregard to right and wrong.
In that case, how was the war called the war of righteousness? Apparently, the author of this Epic, namely Vyasa, is supposed to have written it to convey what righteousness is all about!
Friday, October 18, 2019
MB19-One last act of deceit!
As we discussed in the previous episode, the stage was all set for the final act of this drama of war of righteousness!
Duryodhana had emerged from his hideout from beneath the lake. Though tired, he was ready to fight his archrival Bhima in a last ‘do or die’ act. Bhima who was waiting all along for this opportunity was all the more ready.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
MB18-The devil quoting the bible
Well, we are discussing a story that probably took place when Bible was not even there. I am just using a popular phrase!
After the death of Karna, that we discussed in the previous episode, the Kauravas were totally disarrayed. Duryodhana was struck by immense grief. He not only lost his best friend, but also lost the last surviving warrior who could possibly win him the kingdom that seemed to go into the hands of the Pandavas.
Friday, October 11, 2019
MB17-The Sun finally sets
Many of us remember righteousness only when we are at the receiving end. When all is well with us, we don’t care for right and wrong. But, when we are helpless, suddenly we remember righteousness and start preaching others about how they should act!
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
MB16-Ashwatthama’s last minute bid to end the war
Having promised his elder brother Yudhishthira that he would slay Karna that day, Arjuna along with Krishna rushed to the battle field looking for Karna.
Karna too was all set. He had made up his mind that either he would kill Arjuna that day or get killed by him. There was no way both could return from the war field live that day.
Friday, October 4, 2019
MB15-Frustration blinds even the wisest!
Most of us tend to make silly mistakes when we are frustrated and desperate. Our wisdom evades us and we make fool of ourselves. Probably, that is what happened to Yudhishthira, the eldest of the Pandavas.
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