Musings...

Can we really see reality and not concepts??? How much we miss the world when we stick to labels!! Lets take an example in every day terms...suppose we look at a tree, our eyes perceive the tree, an image appears in our mind, compares the image that we have about tree with the current image and our mind immediately labels the object as tree. We do similarly the same with other human being (object) and compare the image with current image and label the object as Ram or Seeta or Sheila or John. Actually the object that we are perceiving are “called” tree or human being or stone; but we perceive them through the color of the image in our mind and that too an image which existed in the past. And to add insult to injury as it may seem, we even perceive our body, mind or whatever through the historical image recorded and continuously overlayed with more images most of which are completely wrong or nonsensical. Think how much we miss the beauty of the world and the human being by labelling!

It is so wonderful when a group of young people (and sorry to use the word "young") get together and start such a moving movement.. these are some people i know who have got together to make a difference to Bombay- they are going to help terrorist victims, make people aware about what road digging, any problem that you feel helpless about; now you need not sit and mope as to who will help you; if everyone contributes, we can make a difference and push the government into making India vibrant !! click on the following link and join the movement http://sosmumbai.com/#

Saw sunset today like many other days - it was absolutely beautiful - sun's rays streamed and painted a myriad of colours and hues -and the few dark and white clouds enhanced the beauty of sunset against the backdrop of blue sky with the half moon smiling as if at the painting. The white clouds looked ethreal with the sun rays behind them; the red sun that was sinking into the horizon was even more splendid if that was possible this scene set me thinking .. was this created "by" someone or are these are just events that are done and there is no doer as some great masters have said? And doesn't it apply to all of us i.e. it seems that we do deeds when actually deeds get done through us just like electricity is expressed as light or fan or refrigerator !

Noticed something interesting post attack.. citizen movements like the one at Gateway of India, candle burning at Taj and Leopold, people holding hands at Peddar road, and some holding candles too! people writing petition to prime minister, the physical anger against politicians and i was thinking, and the media (DNA, times of India) quickly setting up process for citizen to report (hope it continues) - will mumbai be the same again? may be .. may be not.. other interesting things noticed just two days after attack... a bored security guard next to ATM of a large bank...certain members of authorities - being rude with roadside hawkers! and other authority members taking free rides from taxi (i could be mistaken but the meter was certainly not down) and the politicians won't change (or will they)- 6th December (Saturday) saw the usual annual traffic jam that afflicts mumbai regularly - yes the Dalits (sorry for the choice of word!) come (or brought?) to mumbai on the death anni