Hearing 'If i Rise' in my breath

The other day, in the middle of a lot of mental and physical activity, i got a chance to sit down and close my eyes for a few minutes. Suddenly, my mind became thoughtless. Thanks to the continuous practice of 'shoonya'( http://www.ishafoundation.org/ShoonyaMeditations), sometimes my mind actually becomes thoughtless for periods of time enough for me to experience peace.

In this occasion, very naturally my attention went to my breath, and i was completely able to focus on the inhalation and exhalation, this complete focus lasted a few tens of seconds. The rhythm of my breath was exactly like the background music in 'If i rise' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWMuo9Bc0ww) by Rehman and Dido in 127 hours.

I find quiet interesting ways of liking my soul connection with music and feel happy, you may have realized by now :)))

Excellence 4 by Manoj Bharadwaj

Here is my response as promised :) I have added an extra paragraph upon going through Prashant's views again.

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Wonderful :) I loved some of the arguments presented above. Money, Dates, being rich, runs....all of them are not objective. They are relative. Its cheaper to repair a tyre in a city rather than on the highway - relative. India got independence on 15th August, 1947 - again relative to the day counting began.

I think objective means existing irrespective of my existence. One can say that what I have just written is still subjective as it is ME who stumbled upon that idea! But, this is where the congruence comes in. We are all living in that congruence, we are all on that journey of excellence - consciously at times (like when we are applying our thought and effort) and not so consciously at times. So, as long as I am in that congruence (at whatever stage or state of awareness) I will have that subjective in me and also am in contact with the objective outside of me. It is from that contact with objective outside of me that the above idea has emerged - and thus, in spite of coming from me, I can still believe that it is objectively true because I am at a certain stage on that journey of congruence!

Yes, runs are objective. For that matter, science works from the belief that anything that can be measured is objective. And hence, the truth. But there is congruence there too! The instrument to measure is itself an agent of excellence! The person who discovered (or manufactured) that instrument is operating in this congruence! Coming back to runs, true that scoring runs for the team is more important that playing elegantly. But, each person - no matter at what consciousness (awareness) he is - while scoring runs is operating from this congruence!

And coming to excellence itself being subjective, I would again like to point out to the congruence. Excellence is different for all of us - its largely about the uniqueness that we all have. Sehwag is different from Laxman. I am different from you. As Prathyusha once told me, we need not try to be different. But each of us have an objectiveness that is for us and is outside of us - and each of us are on the path to discovering that objectiveness, to connect with it and to experience the joy. The congruence.

Now, this is triggering another idea in my mind. Is it possible to tap into someone else's objectivity? To cross our paths with someone else's path of excellence? Is that happening right now as I am writing these words to you? Ah! Though the feeling hasn't crept within me completely, I have a hunch that the answers to the above questions are Yes, Yes and Yes. Perhaps this is what is called 'connecting at a deeper plane'.

Heart felt thanks for your spontaneous reply buddy :) I wouldn't have refined my thought (learning!) and wouldn't have come up with the above ideas if not for you :)

Excellence 3 by Prashant

I am supremely glad that such amazing ideas are emerging from my post! :) Here is a message by Prashant. I will be posting my response for the same in a separate note :)

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Dude, brilliant articulation again in excellence. Reading "Excellence" prompted me to put pen to paper or fingers to keys! I differ a wee -

Excellence is itself very subjective. What is excellence for me could be mediocre for you. Would it be justified then to present excellence as a coalesce of "objectivity" and "subjectivity".

For that matter timing itself is very subjective for exactly the reasons stated above. Objectivity for me would be something that could be measured. For example - runs would be objective. Yes one could be accused of being very unaesthetic and blunt. You could say that that is putting the end before the means. But then in a team game like cricket, is it not more important to score runs than to do so elegantly. But the success of IPL over Test cricket and the popularity of Sehwag over Laxman speak of the same inelegance.

Infact, on second thoughts even runs is not objective. Else wudnt Sachin have been the undoubted greatest batsman in the world? 4th innings score, average, strike rate - nothing but subjective analysis of the same "objective".

Continuing in the same vein, is anything really objective? Let me take the example of the most objective thing that comes to my mind - the richest man/woman. What would decide the richest person - well, money obviously. But isnt money subjective itself. Isnt money one's personal interpration of the value of a product. Take the example of a simple tyre puncture. You wud get it repaired for 5 bucks in the city. Tell me wudnt you be ready to shell out a hundred more for the same repair on a deserted highway?

The only more objective thing I can think of is dates. India became independent on 15th Aug, 1947. Some still ask - did it really?

No realm of life is objective. And that is not bad. An objective life would have been very boring. No conflicts. Imagine? ;-) Why wud one want to delimit life? Why wudnt one want to keep discovering everyday? The Greeks wudnt have left nething for us to discuss had life been objective. :-)
-- Prash

Excellence 2 by Shantan

I shared my note on Excellence with Shantan whose opinions, insights and perspectives are very profound, highly intriguing and ever exciting! True to his reputation, the below was his reply which I am sharing with his permission.

Thank you Shantan :) - there is tremendous 'convergence' between my post and your response ;)

Awaiting to know what you guys think.

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Hmmm, Manoj, this piece brings back memories! What I am about to share is more a series of thoughts that have been triggered by reading this, than an opinion. But I am sure you can find an opinion in there too! :-)

I also went through a college phase of being very passionate about Objectivism. In retrospect, a vital part in the formation of my conscious belief system, but also Rand's main premise - rational self interest - is incomplete in many ways. It fails to acknowledge the importance of the irrational, often just brushing it aside as irrelevant.

Ok, back to the point you raised about objectivity and subjectivity, and their convergence being excellence. It's very interesting, and reaffirms my belief that even if our great scriptures went missing, we can rewrite them. What you are saying closely resembles a model presented in the Taittreya Upanisad.

The model is of a bird - one wing is called Satyam - which is "my truth" or "subjective truth". The other wing of the bird is called Ritam" - which is "absolute or universal truth". Where the wings meet, the body of the bird is called Yoga - which is described as many things including - the point of union, the point of being in the present moment, the point of maximum power, the point of perfect action, etc.

Having seen the bird from a wing to wing perspective, the model also describes the head of the bird as Sraddha - which is "conviction that takes you to the goal", and the tail as Mahat - which is "the past memory". Again the point where the head and tail meet is the body - Yoga. This can also be a meeting point of the past and future - which is the present moment.

There are a few inferences I have made through this model over the years. Your piece has also helped to further clarify these inferences.

1. The subjective and objective are both equally valid and important experiences. I think you have acknowledged this as well... I am hesitantly disagreeing with the Uncertainty principle in this particular context. This is because there is merit in saying that the subjective truth and objective truth cannot be simultaneously measured by most people. But I believe it can be done. (see below)

2. The subjective and objective can meet in the present moment.

At the point of convergence of the past and the future - sitting on the seat of the present moment - we have access to the clarity that allows us to see our truth and the absolute truth. This is said to be one of the qualities of enlightenment - to have one foot in a human perspective, and another foot in a divine perspective. Enlightened masters are able to see the world subjectively and objectively at the same time
- Shantan

Excellence

I read a lot of Ayn Rand in my formative years of pre-college and college. Objective Epistemology. She was the one who introduced me to the beautiful concepts of Objectivity and Subjectivity. And Selfishness. Against this was the ever charming Heisenberg and his Uncertainty Principle. To quote Wikipedia:"In quantum mechanics, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle states by precise inequalities that certain pairs of physical properties, such as position and momentum, cannot be simultaneously known to arbitrarily high precision. That is, the more precisely one property is measured, the less precisely the other can be measured."

This translated with in me into a very interesting uncertainty principle with respect to any polar opposites - like Objectivity and Subjectivity. That is, the more objective a person is, the less subjective he can be and vice versa. But the person himself is the one trying to be objective - a very subjective entity. The person. To me, it remains a very ironic contradiction about life. But more recently, while I was trying to solve my sweetheart's confusion, I gave words to a startling - and pending - realization with in me about the convergence of objectivity and subjectivity.

Take sport for example. Cricket. The first time I played with a leather ball was in my first year at IIT. Hostel cricket practice. And I was clueless. It took me quite a lot of effort to get used to it. And then get better. What eluded me for a long time was Timing. Timing is a very objective entity. It exists as a concept. Irrespective of my existence. Or yours. It is when each person discovers timing that he begins to enjoy batting. While I was searching for it in my batting, it still existed out side of me. Because I could not time the ball, I realize that it is still an objective entity living outside of my existence. But the moment I found "my timing", I became part of the objective entity called timing. That is when the urge for objectivity within me ("me"-subjective) met the universal objective entity of timing to put me onto the path of pure joy.

What I have explained above is one tiny insight that I got into the convergence of objectivity and subjectivity. And I don't even know if I am journeying on that path anymore. But I do know one thing. That Federer's brilliance on the tennis field existed a long time before he himself knew it. Tendulkar's balance was patiently waiting for him to perfect himself enough before he can find it. Rehman's music was captive in space and time before he unlocked it through perseverance, humility and a pursuit towards excellence. Ah! There it is! Excellence.

What we call Excellence is nothing but the convergence of Objectivity and Subjectivity.

And when they converge, they create Magic. They create a Tendulkar. A Rehman. And a Federer. And so many countless magnitudes and intensities of excellence across the world that we are unaware of. And those that we are aware of, are the zenith of Excellence.

Reflections of a Butterfly

I am not sure I am a butterfly yet - they are supposed to be beautiful right? I used the title to indicate that I was like a caterpillar comfortably nestled in a cocoon while I was in IIT. A caterpillar with the audacity to do whatever seemed right to it. A caterpillar that swam in the comfort that whatever it does, it is going to turn into a butterfly in 4 years time. A caterpillar which knew that the world is going to stop in awe and appreciate when it is finally done fooling around in the cocoon and comes out in flying colors.

And so it swam. It swam in every intoxication possible. In every crazy thought that occurred to it. Without care for time. Without care for discipline. In the knowledge that there is a world out there waiting to be awed.

Getting close to 2 years after being christened a butterfly, I am not sure of my identity. Am I a butterfly merely in appearance but a stunted caged liberation-thirsty caterpillar within? Can the world see my true identity? Wait a minute. Is that really my true identity? I don't know. Perhaps I will not for a while to come. It took 3 years of slogging and 4 years of pure fun and indiscipline to lose myself. Finding myself is not going to be so easy. Or quick. But what did I lose?

Is it fun? No. I learnt to have fun. My passion? No. I never knew what it was. How can I lose what I never knew. A sense of belonging? No. I haven't belonged more to any place than my wing. And my cricket team. And my hostel. And my friends.

Now I realize. After 3 years of slogging and 4 years of pure fun and indiscipline and close to 2 years of playing a butterfly, I have not lost anything. Because I never had anything worthy to lose. I have only had myself. And I still have most of it. I don't need transformation now. Because every single act of life is merely a formation. A progress. A step. A page. Transformation might happen along. But what is actually happening and is always going to happen is only formation.

So, what do you want to become?

for the love of dogs :)

I have never been the 'dog person'. Neither did i have any special affection for dogs. Infact when i was a kid, i had a health fear of dogs, enough for me to go from the other side of the road if i saw one.

when i met rover( sam, my best friends lab) for the first time, he was just a baby. Thats when love happened! my god! he was soooooo cute :) i suddenly started seeing how loving dogs are! even if you are screaming at it for having climbed the bed it comes and licks you enthusiastically!

then, yesterday i met Dubi! another lab pup, equally cute and adoreableeeeeeeeeee, i so wanted to bring it home, but mom wont agree...

now suddenly i realize that every time i see a dog on the road i smile, like today i was walking home and saw this owner walking a pug. I had to go up to her and meet the dog! he is called 'spikey'...hahah. He is super cute! smelled me, licked me and just casually put his front legs up on me. It felt sooo nice! like this little one has no stupid fears and inhibitions like us humans, he is open to loving anybody!!! no conditions...

i also realized something very interesting...its that we also can be OPEN to be loved by anything and anybody, but we are not. we feel great only when people who mean something great to us express love. All others expressions of affection are somehow on a lower scale.

Today when i felt spikey's affection for me, an absolute stranger!! i felt so overwhelmed. He made me want to be open to love and affection where ever i get it from :) its a feeling of abundance :)