Life and Spirituality

Road and mountain landscape. Photo by Alexander Kozlovsky . They called me King in Piland Babaji in a cave A Doc or Prof at work But my mama just Ashok For that simply was my name One’s journey through the jungle On one’s own one must make If the path is marked by love and beauty Just the love of duty The Journey and destination Surely shall be lovely and a cutie Just LOL with your Laughter Jump on board the roller coaster

It does not take much to make a difference in lives of others for the better, just a heart rooted in humanity and willing to do so. You can make a difference. Yes you can. T he Lord has been extremely gracious in first giving me birth in an educated and enlightened family, education to the highest possible levels in some of the finest universities of our planet, later an opportunity to travel, live and work across the world. Around seven years ago, at the age of sixty, as I stepped out from my academic profession, the thought occurred that my rich experience would be a waste if it could not benefit the world in various ways. It would be ungrateful to the Lord that provided this experience. Next time around, in a new life, he may not bless me similarly. A human is full of good and bad qualities. Much activity in the world, as my earlier years witnessed, involves doing not just good but some wrong and shameless acts that I too have not escaped and regret. All things have con...

T ime and Space are fundamental to creation. The created universe exists because of it. Of this time is even more fundamental than space because it existed even before space was created at the beginning of creation. In this glorious creation exist both animate and inanimate matter. Both are affected by time. The timing of movements of the stars and planets is determined by universal laws, such as the law of gravity that creates and holds the universe together. These laws prescribe timing of movements of planets and they also determine when stars and planets deviate significantly from orderly movements, a time when they are destroyed. Animate matter or life is distinguished from inanimate matter in the universe by the fact that it has the capacity to perceive and feel and a degree of freedom of choice that it may exercise for its activities in time and space. The kind of choices humans make decides the quality of their experience in the universe and their progress as a...

   A worldly wise uncle of mine had advised that soon after one begins work, one must start planning for a home that would be suitable for one’s retirement. The sooner one builds it the better. Just as is the case with most humans, my working life was spent in thickly populated urban areas spread across three countries including in Delhi, India, the country of my birth. However, it must be kept in mind that, “While one may be compelled to spend one’s working life in a crowded city, it is not at all necessary to do so when one retires. It is wiser to look for a home in quieter less crowded town and cities for retirement.” I am thankful that I did not choose Delhi to acquire a home because the pollution there now is such that many an aged person is  either running away from it or landing up in hospitals unless they drop dead first. From a practical point of view it is wiser because property and land is much cheaper in the countryside than in large...

H aving been a professor and scientist for much of my life, I have collected a huge amount of documents, files and books. Added to that are some files dating back to childhood. Needless to say this mass of paper would be quite useless unless well organized. It is an exercise that has to be repeated every few years as new files are added, some become redundant enough to discard and some get disorganized with use. The exercise stretches over days. My most recent shot at it was last month. While the task of this sorting is on, I remove batches from shelves and look through them in different locations of the home ranging from different tables and desks as also the bed. A double bed is a comfortable place for such an exercise because one can lay out the files on one of the beds while sitting against the headboard of the bed on the other against a fluffy pillow with a coffee or tea mug on the side table. It is a habit I developed in college residence when one had only one sma...

Y esterday while walking through the local Bazaar I noticed a boy, a roadside vendor, selling some cheap clay toys and things. I purchased a small plastic vase from him that had a few plastic leaves and flowers stuck in it. I did not quite need it but the boy did not seem to be making any sales. He was delighted at the sale; perhaps it would help him later with his daily meal. It cost thirty rupees or half a dollar. At home, in my kitchen, there is a kitchen table by a window. It attracts a lot of afternoon sun and any cut flowers placed in a vase there just wilt away rapidly. Therefore I placed this little inexpensive flower vase there and immediately the room lit up. Later in the day a visitor remarked that it looked pretty. I have some unused expensive vases at home too and could easily place this inside those but it is not necessary. I shall let them lie unused for it is not expense that makes a home pretty but love and goodness. Many a mansion of the rich have I visi...

  I n my younger days my family was regular meat and fish eaters and this was central to the daily dinner most days of the week. Now older, I have given up on meat and fish as something that is neither good for health nor the soul. However I still consume eggs and milk products since these can be procured without perpetuating violence on animals. This is unlike vegans who shun these latter too. I have given a name of to this latter type of food - Lovegan Food. It signifies love for all life, not just animal life but also plant life. Whenever possible, I try to avoid perpetuating violence on plants too. For example I grow my own spinach but never cut the entire plant for its leaves. Just take some selectively and gently while allowing the plant to go to seed and complete its life cycle. I consume potatoes and peanuts though because these are leftovers from the plant when its life cycle is over. Giving up meat however created problems for planning dinners. The traditio...