Shunyatha or nothingness: the concept of non-existence propagated by the Buddhists. I like their take on the creation of the universe. “Everything”, they say “arises from nothing”. The seed of everything around us (including us) is present in the nothingness that came before. The roots, therefore, of all that exists is in this pregnant primordial nothingness. Various sects believe that meditation focused upon this shunyatha makes us one with the universe. This, in their opinion, is the rightful place of all living spirits.
Now selfish as I am, the first question I ask is… “How do I retain the ‘I’ after becoming part of the whole?” So far that doesn’t look like a possibility.
One way to look at it would be that the niche of the universe that is me cannot ever be filled by anyone else. So I fill MY niche to blend with the whole. But, on doing this, I AM THE WHOLE!
Principally, this sounds like an attractive option. I will have to wait until my rendezvous with an informed Buddhist though.
Until then, I cruise on through this cluttered world of experiences feeding my senses, intellect and emotions, simply being me.
Friday, 6 July 2007
Monday, 2 July 2007
Democratic leadership
This is something I wrote more than a year ago. It's interesting to look back into my logic as it was back then and feel the evolution.
A Democracy typically implies a situation where every individual has the right to contribute to the decisions of the group. His/her view definitely features in the final conclusion. He could be part of the winning majority or the losing minority; but, he is a part of the whole.
Now, leadership implies influencing/ controlling/ manipulating a group to work in unity. Unity is something that is not characteristic to a typical group. Every individual has a perspective and assuming that every person’s perspective in the group synchronises would be unrealistic. Therefore, leadership is what helps glue the group together in spite of their differences. This is done by emphasising on one commonality amongst this set of diverse individuals; the Objective.
Another term I would like to emphasise is facilitation. Facilitation involves coordination and management of an activity. It acts like a catalyst. From a group perspective, facilitation would mean enhancing the thought process within the group and giving it direction.
What I would like to emphasise through this discourse is that Democratic Leadership does not exist. These two terms contradict each other. If there needs to be a democracy, there cannot exist leadership at the same time. Yes, democracy can exist before leadership is elected, but not with leadership in place.
Democracy involves respecting every individuals opinion and featuring it in the final decision. Democracy has its obvious drawbacks like the multitude of ideas and perspective and the turmoil this can cause in any group effort. However, the answer to this is not leadership because leadership curbs true democracy.
Therefore, the term ‘Democratic Leadership’ is not a congruent statement. It should be modified to ‘Democratic Facilitation’ because democracy and facilitation complement each other.
A Democracy typically implies a situation where every individual has the right to contribute to the decisions of the group. His/her view definitely features in the final conclusion. He could be part of the winning majority or the losing minority; but, he is a part of the whole.
Now, leadership implies influencing/ controlling/ manipulating a group to work in unity. Unity is something that is not characteristic to a typical group. Every individual has a perspective and assuming that every person’s perspective in the group synchronises would be unrealistic. Therefore, leadership is what helps glue the group together in spite of their differences. This is done by emphasising on one commonality amongst this set of diverse individuals; the Objective.
Another term I would like to emphasise is facilitation. Facilitation involves coordination and management of an activity. It acts like a catalyst. From a group perspective, facilitation would mean enhancing the thought process within the group and giving it direction.
What I would like to emphasise through this discourse is that Democratic Leadership does not exist. These two terms contradict each other. If there needs to be a democracy, there cannot exist leadership at the same time. Yes, democracy can exist before leadership is elected, but not with leadership in place.
Democracy involves respecting every individuals opinion and featuring it in the final decision. Democracy has its obvious drawbacks like the multitude of ideas and perspective and the turmoil this can cause in any group effort. However, the answer to this is not leadership because leadership curbs true democracy.
Therefore, the term ‘Democratic Leadership’ is not a congruent statement. It should be modified to ‘Democratic Facilitation’ because democracy and facilitation complement each other.
Sunday, 1 July 2007
"Boulevard Of Broken Dreams"
I walk a lonely road
The only one that I have ever known
Don't know where it goes
But it's home to me and
I walk alone
I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps and
I'm the only one and I walk alone
"My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
Till then I walk alone
I'm walking down the line
That divides me somewhere in my mind
On the border line
Of the edge and where I walk alone
Read between the lines
What's fucked up and everything's alright
Check my vital signs
To know I'm still alive and I walk alone
I walk alone
My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
Till then I walk alone
I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
And I'm the only one and I walk a...
My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
Til then I walk alone..."
Get the depression out of this song and it, quite aptly, defines my journey.
Some join me through this journey and leave when it's time.
It isn't easy saying goodbye. But, I take solace in the fact that they also leave me with
the indelible impressions of experience that forms a part of my soul. I take these wherever
I am because they are part of the definition of Michael James.
The only one that I have ever known
Don't know where it goes
But it's home to me and
I walk alone
I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps and
I'm the only one and I walk alone
"My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
Till then I walk alone
I'm walking down the line
That divides me somewhere in my mind
On the border line
Of the edge and where I walk alone
Read between the lines
What's fucked up and everything's alright
Check my vital signs
To know I'm still alive and I walk alone
I walk alone
My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
Till then I walk alone
I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
And I'm the only one and I walk a...
My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
Til then I walk alone..."
Get the depression out of this song and it, quite aptly, defines my journey.
Some join me through this journey and leave when it's time.
It isn't easy saying goodbye. But, I take solace in the fact that they also leave me with
the indelible impressions of experience that forms a part of my soul. I take these wherever
I am because they are part of the definition of Michael James.
Unconditional love
Initially this word didn’t mean much to me. However, there are simply so many ways to look at it. The ambiguity in this topic gives it an almost mystical effect!
One way would be to contemplate over the ubiquitous mother and child relationship, unconditional in the true sense of the word. What distresses me in this case, however, is that it doesn’t matter WHO the child is. She would love him or her anyway. That makes the human being substitutable and the title of child being his or her only claim necessary to earn the mothers love.
However, unconditional emotional is a frame of mind. Unconditional bliss, for example, would be a bliss that transcends circumstances. It would be a natural state of mind similar to nirvana. One would feel bliss doing anything his or her soul heads towards.
In the 1st case, the folly was connecting the emotion to a specific person. We could, as an alternative, detach the person and simply focus on the emotion to describe the existence of an unconditional element of feeling. We could feel unconditional love not necessarily for a person in particular but towards nothing and everything. That is the only justifiable existence of this phenomenon.
Love for a particular person must necessarily take into consideration the person involved. We love someone for their virtues. It’s a unique individual we fall in love with, not a substitutable object like an empty desk in an MNC.
That particular love will never die. It remains as a part of our beings as we explore different facets of this magnificent emotion.
One way would be to contemplate over the ubiquitous mother and child relationship, unconditional in the true sense of the word. What distresses me in this case, however, is that it doesn’t matter WHO the child is. She would love him or her anyway. That makes the human being substitutable and the title of child being his or her only claim necessary to earn the mothers love.
However, unconditional emotional is a frame of mind. Unconditional bliss, for example, would be a bliss that transcends circumstances. It would be a natural state of mind similar to nirvana. One would feel bliss doing anything his or her soul heads towards.
In the 1st case, the folly was connecting the emotion to a specific person. We could, as an alternative, detach the person and simply focus on the emotion to describe the existence of an unconditional element of feeling. We could feel unconditional love not necessarily for a person in particular but towards nothing and everything. That is the only justifiable existence of this phenomenon.
Love for a particular person must necessarily take into consideration the person involved. We love someone for their virtues. It’s a unique individual we fall in love with, not a substitutable object like an empty desk in an MNC.
That particular love will never die. It remains as a part of our beings as we explore different facets of this magnificent emotion.
Wednesday, 27 June 2007
Why?
A perpetual cascade of questions
ooze from a vibrant mind.
Answers are manna, graphic
yet discreet and hard to find.
Our amorphous beings given form
by the answers we dared to discover.
Chaos of questions punctuated
with the placidity of knowledge.
A soul devoid of questions accepts the world
wrapped around it in cadaverous servitude.
Mine ventures forth on this mysterious road
that men call existence and I call opportunity.
ooze from a vibrant mind.
Answers are manna, graphic
yet discreet and hard to find.
Our amorphous beings given form
by the answers we dared to discover.
Chaos of questions punctuated
with the placidity of knowledge.
A soul devoid of questions accepts the world
wrapped around it in cadaverous servitude.
Mine ventures forth on this mysterious road
that men call existence and I call opportunity.
We the people
We are a confluence of circumstances and choices. They are the two variables that define our personality. Within every human being, there is a unique essence. An essence capable of colouring his or her character with a mosaic that is different from anyone else. This bastion is often eroded or manipulated by circumstances.
However, what also matters is what we make of those circumstances. Our choices every step of the way manipulate the road ahead and could happen at a conscious or an unconscious level. Every little thing makes a difference to the way we live our lives. How? We will never know. We can only speculate on the possibilities.
Flying a kite is about the symbiosis of these two great elements. The winds (circumstances) and the skill of the flyer (choices). This is the stuff man is made of and the true individuals are most often nestled behind layers of facades built over the years spent in blatant, mindless conformism and an abysmal self-respect. Peel the facades and you have the redolent signs of life.
However, what also matters is what we make of those circumstances. Our choices every step of the way manipulate the road ahead and could happen at a conscious or an unconscious level. Every little thing makes a difference to the way we live our lives. How? We will never know. We can only speculate on the possibilities.
Flying a kite is about the symbiosis of these two great elements. The winds (circumstances) and the skill of the flyer (choices). This is the stuff man is made of and the true individuals are most often nestled behind layers of facades built over the years spent in blatant, mindless conformism and an abysmal self-respect. Peel the facades and you have the redolent signs of life.
Sunday, 24 June 2007
Stereotypes
Why waste time with stereotypes? At least, not at this stage of my life. I lived enough to identify a stereotype and it’s now time to separate the wheat from the chaff.
We live in a world overflowing with clichés. Most human beings find it safer to conform to these clichés than use their own judgment and logic. It’s tiring to see the plethora of people walking by speaking the same language of banal conformism. It’s refreshing to bump into INDIVIDUALS these days!
Differentiation amongst plebeians and individuals comes easy to me. All I have to ask myself through a conversation is… “Am I speaking to a unique individual having his or her own views or to the society at large that is apparently voicing its opinion through this docile being?” The answer is mostly immediate and largely accurate.
This is not about being a conformist or an iconoclast. It is about being oneself; a person free of pressures, an individual confident about expressing what he or she feels and not what the world feels. It’s then that communication becomes vibrant and productive!
We live in a world overflowing with clichés. Most human beings find it safer to conform to these clichés than use their own judgment and logic. It’s tiring to see the plethora of people walking by speaking the same language of banal conformism. It’s refreshing to bump into INDIVIDUALS these days!
Differentiation amongst plebeians and individuals comes easy to me. All I have to ask myself through a conversation is… “Am I speaking to a unique individual having his or her own views or to the society at large that is apparently voicing its opinion through this docile being?” The answer is mostly immediate and largely accurate.
This is not about being a conformist or an iconoclast. It is about being oneself; a person free of pressures, an individual confident about expressing what he or she feels and not what the world feels. It’s then that communication becomes vibrant and productive!
Tuesday, 19 June 2007
Fortifying chaos
We often come across situations where our hard-earned peace must be defended from circumstances bursting with unpredictability and chaos. How often does one reach a point where unpredictability needs protection?
I’m standing face to face with the uncertainty of certainty. The oxymoron here is only perceived. If looked into, it reveals an intriguing rationale. My recent past is flushed with millions of moments… all a result of the spontaneity prevalent in my circumstances and my personality. I find this chaos comforting and have kept life moving at a fast pace, fast enough to keep me ebullient. My future seems menacing now… menacingly slow!
There was never a dearth of the doors of opportunity. I kept knocking and had the choice to turn away from them if I did not like what I found inside. I want it to be that way forever. Now that I think about this, it boils down to change. However, the change I speak of is not a change in circumstances but a change in the way I look at these circumstances. I thrive on change and would not ever want to live a life devoid of it. That is what worries me.
I relate this to the feeling that burst through my being atop the last cliff I scaled. It’s the feeling of looking at the edge without knowing the path to survival until I stepped off. The only truth is the distant world below streaked with traces of life and more cliffs in the horizon waiting to be conquered.
I’m standing face to face with the uncertainty of certainty. The oxymoron here is only perceived. If looked into, it reveals an intriguing rationale. My recent past is flushed with millions of moments… all a result of the spontaneity prevalent in my circumstances and my personality. I find this chaos comforting and have kept life moving at a fast pace, fast enough to keep me ebullient. My future seems menacing now… menacingly slow!
There was never a dearth of the doors of opportunity. I kept knocking and had the choice to turn away from them if I did not like what I found inside. I want it to be that way forever. Now that I think about this, it boils down to change. However, the change I speak of is not a change in circumstances but a change in the way I look at these circumstances. I thrive on change and would not ever want to live a life devoid of it. That is what worries me.
I relate this to the feeling that burst through my being atop the last cliff I scaled. It’s the feeling of looking at the edge without knowing the path to survival until I stepped off. The only truth is the distant world below streaked with traces of life and more cliffs in the horizon waiting to be conquered.
Tuesday, 5 June 2007
The past in the present
Mumbai has not always been this way; a haze of people, vehicles and animals. A mosaic of cultural and monetary diversity centered around the ideal of progress.
What started out as a commercial fishing port in the 16th century with a population of around 10,000 people is now a booming metro, home to around 20 million people. Nothing is the same anymore… or is it.
Take a walk around the erstwhile Metro theatre, now Metro Adlabs and you will see exactly what I mean. Through the construction debris of an upcoming subway, nestled in the façade of a non-descript building built in 1914 are two quaint reminders of our past that have survived the test of time and the spate of cultural and economic revolutions that have shaken this city without eroding their antiquated charm.
It’s a rare opportunity to take walks down the memory lane with all the lanes in this city turning into bustling concrete roads. However, take a break from all that with some mawa cake and irani chai at Kyani and Co. and soak in the rhythms that cascade from the myriad musical instruments at Furtados and you’ll get a peek preview into the Mumbai that was.
Furtados was started in 1864 by two brothers in the same area. Business back then was quite erratic but persistence got them through one and a half centuries of ups and downs. Today this name is considered generic for any musical equipment ranging from electric guitars to the Indian flute. They are the oldest musical instrument supplier in Mumbai. “We have evolved with time”, says Mr. Anthony Gomes, one of the current owners of this store. “Considering our ready stock of around 20,000 items at any given time, we are working towards synchronizing our business with the world around”, he adds. They are also having a repositioning exercise that may soon put Furtados in the big league of musical instrument suppliers. Evolving with time may be easy for large corporate houses but not as easy with a one and a half century old music store.
Add to this their participation in the Palm India Expo 2007 happening this month from the 7th to the 9th and we have a truly progressive old timer. The Palm 2007 is one of the only exhibitions in India that specializes in musical equipment ranging from sound systems to lighting. Furtados is showcasing some of its own snazzy equipment at this exposition. They believe that it works as an excellent platform for showcasing their products.
While we have Furtados bracing itself for the future, just next door is Kyani and co. who are quite comfortable with the way things have been since 1904. “Even our furniture is the same!” exclaims Mr. A.K. Irani, the current owner of this homely eatery. Everything about this restaurant is around a hundred years old except for the refrigerators that seem starkly out of place and of course the food! The charm of having a meal here is in the antiquity of it all accentuated by the paradox of the life outside. It’s almost like an anachronism when we compare the relaxed interiors to the frantic street beyond.
One might want to take a different view about development after spending some time at Kyani. Most players in this industry end up becoming unsuccessful hybrids of the past and the present, frantic to appropriate the most from our booming economy. Kyani, on the other hand, have a dedicated clientele who literally swear by their irani chai and profit doesn’t matter as long as everyone is happy. “Restructuring and expansion is out of question! We are happy with the business. Our customers are happy with our prices and service. Then why change anything! Restructuring costs will finally figure in our prices and we prefer keeping the rates low.” was Mr. Irani’s reply to my question about their expansion plans. “The antiquated ambience of our restaurant is what adds to its appeal”, adds his son. They have kept the restaurant the way it used to be through three generations.
Their levels of service were substantiated the moment I laid eyes on a thick rope dangling from the ceiling just above the stair case just to make life simpler for the elderly. Truly touching! This is a must visit destination for everyone bored with the glitzy metallic finish and tongue twisting menus of the ubiquitous coffee shop and those craving for a down to earth experience.
Mumbai’s culture is highlighted by the symbiosis of the old and the new. While everything modern is clearly visible to us, Mumbai’s heritage can be most efficiently found in small places such as Kyani and Furtados and not only in the highly commercialized tourist destinations. These are just two stories from amongst a plethora of chronicles from our past hidden in the unlikeliest of places strewn across this city patiently waiting to be found by us.
What started out as a commercial fishing port in the 16th century with a population of around 10,000 people is now a booming metro, home to around 20 million people. Nothing is the same anymore… or is it.
Take a walk around the erstwhile Metro theatre, now Metro Adlabs and you will see exactly what I mean. Through the construction debris of an upcoming subway, nestled in the façade of a non-descript building built in 1914 are two quaint reminders of our past that have survived the test of time and the spate of cultural and economic revolutions that have shaken this city without eroding their antiquated charm.
It’s a rare opportunity to take walks down the memory lane with all the lanes in this city turning into bustling concrete roads. However, take a break from all that with some mawa cake and irani chai at Kyani and Co. and soak in the rhythms that cascade from the myriad musical instruments at Furtados and you’ll get a peek preview into the Mumbai that was.
Furtados was started in 1864 by two brothers in the same area. Business back then was quite erratic but persistence got them through one and a half centuries of ups and downs. Today this name is considered generic for any musical equipment ranging from electric guitars to the Indian flute. They are the oldest musical instrument supplier in Mumbai. “We have evolved with time”, says Mr. Anthony Gomes, one of the current owners of this store. “Considering our ready stock of around 20,000 items at any given time, we are working towards synchronizing our business with the world around”, he adds. They are also having a repositioning exercise that may soon put Furtados in the big league of musical instrument suppliers. Evolving with time may be easy for large corporate houses but not as easy with a one and a half century old music store.
Add to this their participation in the Palm India Expo 2007 happening this month from the 7th to the 9th and we have a truly progressive old timer. The Palm 2007 is one of the only exhibitions in India that specializes in musical equipment ranging from sound systems to lighting. Furtados is showcasing some of its own snazzy equipment at this exposition. They believe that it works as an excellent platform for showcasing their products.
While we have Furtados bracing itself for the future, just next door is Kyani and co. who are quite comfortable with the way things have been since 1904. “Even our furniture is the same!” exclaims Mr. A.K. Irani, the current owner of this homely eatery. Everything about this restaurant is around a hundred years old except for the refrigerators that seem starkly out of place and of course the food! The charm of having a meal here is in the antiquity of it all accentuated by the paradox of the life outside. It’s almost like an anachronism when we compare the relaxed interiors to the frantic street beyond.
One might want to take a different view about development after spending some time at Kyani. Most players in this industry end up becoming unsuccessful hybrids of the past and the present, frantic to appropriate the most from our booming economy. Kyani, on the other hand, have a dedicated clientele who literally swear by their irani chai and profit doesn’t matter as long as everyone is happy. “Restructuring and expansion is out of question! We are happy with the business. Our customers are happy with our prices and service. Then why change anything! Restructuring costs will finally figure in our prices and we prefer keeping the rates low.” was Mr. Irani’s reply to my question about their expansion plans. “The antiquated ambience of our restaurant is what adds to its appeal”, adds his son. They have kept the restaurant the way it used to be through three generations.
Their levels of service were substantiated the moment I laid eyes on a thick rope dangling from the ceiling just above the stair case just to make life simpler for the elderly. Truly touching! This is a must visit destination for everyone bored with the glitzy metallic finish and tongue twisting menus of the ubiquitous coffee shop and those craving for a down to earth experience.
Mumbai’s culture is highlighted by the symbiosis of the old and the new. While everything modern is clearly visible to us, Mumbai’s heritage can be most efficiently found in small places such as Kyani and Furtados and not only in the highly commercialized tourist destinations. These are just two stories from amongst a plethora of chronicles from our past hidden in the unlikeliest of places strewn across this city patiently waiting to be found by us.
Monday, 4 June 2007
Metamorphosis
As the day of my departure draws closer, I've started realising how much I love this city. They've been the most fruitful years of my life, the seven years I've spent here.
Thinking back to where it all began... Before Bombay, life at Pune was quite calm and unflustered (now that i think back). A failure who thought he wouldn't be anything else in his life being transformed to a performer setting new records for himself on a daily basis was only the first personal transformation I witnessed in this city. For most of these 7 years, I haven't looked back and now that I do peek into my past, I feel a tremendous amount of happiness in the present. A satisfaction that helps me face the shadows of the future.
From a boy who was so uncomfortable with the torrent of adolescent whims, there emerged a feeling of pride in existence and after a journey of love, hate, anger, anguish, desperation and bliss, came the knowledge of the stuff I am made up of.
There have been numerous people who have flowed in and cascaded out of my life. So far, none have stayed forever. With the transformation in me, there was a transformation in every one of my relationships. Love, family & friendship didn't hold the same meaning for me any more. However, each of these people have left an indelible to my life. Each and every one of them helped me learn and grow. Some more than the rest.
However, I often felt those all-invasive feeling of loneliness. I learnt how important it was to share and how difficult.
Now that the moment of departure draws closer, I feel the strain wrenching at my very soul. Another phase of my life that I'll be leaving behind walking into the darkness of the future, into another metamorphosis, with nothing but my own vision.
Thinking back to where it all began... Before Bombay, life at Pune was quite calm and unflustered (now that i think back). A failure who thought he wouldn't be anything else in his life being transformed to a performer setting new records for himself on a daily basis was only the first personal transformation I witnessed in this city. For most of these 7 years, I haven't looked back and now that I do peek into my past, I feel a tremendous amount of happiness in the present. A satisfaction that helps me face the shadows of the future.
From a boy who was so uncomfortable with the torrent of adolescent whims, there emerged a feeling of pride in existence and after a journey of love, hate, anger, anguish, desperation and bliss, came the knowledge of the stuff I am made up of.
There have been numerous people who have flowed in and cascaded out of my life. So far, none have stayed forever. With the transformation in me, there was a transformation in every one of my relationships. Love, family & friendship didn't hold the same meaning for me any more. However, each of these people have left an indelible to my life. Each and every one of them helped me learn and grow. Some more than the rest.
However, I often felt those all-invasive feeling of loneliness. I learnt how important it was to share and how difficult.
Now that the moment of departure draws closer, I feel the strain wrenching at my very soul. Another phase of my life that I'll be leaving behind walking into the darkness of the future, into another metamorphosis, with nothing but my own vision.
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