Day was work as usual. Monday's rush as usual. Office as usual. Returning to home..hold on, not as usual!
A moment that lasted only 7-8 seconds made the whole day day count!
We all await many minutes on the way on traffic lights but as I mentioned here, the last few seconds at a traffic stop are something that are hard to be patient for most of us...just independent, still developing, citizens.
And this traffic light on the way to Information Technology Park is like a dog tied outside a post-office. Who has to look up and make a meekly sound to get anyone's attention; if at all. :-)
But this one time when I approached it a few commuters were already lined up waiting for the last 10 seconds.
8...
7...
6...
The traffic clock counting down to the Green one. By this time few would already be halfway down the crossing, in the road, hindered only by the oncoming traffic to jump the Red one.
But no one was moving! Even when all the traffic from the other side has already crossed. Such patience? Could be a coincidence.
5...
4...
3...
By this time they would start honking. Urging the ones at the front-line to forgo the constitution that says, "Red means stop" and just go! But today, here, it was silence broken only by humming of a car engine and rhythmic thumps of an auto-rickshaw a bit farther away.
2...
Still no one's moving, its getting me now. No oncoming traffic, no cops in view, still no honking, no one's creeping forward!! Amazing example of discipline.
1...
Green!!!
A Skoda, an Activa, an Auto, few bikes including mine moved forward and then off to their respective routes. Silently engines revving faster, gears shifting.
If I draw a correct analogy, the last 5 seconds were akin to a patriotic group of citizens standing for a national anthem. What other than respect for law was holding all of us there?
All of know that obeying law is prime evidence of the fact that one respects the nation that we live in. That we call ours, that we defend in online discussions and that we enjoy the freedom of. Only difference is that now we recognize the acceptance that was dormant inside us. This, I would say is a fundamental change happening. The more we obey law, the more we would like it to be acted upon. This would ultimately lead all corruption and all corrupt to be brought to justice.
Small gestures like obeying Red light, leaving off plastic bags willingly, asking for invoice and paying sale tax are indicators of the change that will make us a world power.
I think I witnessed a small moment of that big change today.
Think!
Good Night
Monday, December 7, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
"Religious Fuss Express": From Jalandhar to Ludhiana:
Picked up the newspaper this morning to be greeted with the gloomy news of communal tension in the industrial hub of Punjab. Immediately I remembered how many of my close ones were stuck in the riots in Jalandhar few months back.
Again, agenda was same, the hot favorite: Religion.
Religion seems to be the favorite topic of us Indians to create a fuss upon. We seek religious excuses to get together, to rejoice and most of all to create a fuss the examples of which we have witnessed in the recent times as well as the past(1947, 1984, Godhra, Babri Masjid etc).
Talking of the Sikh community, I wonder what has made our (Sikhs') faith in their faith so vulnerable so that we have to defend it with veined swords every now and then?
An X, Y, Z person makes some remarks and we get together to teach a lesson forgetting completely the lessons that our Sikh gurus have taught us since Guru Nanak Dev ji.
How can we forget that Guru Nanak Dev Ji blessed the people who threw stones at them leaving his accompanists, Bala and Mardana, wondering?
Can we forget how when Sri Guru Amar Dass Ji responsed when he was kicked off his seating position by a person in front of everyone claiming his Gurgaddi? He had asked him if he was hurt by his old and seasoned bones.
How he responded to the person who made fun of his long saintly beard? By saying that it is to wipe the feet of holy people like yours.
Why Guru Ram Dass ji had doors on all the sides of the Golden Temple? So that people of all the religions may be welcome to the holy place. So that Sikhism may coexist with every other religion through mutual respect for each other.
Did the Sikhs at that time created such a scene as yesterday when Guru Arjun Dev ji was punished with hot Tava and red-hot sand from above for no offense of his?
Does anyone remember that the 5 beloveds from the 5 different Hindu casts?
Every single day in the millions of Gurdwaras and homes, the holy Ardaas is recited. An excerpt:
"Sikhaan da man neevaan matt uchhi, mat pat da raakha aap Waheguru" which means "
Bless your sikhs with a humble mind and high moral thought. You yourself protect their morality and respect
The recent acts do not reflect anything of that sort. Has the Guru stopped bestowing morality and humility on his Sikhs?
What if a saint says a few words against your religion? Someone who does not knows about a principle will either try to learn about it or discard it based on his own reasoning and sense of understanding. I think we are here to brace the core teachings of all the religions and not judge them on the basis of someone Else's remarks.
What if someone dresses like Dashamesh Pita, Guru Gobind Singh ji? Did he become one? How are they sure Guru Ji looked or dressed that way? Do we have any painting of that era on record? I am not sure that how the paintings made by an artist come to be known as immortal images of the Gurus. By following those images we are ourselves insulting them as they are definitely imagination of someone and not a real image of the Gurus. The real image that Guru ji would like us to follow are the teachings enlisted in the Granth.
It is clearly inscribed in Sukhmani Sahib that anyone denouncing a saint will be put to shame and punished by the Akal Purakh himself.
So if Ahutosh Maharaj has said something that has insulted any of the Sikh faiths, he has already registered himself for the punishment of theAkal Purakh. So has the Dera saint who dressed up as Guru Sahib.
Why we all have to pick up swords in the broad daylight and instill terror and rage for the people in the communities from other faiths and establish ourselves as a fragile and raging community rather than humble and sturdy one.
Does these puny acts of these persons hold the strength to uproot Sikh faith? I would laugh if someone says yes to that. And if they do, I think we do not need to call ourselves Sikhs anymore. With such a fragile faith, we are better off as lunatics who have no sense of civilization altogether.
Burning property of fellow Indians, shouting against other faiths wont even get anyone to listen to our genuine issues. These situations are best handled through peaceful display of remorse. Ahutosh Maharaj's words must be on record. There is law, take them to court. Instead, now we are the ones to testify our acts of disrupting public life, insulting another faith and spoiling property. While they hold the distinction of being oppressed by Sikh faith.
So great is the contribution of the various Sikh religious heads that encouraged all this. Rather than asking the fellow sikhs to stay calm and practice humility and patience that the Gurus have been teaching us all the way. They were silently watching the foolish people face the bullet under a false impression that they were protecting the faith.
Who stands accountable for Darshan Singh who died on the spot? Will these religions leaders who sat in comfort while random people were being beaten by the police sticks?
But I know there are millions of people in all the communities that know that the core of all the religious beliefs is the same. That all have both stemmed from the same divine halo. That we all are children of same GOD. That insulting one of us is like insulting ourselves only.
It is the undying faith of these people that is holding the country and the world together since the times of Ramayana and Mahabharata.
May Peace prevail.
Good Night.
Again, agenda was same, the hot favorite: Religion.
Religion seems to be the favorite topic of us Indians to create a fuss upon. We seek religious excuses to get together, to rejoice and most of all to create a fuss the examples of which we have witnessed in the recent times as well as the past(1947, 1984, Godhra, Babri Masjid etc).
Talking of the Sikh community, I wonder what has made our (Sikhs') faith in their faith so vulnerable so that we have to defend it with veined swords every now and then?
An X, Y, Z person makes some remarks and we get together to teach a lesson forgetting completely the lessons that our Sikh gurus have taught us since Guru Nanak Dev ji.
How can we forget that Guru Nanak Dev Ji blessed the people who threw stones at them leaving his accompanists, Bala and Mardana, wondering?
Can we forget how when Sri Guru Amar Dass Ji responsed when he was kicked off his seating position by a person in front of everyone claiming his Gurgaddi? He had asked him if he was hurt by his old and seasoned bones.
How he responded to the person who made fun of his long saintly beard? By saying that it is to wipe the feet of holy people like yours.
Why Guru Ram Dass ji had doors on all the sides of the Golden Temple? So that people of all the religions may be welcome to the holy place. So that Sikhism may coexist with every other religion through mutual respect for each other.
Did the Sikhs at that time created such a scene as yesterday when Guru Arjun Dev ji was punished with hot Tava and red-hot sand from above for no offense of his?
Does anyone remember that the 5 beloveds from the 5 different Hindu casts?
Every single day in the millions of Gurdwaras and homes, the holy Ardaas is recited. An excerpt:
"Sikhaan da man neevaan matt uchhi, mat pat da raakha aap Waheguru" which means "
Bless your sikhs with a humble mind and high moral thought. You yourself protect their morality and respect
The recent acts do not reflect anything of that sort. Has the Guru stopped bestowing morality and humility on his Sikhs?
What if a saint says a few words against your religion? Someone who does not knows about a principle will either try to learn about it or discard it based on his own reasoning and sense of understanding. I think we are here to brace the core teachings of all the religions and not judge them on the basis of someone Else's remarks.
What if someone dresses like Dashamesh Pita, Guru Gobind Singh ji? Did he become one? How are they sure Guru Ji looked or dressed that way? Do we have any painting of that era on record? I am not sure that how the paintings made by an artist come to be known as immortal images of the Gurus. By following those images we are ourselves insulting them as they are definitely imagination of someone and not a real image of the Gurus. The real image that Guru ji would like us to follow are the teachings enlisted in the Granth.
It is clearly inscribed in Sukhmani Sahib that anyone denouncing a saint will be put to shame and punished by the Akal Purakh himself.
So if Ahutosh Maharaj has said something that has insulted any of the Sikh faiths, he has already registered himself for the punishment of theAkal Purakh. So has the Dera saint who dressed up as Guru Sahib.
Why we all have to pick up swords in the broad daylight and instill terror and rage for the people in the communities from other faiths and establish ourselves as a fragile and raging community rather than humble and sturdy one.
Does these puny acts of these persons hold the strength to uproot Sikh faith? I would laugh if someone says yes to that. And if they do, I think we do not need to call ourselves Sikhs anymore. With such a fragile faith, we are better off as lunatics who have no sense of civilization altogether.
Burning property of fellow Indians, shouting against other faiths wont even get anyone to listen to our genuine issues. These situations are best handled through peaceful display of remorse. Ahutosh Maharaj's words must be on record. There is law, take them to court. Instead, now we are the ones to testify our acts of disrupting public life, insulting another faith and spoiling property. While they hold the distinction of being oppressed by Sikh faith.
So great is the contribution of the various Sikh religious heads that encouraged all this. Rather than asking the fellow sikhs to stay calm and practice humility and patience that the Gurus have been teaching us all the way. They were silently watching the foolish people face the bullet under a false impression that they were protecting the faith.
Who stands accountable for Darshan Singh who died on the spot? Will these religions leaders who sat in comfort while random people were being beaten by the police sticks?
But I know there are millions of people in all the communities that know that the core of all the religious beliefs is the same. That all have both stemmed from the same divine halo. That we all are children of same GOD. That insulting one of us is like insulting ourselves only.
It is the undying faith of these people that is holding the country and the world together since the times of Ramayana and Mahabharata.
May Peace prevail.
Good Night.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Forgotten Instinct
Dear Instinct,
You are the one that I was talking to here. I promised to pay you some attention yesterday but you know I was too busy figuring out my schedules that I could not offer you the fair share of attention that you so rightfully deserve.
Apologies for the same. I hope you understand that every one of my efforts is directs by you so if I am not able to listen to you for a day, does not mean that my commitment towards you is growing any weaker.
Today is Friday and I hope that I have been up to your expectations today. I will not mention "how" again as you were already there pushing me harder and harder all the time. Thanks for this encouragement.
Regarding our pending discussion, I will sure find time for the same. For now, I have to go to sleep so that I my see you happy yet again. Please stay like this always.
Good Night.
Yours,
Akashdeep
You are the one that I was talking to here. I promised to pay you some attention yesterday but you know I was too busy figuring out my schedules that I could not offer you the fair share of attention that you so rightfully deserve.
Apologies for the same. I hope you understand that every one of my efforts is directs by you so if I am not able to listen to you for a day, does not mean that my commitment towards you is growing any weaker.
Today is Friday and I hope that I have been up to your expectations today. I will not mention "how" again as you were already there pushing me harder and harder all the time. Thanks for this encouragement.
Regarding our pending discussion, I will sure find time for the same. For now, I have to go to sleep so that I my see you happy yet again. Please stay like this always.
Good Night.
Yours,
Akashdeep
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Tue Wed Thu
That's all that a calender knows about half of my week. For the calender, they are merely three days of a week that it has been repeating ever since time came into existence. Not a big deal.
For me they were anything but fair. Overriding my instinct to be at the office to help out the team with extra workload (a rare one though) and running off the ISBT only to add to my knowledge the fact that I was about to be grounded for 5 hours in a PRTC bus was enough help to make me hungry by anticipation well ahead of my normal schedule!
Enough hungry, pretty much tired and drowsy from the routine onset of sleep, it was still harder to look cheerful. I was entering a house full of colorful guests and faces that just had dinner after a bout of dance. Already 1:30, we were to get up at 7 to prepare for the marriage ceremony. I hope I was at least able to look sober in the morning and not beaten up blue by fatigue of the previous night.
The surroundings at a function cheer you up and fill you with a joy to be a part of the celebration. I was no exception. The day went into being a part of-and witnessing various rituals. I had a headache by then! What the heck! How do I get back to office tomorrow? Preemted the ceremonies only to learn that the bus will be available only after 7:30 PM. Another ordeal in the bus was awaiting me!
A grand marriage ceremony though it was. All marriage functions end with everyone seeing the bride off to the groom's family with tear-soaked eyes. No one can escape the grief and sorrow that that one moment instills into the air. Everyone is aware that the lady in red is going off for a new step in her life and that many festivals and happy moments are about to follow but the grey haired fairies won't stop chanting those folk lores repeating them over and over again till there are sobs to be heard from all around. The moment sort of reconnects everyone. To each other. To their pasts and some to their futures.
Back to the bus, this one was generous enough to allow passengers have a breath of fresh air. However, it was ignorant enough too to know that it was December already! Well, life is like that sometimes...
Another great news was that I did not had the keys to the room! Reaching the room at 12:30 AM, how I managed to get the main door opened and enter my bedroom will remain a secret for ever :-)
I was not in a position to wish anyone good night...
Yawwwnnnn....
Z
Z
z
z
!
For me they were anything but fair. Overriding my instinct to be at the office to help out the team with extra workload (a rare one though) and running off the ISBT only to add to my knowledge the fact that I was about to be grounded for 5 hours in a PRTC bus was enough help to make me hungry by anticipation well ahead of my normal schedule!
Enough hungry, pretty much tired and drowsy from the routine onset of sleep, it was still harder to look cheerful. I was entering a house full of colorful guests and faces that just had dinner after a bout of dance. Already 1:30, we were to get up at 7 to prepare for the marriage ceremony. I hope I was at least able to look sober in the morning and not beaten up blue by fatigue of the previous night.
The surroundings at a function cheer you up and fill you with a joy to be a part of the celebration. I was no exception. The day went into being a part of-and witnessing various rituals. I had a headache by then! What the heck! How do I get back to office tomorrow? Preemted the ceremonies only to learn that the bus will be available only after 7:30 PM. Another ordeal in the bus was awaiting me!
A grand marriage ceremony though it was. All marriage functions end with everyone seeing the bride off to the groom's family with tear-soaked eyes. No one can escape the grief and sorrow that that one moment instills into the air. Everyone is aware that the lady in red is going off for a new step in her life and that many festivals and happy moments are about to follow but the grey haired fairies won't stop chanting those folk lores repeating them over and over again till there are sobs to be heard from all around. The moment sort of reconnects everyone. To each other. To their pasts and some to their futures.
Back to the bus, this one was generous enough to allow passengers have a breath of fresh air. However, it was ignorant enough too to know that it was December already! Well, life is like that sometimes...
Another great news was that I did not had the keys to the room! Reaching the room at 12:30 AM, how I managed to get the main door opened and enter my bedroom will remain a secret for ever :-)
I was not in a position to wish anyone good night...
Yawwwnnnn....
Z
Z
z
z
!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Arghh!!
Is it the changing weather ?
or is it some short circuit in my cranial circuitry?
or a screwed up meal?
or some words from someone that did not digested well?
Why is it that the self is not feeling 100% this week?
Agreed that there are a few days in a year that end up in zero accomplishment but then again we don't have to just survive on this planet like zillions of other organisms are!
To make a difference, you have to do something new each day, learn something new each day, life is only about couple of dozen K days after all. Many of them are already exhausted.
In such a situation, as I am feeling this week, when you are left with only enough mental energy to live a routine day, then it is your that instinct that causes you to surge ahead every moment that feels hurt and ignored.
You yearn to add more hours to your day, more minutes to your hours and more seconds to your minutes but something is just not working out!
Cant say what it is at the moment. Work is great because it is the routine...but it is not about routine at all. What about that instinct that keeps on poking me to add something to my mental and physical frame each day?
"Dear instinct, I will get back to you soon, only allow me to think over it for a while, it may take an hour two of introspection. But, I am not abandoning you without fulfilling your every desire till I have my senses sound enough to understand what you have to say. You have brought me here, I will always honor your call... "
I will find time for this exercise on the way to a function that I have to attend on Wednesday. A marriage party of one of my close cousins. All packed and all set.
Pack,
Set,
Go.....
Good night :)
or is it some short circuit in my cranial circuitry?
or a screwed up meal?
or some words from someone that did not digested well?
Why is it that the self is not feeling 100% this week?
Agreed that there are a few days in a year that end up in zero accomplishment but then again we don't have to just survive on this planet like zillions of other organisms are!
To make a difference, you have to do something new each day, learn something new each day, life is only about couple of dozen K days after all. Many of them are already exhausted.
In such a situation, as I am feeling this week, when you are left with only enough mental energy to live a routine day, then it is your that instinct that causes you to surge ahead every moment that feels hurt and ignored.
You yearn to add more hours to your day, more minutes to your hours and more seconds to your minutes but something is just not working out!
Cant say what it is at the moment. Work is great because it is the routine...but it is not about routine at all. What about that instinct that keeps on poking me to add something to my mental and physical frame each day?
"Dear instinct, I will get back to you soon, only allow me to think over it for a while, it may take an hour two of introspection. But, I am not abandoning you without fulfilling your every desire till I have my senses sound enough to understand what you have to say. You have brought me here, I will always honor your call... "
I will find time for this exercise on the way to a function that I have to attend on Wednesday. A marriage party of one of my close cousins. All packed and all set.
Pack,
Set,
Go.....
Good night :)
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