! My perception of “The Bhagavad Gita” !

I do not know if Lord Krishna or Prince Arjuna, ever existed in reality…

I do not know if there was ever any real battle in Kurukshetra…

And I really do not care…

Because what really matters, is not the plot of a true story or a fiction, but the lesson behind it!

And after reading this book, I totally agree to what Albert Einstein had said - "When I read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God created this universe everything else seems so superfluous"

This book has nothing to do with any particular religion or our different definitions of god. Like many others, I too regard the story of Gita as an allegory where
- Arjuna represents the individual soul;
- Sri Krishna, the Supreme Soul dwelling in every heart;
- Arjuna's chariot is the body;
- The blind king Dhritarashtra is the mind under the spell of ignorance, and his hundred sons are man's numerous evil tendencies

So the real battle is within, and Gita can be used as a practical handbook of instructions on how best we can re-organize our thoughts and feelings, in order to act harmoniously in everyday life.

Though the central idea here is “Selfless Service” and “Work with dispassion”, but the fancy of this book is that a reader would relate the story with his/her life, and find a solution. And with every read, it gets deeper and clearer. It will be a different but wonderful experience for all, since it caters to an individual’s concern.
Therefore, the benefits from this book cannot be expressed or explained, but can only be experienced personally!

P.S: A must read!!! (Pre-requisite: an open mind)

! romance on the floor !

Clouds are changing gear
sky is getting clear
Rain is here no more
romance is on the floor!

wanna be with my dear
who would patiently hear
but, here am all alone
texting her on phone!

distance has its flair
so, I don’t much care
hope, I meet her soon
for another walk, under the moon!!!

kitne ajeeb rishte hai yaha pe...

a 'Friendship Day Special' poetic song!!!
(gaane ki dhun mein hi padhna)

kitne ajeeb, rishte hai yaha pe...
dost mere, kyun itna peete hai yaha ke!!!

hosh mein toh pyari pyari, mehfil jamaate hai...
phir kyun nashe mein apni, hosh udaate hai!!!

kitne ajeeb, dost hai yaha ke...

Jo apan milte hai, saath saath chalte hai...
mauka milte hi ye toh, peene ko machalte hai!!!

jab chai coffee se, din mast nikalte hai...
phir kyun shaam inke, peene mein dhalte hai!!!

kitne ajeeb dost hai yaha ke...

!! daily bumpy ride !!

February is half gone,
sun is back in form...
gazing through the window,
I can feel the warm!

people around all quiet,
no one by my side...
all the way to work,
is a daily bumpy ride!

some here busy talking,
few were eye stalking...
listening to the music,
I kept my brain walking!

thinking what to do,
but, getting not a clue...
to use this commute time,
so, later I not rue!

audio books I tried,
or just closed my eyes...
breathing in and out,
was still unsatisfied!

noise was getting loud,
inside, as well out...
but, I could stress no more,
left for time to explore!

And, suddenly there was light,
letting go was so right...
got idea to pen my thoughts,
with every bumpy ride!

!! it's a beautiful life !!

Well, I wrote this poem, on my way to office...Finally, got a way to utilize my time while commuting in company bus for hours everyday...
And, here it goes...

"
it's a beautiful poem,
about our beautiful life...
moving through day & night,
inside we always bright!

it's a beautiful thought,
that I came across...
using my commute time,
to put my words in rhyme!

it's a beautiful time,
what is now is prime...
leaving behind the past,
the future is all mine!

it's a beautiful journey,
have never been alone...
friends we make or break,
experience ever been great!

it's a beautiful relation,
why give it a name...
be it love or lust,
let's play a fair game!

it's a beautiful game,
there is no rule...
play it your way,
win or lose, all the same!

it's a beautiful day,
have to cover long way...
working all week,
refreshes with sunday!

it's a beautiful life,
good and bad all rife...
pleasure be all ours,
if not cling to strife!
"
...........................................
Source: my beautiful mind! ;-)

Survival Strategy @ workplace!

In the magazine CAREERS360, I came across this wonderful column “Slog. Get your hands dirty!” by Prakash Iyer (MD, Kimberly-Clark lever and executive coach).
Here are a few excerpts (Ctrl+C -- Ctrl+V), from the same:

 An MBA does not make you a manager. It is only after you spend several more years learning on the job that you truly qualify to call yourself a manager.

 The world outside the classroom is a very different place. Get ready to get surprised.

 If you want to be successful, work hard, dirty your hands – and go beyond your specific role.

 Initially, what you learn is more important than what you earn. In your first job – don’t worry about pay packet or the size of the organization. Get a good boss. A good mentor. That’s priceless.

 It’s not about the company. It’s about you. Do the best with what you have, wherever you are. We could all benefit by staying focused on doing a great job – rather than worrying about the next job, or the next promotion. Do a good job. Success and happiness will follow. Inevitably.


Source: http://www.careers360.com/news/5086-Prakash-Iyer-s-advice-Slog-Get-your-hands-dirty

The Tragedy of the Commons…

Thanks to Cognizant’s User Community Newsletter, that I have subscribed to. Where I came across this article with a very catchy topic-“Why Warren Buffett Can't Solve Our Tax Problem”, which I couldn’t resist reading. And here I was introduced to an interesting phrase-“The Tragedy of the Commons”. Which is rather a theory, first put forth by Garrett Hardin in 1968.

So, for the busy souls, this blog is the Copy-Paste-Edit of the few excerpts from the related stuffs I read:

To start with a real-time fact: “We too want to solve the energy/global warming crisis as much as anyone else, but then we are going to keep driving, polluting, and draining finite resources because it makes our life convenient. Now, that's the tragedy of the commons.”

The Wikipedia definition says: “The tragedy of the commons is a dilemma arising from the situation in which multiple individuals, acting independently and solely and rationally consulting their own self-interest, will ultimately deplete a shared limited resource even when it is clear that it is not in anyone's long-term interest for this to happen.”

In relevance to this theory and with little statistical data, the writer of the column very well explains how “even one very wealthy man, like Warren Buffet- won’t make a dent in the hole of America’s tax problem!”
For the curious readers, can visit the link " http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2010/10/13/why-warren-buffett-cant-solve-our-tax-problem.aspx "

“Here's another example: No one voluntarily gives up their Social Security or Medicare benefits in the name of fiscal discipline or so to say tax benefits, even though these programs have country's finances hurtling toward misery. Not that anyone should give them up. Cashing those checks as long as they're sent to you is the rational thing to do individually. Collectively, though, it's debilitating.”

In Short, “we often rationally look after our own interests even when doing so ruins society as a whole.”
But then, “Critics ask how can it possibly be rational for a society to engineer its own ruin. Can't we see that everybody would be better off if everybody were to grab less of the common resource? The error in such reasoning is elementary.”

Well, the debate is on, and there gotta be something which we can do about it…

Hope we get into a healthy discussion on this, through comments!