IRAI ANBU ARTICLESPublished in ‘THE HINDU’ Newspaper (Written by V.IRAI ANBU IAS) Presently Secretary, Tourism Department, Govt of TamilNadu, India Compiled by M.Raja
[email protected] GOD is a Verb Our prayers are both conditional and conditioned. The viscosity of fear and gravity of grief determine the density of prayer. Prayer is popular, as it is easy to preach and practice. We are comfortable with rituals because others can perform them on our behalf. Affluence is the affordability to maximise sloth. People prefer deification as it gives consolation and confirmation. It is an escape and not liberation. One who comprehends it, as a short cut never reaches the destination. Assumption of suffering as a form of prayer presupposes God as a sadist. Prayer belongs to the mass and meditation to the individual. Only the individual is indivisible. Meditation is the last leap to reach the celestial. It is prayer without praying. J. Krishnamurti calls it, silencing the mind. Words and sounds dominate prayer and in meditation, the medium is serenity. The purpose of the former is purgation and the latter prophylactic. Prayer denotes duality and meditation means merger, coalescence, dissolving and disappearing. Prayer has profiles. A few sing hymns for selfish ends; a few kneel for the benevolence of others; a few prostrate for avenging their archrivals and only a handful fawn for global peace and cosmic tranquility. Some pray, as they do not know what to do. Our supplications are effective when they are espoused for the cause of others. Prayer rooted on trust and grafted on bliss is a love affair. Everything in existence is admired as an act of almighty. God is more of a feeling and less of a concept. Genuine prayers are meant not to avoid sufferings but to consolidate our strength to withstand the torrent of torment. We pray in distress and not in joy. Our miseries are imputed to evil interventions and victories are viewed as fruits of indomitable efforts. Prayer could be transformed into pursuit of a higher plane of awareness by refining the mind. When our communion becomes gratitude expressed through gestures, we are showered with blessings. Vote of thanks is not the penultimate agenda in life; the programme often comes to a grinding halt. One who asks alms at the corridor and the other who pleads for boons at the sanctum sanctorum are both mendicants seeking from different sources From begging and bargaining and from beseeching and petitioning, it can be elevated to a stance of ecstasy. Singing with celebration and dancing with delight for no reason and with no expectation takes invocation proximate to meditation. When prayer disappears and praying vanishes, something beautiful burgeons. Then one glows like camphor and floats like incense. The art of bringing the quality of prayer into all actions happens on its own without any enervating effort. Respecting the responsibility and discharging it with diligence are worship delivered through deeds. Counting the beads for countless times is of no use, if we miss the manifestation of the maker in all the innocent incarnations. God is our attempt to give finite configuration to the infinite formlessness. It is an exercise to limit the limitless and an endeavour to explain the abstract. We worship both the dead and the God. We place them on par. It is said that dogs could visualise their God only in the form of a dog, may be with an additional appendage or a straight tail. The devotees debate to decide the power of the deities. The dispute is more about the structure of buildings and not about the nature of supernatural. Bharathi proclaims, there is more spirituality outside our temples. By writing the name of God, we feel like scribbling our own name and derive ego satisfaction. God has no name. Attributing a gender would also give a form. God is nameless, formless and even Godless. All our communal riots erupt when sounds of prayers of different denominations clash and when their timings overlap. Spirituality is a personal issue and not a public policy. Compassion is prayer lived and devotion demonstrated. The whole world can meditate at the same moment without any single whimper. A man of meditation sees his own reflection on everything around him. He never plagiarises the pleas of others to trace the tracts of the providence. R. Buckminster Fuller said, God is not a noun but a verb. When God becomes a verb, we will have no quarrels over his feature or stature. -- V.IRAI ANBU IAS Knowledge is not Learning Knowledge is always borrowed and is second hand, writes V.IRAI ANBU ALL OF us accept learning as a continuous process, not to be forsaken till the end. But at the same time on introspection we would discover how resistant we are to learn. J. Krishnamurti says, "Learning is one thing and accepting knowledge is another. Acquiring knowledge is a bondage and learning is never a bondage. Knowledge is always in the past, knowledge implies the past." It is true that knowledge is not a stepping-stone to learning but a blocking hillock at progress. The knowledge gained in the initial stages makes us prejudiced and prevents us from exploring, experimenting and experiencing the truth. The real learning process never gives complacence. We feel a vacuum and get inspired to probe further in the path of life. Knowledge is always borrowed and is second hand. Unlearning and learning `Knowing' is entirely a different phenomenon. One has to unlearn and be prepared for it. Unlearning is another dimension of learning. Forgetting is the first step towards memory and ignorance is the gateway to knowledge. As someone remarked, knowledge is nothing but ignorance made visible. Even the apprehension we have about knowledge is not authentic. Memorising is not knowledge and knowledge is not understanding. One can give an eloquent lecture on computer without any know-how. There are four kinds of knowledge. Appearance knowledge belongs to the ignorant. Relative knowledge to the philosophers. Perfect knowledge to the enlightened. Transcendental is the inner stage in which perfect wisdom is realised. This intelligence blossoms out of realisation at the deepest level of consciousness. Knowledge gets transformed into wisdom only at the fourth level. Patience and Perseverance Learning requires patience and perseverance. How patient remains the water? While flowing it encompasses all the hurdles on the way and acts continuously on all hard and rough surfaces, slowly but steadily to turn them smooth and polished. One should be humble enough to grasp, absorb and assimilate, what one observes all round. Tao says that the ocean is the mightiest and largest of all the waters on the earth as it lies low and is ready to receive. Ambition and avarice create anxiety and anguish. Then learning loses the lustre, becomes lull and dull. We get catapulted to the zone of fear and tension. We miss the beautiful breeze, sanguine sky, the verdant vegetation and all the other lovely things around us. Unless we enjoy education -- may be anything, from music to mysticism or mathematics to metaphysics - it will remain at the empirical level without any impact. Dr. Deming, a famous management expert, emphasized that real learning process helps to lead us from unconscious incompetence to conscious incompetence, a sign of great progress. Then we move from conscious incompetence to conscious competence and finally to unconscious competence. The Goddess meant for symbolizing and signifying learning, in Hindu mythology is said to learn still. It is just to illustrate that learning is a continuous process sans barriers and boundaries. And that, and even God cannot be perfect in the wisdom. -- V.IRAI ANBU IAS Laughter - Not a Laughing Matter Laughter is a melodious message to the mind, says V. IRAI ANBU Laughter is a language by itself. When we laugh, we are in harmony with nature and the whole existence reverberates with celebration. As Victor Borge said, laughter is the shortest distance between two people. Sense of humour is a rare quality and exists at a higher plane of intelligence. The ability to laugh at oneself is the real sense of humour. One who laughs at one's own mistakes remains innocent. We giggle alone and laugh together. We are at our best at the time of laughing. While laughing we are child like. Rest of the time we are childish. We could be sincere without being serious. Many have sense of rumour, but only few have sense of humour. A sense of humour creates a lasting impression. As mark H. McCormack says, in his `What they don't teach you at Harvard Business School', a single humorous, self-effacing comment can immediately let some one know that we don't take ourselves seriously and that is the sort of thing that people remember. Internal jogging According to American cardiologist, Dr. William Fry, one minute of laughter is worth 40 minutes of deep relaxation and 100 laughs a day are equal to a ten minute jog. That is why it is called `internal jogging'. It reduces stress, enhances immunity, decreases pain, regulates pressure and cleanses the lungs. Thus, laughter is therapeutic. It keeps us in the present moment. Hence it is both medicine and meditation. Laughter is a melodious message to the mind and mollifying massage for the muscles. Every laugh takes us closer to enlightenment. Bliss is nothing but laughing inwards as hiccup is coughing inwards. It is not happiness that fetches laughter. It is actually the other way round. Smile is an individual phenomenon and laugh is a gregarious formula. Smile could be spurious but laughter is genuine. Many a time we smile as a safety mechanism. Nine separate smiles have been recorded so far. Three of them are quite common. They are simple smile, upper smile and broad smile. One should be aware of the oblong smile. A brand smile is the distant cousin of laughter. Only one laughter Laughter has only one form and shape but the style differs from person to person like the left hand thumb impression. All the animals can smile. Even the inanimate can smile in smiles. When wind smiles, it is breeze. When the bud smiles, it is flower. When birds laugh, it is their song. However, men and chimpanzees alone can laugh vociferously. Tears can be triggered. Crocodile tears are false but not the laughter of hyena. Tears are forgotten but laughter remains a reminiscence. Tragedy depicts the flaw and fall of great men. Comedy points the follies and foibles of middle class. It is true that humour belongs to ordinary people. Those who have over-vaulting ambition cannot enjoy life. Shakespeare is read even today for his unique sense of humour. His wit and wisdom remain unparalleled. His fun with pun and repartees with rhetoric were not momentary utterances but monumental achievements. He excelled all University wits by virtue of his great sense of timing. All eminent men had tremendous tendency to sparkle with humour. Scintillating jokes they cracked are remembered today. They are fondly quoted not for their words of wisdom but for their lines of laughter. They lived long as they did not age with rage. The subtleties of Mullah Naseeruddin, the fables of Aesop, the parables of La Fontaine, the anecdotes of Birbal and the like are cherished today for their tinge of humour. They accelerate the alchemy in our being in an unconscious way. If we think of deriving happiness only by a particular accomplishment, we close other channels forever. Dropping all the notions about life is a prerequisite for becoming blissful. The secret of life lies in transforming wail into a smile, tears into laughter and agony into ecstasy. A big joke and a belly laugh could put everything in proper perspective. One should always learn to laugh. -- V.IRAI ANBU IAS DESIRE TO BE DESIRELESS Ascetics describe desire as devil and hedonists, as preface to pleasure. Many acknowledge desire as driving force and striving source for all progress. Needs are to be distinguished from wants. Needs are limited and wants are infinite. When one fulfills needs, one is not labeled greedy. The basic requirements need not be sacrificed to become? Master of Austerities Human mind is an abyss, never overflowing with contentment. Men tend to become the very personification of desire. Desires are the byproducts of a conditioned mind. They transport us to future. We constantly travel between reveries and dreams. People who read this article also read. Hence, our literature of life is full of anachronisms. A goal oriented mind lives for others. It tries to prove. It is calculative all the time Ambition itself is an overvaulting expectation. It metamorphoses into a Frankenstein. for it can propitiate all other cravings. -. Desire seduces and sedates. they become superfluous and vestigial. coercion or confession. manifest as mania and aggravate as addiction. It is not sacrifice but compromise. Emotions experienced and expressed at the appropriate age with the correct magnitude are not condemned. olfactory. it is counterproductive. A cause-oriented mind remains fresh and vibes with vigour. confusion creeps in. Non-action is not to be confused with in-action. Distance always distracts and proximity retracts.IRAI ANBU IAS . Some may desire disasters. merriment from joint action. the tactile are all creations of mind. We justify our ambitions and do a systematic gradation. Then simplicity ascends like dawn. we become serene like a tranquil lake without waves and ripples. food becomes an obsession. even revenge is a desire.and misses the beautiful moments of existence. when we experience bliss from no thought and non-action. when one evolves.V. At that point of time. If it is a conscious process. only when it is disproportionate. We long for things out of our reach. All pleasures are mind oriented. When there is no mind. it sheds on its own. Power is considered as the greatest aphrodisiac. They erupt as excitement. joy from self-pursuits and bliss from non-action. it does not saunter and always sprints. convincing and converting. Objects fade into oblivion and adversaries pale into insignificance. We graduate in desire and our aspirations constantly become outdated as we go up in life. during celibacy. Belated desires are not gratified easily and they remain insatiable forever. floor and floral bed afford the same comfort. It is accomplished by correcting. gruel and sumptuous victual taste the same. The more we decapitate. Desire need not be for things. self-consuming and self-destructive. The distant objects captivate. Even in a picturesque path. Desire should drop on its own like a drooped leaf. While fasting. Even the thought of renouncing does not rush like a passing cloud. capture and capsize. many spiritual denominations are prospering as authorities of affluence and institutions of influence. Desire is called so. Today. The gustatory. They love them for the benefits they bring. To be desireless is the greatest desire. happiness from fellow human beings. Pleasure comes from things. Understanding the futility of a desire will dispel all darkness and obliterate all obscurity. The moment we understand a desire. Maturity lies in remaining with detached attachment. However. They are enticing. Goals are short lived and after attaining them. The abnegation of a particular physiological need has led to the accumulation of all other materialistic fancies. Postponed feelings are more dangerous. women are fantasized. Those who desire the other world have made it their mission. It is not done by compulsion. There would be no turning back. Desires are not to be repressed and suppressed but are to be transformed and transcended. the more it regenerates like a hydra. If this concoction is correct. Any one who is right deserves to be obeyed and stature is crucial than cadre. in his marvellous masterpiece. It is not like water. a radical and an insurgent.Obey to Disobey V. IRAI ANBU writes on obedience and disobedience ABSOLUTE OBEDIENCE is considered a valuable virtue and disobedience is condemned as vitriolic vice. resoluteness and recalcitrance. which flows from a high level to a low level. At times. firmness and rigidity." living up to the lines of Shakespeare. Disciplined person Obedience becomes beautiful. When answers are absent. Many feign obedience and act contrarily. Albert Camus defines rebel. ants and termites. it is equated with subservience. "One may smile and smile and be a villain. Disobedience alone creates checks and balances like the banks limiting transgression of the river. if it flowers out of discipline. acceptance and succumbing. we take cover under conventions. Acquiescence is advocated to protect vested interests and propagate superstitions. Obedience is a response Obedience is not a condition but a response. Desired deviation should not be confused with vehement violation. They talk to impress and not to express. standardisation is attempted even among men and women. Obedience today is at peripheral level.' as one who says no. Society tends to mend and amend rebellious spirits and wants to play safe. imbued with impeccable integrity. Like fruits and vegetables. like bees. defiance is better than deference. Only those who know the innate intricacies can understand the difference between flexibility and pliability. Exhibiting obedience is more than executing accordance. slavery is not savagery. Their obsequious posture is a mere pretension. elicit spontaneous approval and approbation from everybody without flexing their power and authority. Negation is revulsion to those who are always accustomed to affirmation. The one who refuses to get into the quagmire of conservatism is termed a revolutionary. When it becomes a prerequisite. for questioning the tenets of fundamentalism and extirpating the foundations of authoritarianism. which flows from an area of abundance to a space with scarcity. A disciplined person refutes to be conditioned and is repulsive to external threats. have a categorical division of labour eschewing the authorities of supervision. Wisdom should take priority over positions and qualifications. Anyone who throbs with life and quivers with zest is ostracized. They put a halt to . Men of conviction. One who masters himself never requires a mentor. They work with swarm intelligence where their brains merge and actions amalgamate to make a bigger enterprise. `The Rebel. The social insects. Only individuals with guts and courage become infidels and iconoclasts. Obedience is to be issue based and not person oriented. They are similar in semblance but are quite different in semantics. He does not require orders and hierarchy. tradition or heritage. but wind. To instruct or inform. designates the measurement of Earth. it will be a `zero ego state' experience. As literature is to grammar. Conscious awareness Sacred geometry speaks about the spiral shape of the conscious awareness.IRAI ANBU IAS Circumnavigating the Circle The surrealistic structure of circle is the cycle. His obedience buds as contemplation. In Biology it is the feminine archetype. In mathematics. One has to circumspect to circumvent an unpleasant circumstance. IRAI ANBU Circle is a unique geometrical representation. Balance of power is needed to curb any sort of extremism. The bisection of the circle by its diameter was delineated by Thales. in order to draw a circle one has to start from the Centre. the egg. When he does it. Wheel was the basis for all the scientific inventions. Their subscription does not confirm to any prescription. burgeons as approval and blossoms as surrender.atrocities perpetrated by organised fundamentalism. Circumstantial evidence is crucial in law of evidence. it is the basis for inversive geometry and certain non-Euclidean geometries. according to Greek roots. -.V. A man of compassion and consciousness obeys when the situation warrants his submission. Good individuals need not always be good citizens. . the executive issues circular. Unconditional obedience aims at good citizens and desired disobedience creates good individuals. wheel is to circle and it preceded the latter. `Success is going straight-around the circle' says the Chinese adage. In astronomy it symbolizes universe and in life it signifies continuity. Fawning persons are applauded as good natives for they voluntarily submit to get their voice strangled for a few pieces of bone. Pi. writes V. Unlike other geometrical figures. Circle is the closed curve with all the points equidistant from the Centre. Good citizens belong to the state and good individuals are proprietors of the universe. The courageous circumnavigate the world to ferret the secrets of the earth. The circulation of blood for health and currency for economy are crucial. the origin of all creations. The circle in iron and steel is the wheel. Halo is the circular projection or externalisation of the personal aura. one of the seven sages of Greek philosophy. The oldest known representation of a wheel to have survived is that on a tablet of clay in Mesopotamia and dates back to 3500 B. the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter was computed and calculated to a million decimal places in 1973 by the French mathematicians Jean Guilloud and Martin Bouyer. In mysticism.C. it represents eternity because a circle is sans beginning and end. Even to draw a triangle or a square one has to circumscribe the limits. They rise against establishment for espousing the cause of truth. The very term geometry. The value was published as a 400 page book-the most boring book in the world. Jung acknowledged the power of the circle as an archetype of wholeness and integration. C. -. Elliptic. quality circle for industries and inner circle for in camera decisions are well known and widely used.. `Start from you and the whole world will change' is the message conveyed by the concept called `circle'. The nucleus of atom is more powerful and the yolk of the egg is more nutritious. Revolving planets and rotating stars are all spherical.IRAI ANBU IAS . all the opinions are equally weighed. Circle helps the people to feel a sense of community. free from prefixes and suffixes and dropping all the belongings will enable us to complete the circle.third dimension The third dimension of the circle is globe. firing three rounds. Right from time immemorial.J. To reach the centre of a person is love and stand at the periphery is infatuation. speaking in a round about way are the popular usages. Globe . It is the centre that supports the whole structure. Even the square meals are served on a round plate and the person squarely responsible must be rounded off. humans have gathered in circles to pray. Surrealistic structure The surrealistic structure of circle is the cycle. In negotiation one insists for a round figure. entering the last round in games. waste recycling in industrial production and harvesting water for recycling are the latest topics highly insisted. Joyful learning happens when the pupils sit in a circle. Working round the clock. oblong and oval are the loose forms of a circle-a circle slightly skewed from its rigid course.. by which every member of the meeting group regularly have the opportunity to lead. The sphere is the most comfortable form for all liquids and hence rain falls as drops and honey oozes as droplets.. business cycle. The rotating chair is the modern concept in management. If we travel to our own centre. Trade cycle. it is `returning to the source' and `discovering the face we had before we were born'. The participants could be unequivocal in their expressions..Study circle for academics. The whole purpose of life is to jump from the periphery and reach the Centre. all have significance in life.V. To circumnavigate to the core of a being is friendship and to remain at the circumference is acquaintance. Organic recycling in agriculture. Becoming innocent like a child. product life cycle. The change that takes place at the centre is transformation and it is irreversible. celebrate and seek spiritual union. The outer journey brings success and the inner journey brings solace. The circle was the same but what should be at the centre made the difference till Copernicus discovered and deciphered. all signify the continuity of change and consistency of inconsistency. The circle on the ground is round and is the second dimension. Rounding the culprit. Round table simply means. Immaturity begets malice. Covetousness enriches it. remarks. `the motiveless motive hunting villain'. Cain means `Smith' or `craftsman' and Abel.ENVY . Heart burning Heart burning started with the second generation of mankind. An envious person always finds the other side of the fence green. Nature is never partial.A Master Killer Envy steals the zeal of an individual Envy is a master killer. `short lived'. It is the offshoot of inferiority disguising as faultfinding mechanism. enmity. Shakespeare calls it `green eyed monster'. One tries to catch his own shadow and becomes an egotist. hatred. It may prove dangerous to receive `a kiss on the cheek' from a jealous crackpot. It is difficult to confine and cover it up. Krishnamurthy condemns. Generally. Portia of `The Merchant of Venice' refers to it as `green eyed jealousy. narcissism in perversion.' Envy is linked with green. Iago. Some probe in light. talents are latent and in a few they are manifested. It is `wisdom consumed in complex'. consolidates as denial and culminates as slander. It creeps in as comparison. it stands naked. some grope in darkness and that makes the difference. . Ejaculation of eye Francis Bacon calls envy as ejaculation of eye. The biggest drawback in malignity is that it slogs overtime. Clash of knowledge can create an enlightening experience in the minds of onlookers. jealousy. animosity. He remains frustrated and unsatisfied forever. Smiling lips and caustic eyes are not uncommon. It continuously negates the self and unknowingly accepts the superiority of others. It dwells in imitation and seeks pleasure in irritation. Thiruvalluvar personifies jealousy as an evil doer causing extrication of all wealth and happiness. acrimony and the family tree never comes to a stop. It has evenly distributed capabilities and potentials. The dearth of parameters does not mean paucity of aptitude. As J. sadism in pleasure and thus the crest of all the demeaning dimensions and the crust of all deplorable degradations. a spiteful person cannot be generous. and turns into a stag to be ravished by his own hounds. Cain was jaundiced towards his own brother Abel. It is obsession in passion. In some. that it mocks the meat it feeds on. `I' is the urge to continue and the desire for permanency. They play with admiration and do not prey with aversion. It only reveals that one becomes envious even with only one by his side. Competent people contest to hurl sweets and not to sling mud. Talents do not have patents. A person burning with resentment meets the fate of Actaeon. There is a notion that the secretion of bile increases when a person is vile. In Othello. Despite all the garish garments and glaring apparels. pessimism in attitude. contempt. strength and stamina are a few that figure in the endless list of eternal grounds for breeding envy. It leads to the inference that creator and creativity are one and the same and is the `balance of wisdom'. we lose the beauty of the mural. One who knows that he is unique and special in the eyes of existence never resigns to his fate. Only through creativity we can reach the creator. A feeling of grudge can occur due to parental predicament. We tend to paint our Gods as icons of jealousy with less forbearance. Hence the greatness of a head need not always be associated with greyness of hair. We believe that only talented people are creative. It is the very quality that distinguishes the divine from the bovine. writes V. Picasso and Mozart were gifted is a myth. The recent study at Exter University confirms that the notion that geniuses like Shakespeare. We attribute our own feeble feelings and despicable emotions to our Gods and Lords. Envy per se is bad for it steals the zeal of an individual. Programmed mind As Saint Exupery says in his `Little Prince'. They conclude that they cannot succeed and settle as defaulters. training. It may erupt for many reasons. . It is told that the moment we approach the painting on the wall to read the name of the artist. It becomes too late when we discover that love is the actual `road to Damascus. fame. encouragement. we end as a debacle. The concept is called `The wisdom of balance'. We waste our time and energy by contemplating more on others ignoring our individual pursuits. charisma. One would invent reasons for one's own failures. valour. propriety. They lie. compete and quarrel and not much difference exists between our deities and demons. motivation and practice. The adults see them.IRAI ANBU IAS Destroy to CREATE Creativity happens in all walks of life.Excuse for failure Jealousy is an excuse for fiasco.' -. `Cosmic dance' implies the nuance that God is both the creator and the created. IRAI ANBU Creativity is to bring something new into being. creativity in a child is brimming to the brink. The average adult thinks of 3 to 6 alternatives for any situation whereas the average child thinks of 60 alternatives. The child wonders at everything with an eye of creativity. insecurity and a sense of obscurity. One has to dissolve entirely to engross in it to enjoy the art. It results in possessiveness. It is very difficult to deprogramme the already programmed mind. name them and forget them. opulence. Beauty. Discrimination among children and the tendency to rank will pave way for ill feeling and inkling for irksome nature.V. They cannot stand their creation prostrating before other idols. heroism. He blames the auditorium for poor performance and abuses the audience for dismal delivery. Excellence is enhanced by opportunities. We create Gods in our own images. In the aspiration of converting our life into a spectacle. Existence exhibits a great sense of proportion and there is an immaculate order in all its actions. That ultimate destruction leads to a . Instinct induces stereotyping. Margin of destruction Every creation has a margin of destruction. Those who know this fact.. Craft and art There is a difference between craft and art. place to begin is the commonplace-the well-worn. We operate to cure. the mediocre that does not standout in its context. There is a beautiful fable worth pondering. cultured and nurtured whereas the latter is casually chiselled with the inner fire and innate flare. pluck to spin. To progress to a final product that is new. Gordon identifies six phases in creativity namely. Acumen alone could take it to a new horizon from the beaten track. Purposiveness and Use of the commonplace. cut to stitch. plough to sow. Deferment.J. their autobiographies seem to be their best fictions. Insight refers to the action of the mind when it is freed from the blocks of accumulated knowledge. chisel to hew. and losing the head. The excited master sculptor ran to the well and looked down. We can forcibly create something. the unimaginative. The former is carefully carved. into a prayer.detachment. The nightingale cannot warble even if the cage is of marble. He had been searching for the "Buddha Block" for over 40 years in vain. Speculation. It requires the courage of dissolving the self. for some. Every act can become a creative one. The pinnacle of creativity lies in bringing out a new being from us. The speculative nature of the creative process affirms that what is not yet actual is possible. That is why. There must be a continual shifting back and forth between them. The master sculptor surveyed the different blocks of marble at the quarry. Unless we puncture a bamboo. The process of creation requires both involvement and detachment but neither can be allowed to prevail over the other. Autonomy. a dedication. Six phases William J. Involvement . One learns creativity by properly observing the intricacies inherent in nature. The object being worked on begins to have an independent life of its own. Creation requires insight. from literature to science and from philosophy to business. and a labour of love. we cannot relish the music of flute. But it would lack the flavour and fervour. intellect produces the average and intuition culminates in the extraordinary. There he saw his own image looking back at him.. The Zen monk who visited his gallery heard the plight and assured the availability of the block. Everyone is a born creator.Creativity happens in all walks of life. Human brain is known for `use dependent plasticity'. Nature is the creator par excellence. extinguishing the ego. make full use of the potential. Hence too much knowledge destroys the tenets of creativity. `Destroy to create' and not `create to destroy' is the apt axiom for happiness. It is the root of all innovations. peal to heal and scrub to polish. the comfortable. It overflows with high mental energy generated by passion. a meditation. He pointed to a well in his own courtyard in front of the sculpture school. green jealousy and saffron sacrifice. It is impossible to mimic the innumerable varieties of inimitable nature. Our categorisation of colours is just illustrative and not exhaustive. They comprise just the major heads. Language is inadequate to name the minor divisions and minute shades. Indiscriminate ill treatment to nature may leave the globe black and white. balance contrast etc. Coffee served in dark containers is assumed to be strong in composition. white and blue revolutions are associated with vistas in agriculture. The colours are nothing more than the vibrationary rebound of frequencies. We have even invisible colours. animal husbandry and fisheries respectively. white is associated with mourning. the one that appears red is not actually red. We stumble upon the fact that we should be more cautious with the invisible and hidden dangers. Green. Firmament is a kaleidoscope changing its endless patterns from moment to moment offering infinite varieties to gaze and wonder. pink happiness. black fear. which a particular object has refused to absorb. Colour of the victuals activates the appetite. Red signifies anger. They help both in diagnosis and treatment. Colours can be combined together in structured. What we leave of us is more important than what we leave behind us.creation.V. People respond to different colours in different ways and these responses take place on a sub-conscious. It requires a medium to get manifested. There are general causal truths with regard to materialisation of colours. as per Aristotle. Colours have a purpose. Their contribution in feeding the hungry and weak is quite laudable despite the alleged controversies. Red is related with rebellion. Different colours have different specific aesthetic effects including principles of harmony. Insects like bumblebees could perceive ultraviolet rays invisible to human eyes. one is the agglomeration of all and the other being the absence of any. with physical cumbersome jobs. Colour is abstract and cannot exist on its own. blue sadness. Flowers bloom with captivating colours to attract bees to facilitate pollination. -. Infrared radiation is immense use in medical field. Creative attempts are mere imitations. Colours influence us.utterly fabulous. a new being born out of us . In occidental cultures black denote death and in the oriental. No master craftsman can paint the sparkling snow clad peaks in dawn and dusk either with words or with brush. We attribute aspersions to colours. systematically ordered arrays with a distinctive character. fresh. White collar refers to jobs with more brainwork and blue collar. . emotional level. Red triangle for small family and green triangle for increased agricultural productivity have come to stay as impressive symbols. and fragrant.IRAI ANBU IAS Colours Colours Colours make the world beautiful and rich. There are glaring colour truths to be pondered. Hence. Scientists have developed UV index to help people protect themselves from harmful ultraviolet waves. as it absorbs all colours except red that is emitted. They vary in emotional effects. Traffic signals have substituted verbal regulations and have contributed in saving life and energy. Colours can replace slogans and act as motivating conduits. White and black are not colours. If leaves are yellow. orange. Men with ‘green thumb’. Presumption of the suzerainty of fair skin over the dark has led to the painful pages of slavery and savagery. then the plant must be suffering from a disorder. One who ‘gets a pink slip’ will lose the job and we cannot expect him to be ‘in the pink of health’. yellow magazines and red light areas. Obscenity is associated with blue movies. corrupt delinquents are trapped ‘pink handed’. It may happen either due to naivety or enlightenment. a balanced life is contributed by balancing the mind. Strength and weakness are not opposites. Research indicates that there is a gender difference in response to colour.V. fearlessness flowers. as he had truth on his side. Courage is not the result of functioning of muscles but programming of mind. When one is absolutely free from fear. attention. yellow and white will strike a healthy balance. Vision should be rich without colour blindness but ‘coloured vision’ is awful. Brain is referred as gray matter but matters incomprehensible are called. Inner phenomenon Strength is an inner phenomenon and not an exterior gimmick. Courage means to dare unmindful of consequences. All colours have a role to play. Luxurious life left them with fair skins and blue veins. A balanced food will have the correct combination of all colours. red. have talent for gardening. ‘Showing the true colours’ was the phrase derived from the chicanery practiced by the pirate ships which would hoist a colourful flag to entice the other passenger ships to come closer. Bony Buddha was more daring than muscular Angulimal. ‘gray areas’. One who changes colours resembles a chameleon. Murderers should be ‘caught red handed’ with the blood smeared hands. Some put on muscles and some sport majestic moustaches to cover cowardice and suppress their tremors. Now. Opposites simultaneously survive . It is the via-medium between apprehension and audacity.Our language is filled with colorful phrases and idioms. It is not absence but subjugation of fear. Our failure to appreciate the beauty of each and every creation in the universe has made us grope in a lack lustre world and our colours have been restrained and confined to the television sets we have. We have prejudices about colours. Similarly. denotes nobility. Our history is the account of hysterical racial aversion. When he chose to languish they were forced to anguish. Physique has got nothing to do with boldness. A colourful food will lead to a colourful life. Blue moon is not seen even ‘once in a blue moon’. ‘Blue blood’. The phenolphthalein powder dusted on the currencies would turn sodium carbonate solution pink. Special treatment is ‘red carpet treatment’ and special day is ‘red letter day’. The robust British perceived fragile Gandhi more powerful.IRAI ANBU IAS Courage and Cowardice Physique has got nothing to do with boldness Courage is the connecting corridor to palatial fearlessness. One is courageous with lurking fear. -. Mind cannot be trained in gymnastics or acrobatics. In Spain rulers looked at the arms to verify whether the blood was blue. More love. A judicious mix of vegetables in green. empathy and understanding towards everything that we encounter can make us come out with flying colours. We castrate them in the name of taming and under the guise of grooming. Fear is not a guest but a secret host. becoming nervous of losing importance. It has an unflinching. We like them as portables and are comfortable to have them as laptops. Every soft corner is a pitfall. History will remember only invincible individuals who spent their life in constructing with indomitable spirit and not indiscriminate men who left diabolical. Fear wants to prove constantly that it does not exist. It never wavers. undaunted. Triskaidekaphobia has rendered apartments being baptised without thirteenth floors. we become free like a white cloud. Many a time external boldness will remain a rhetoric. They are like unbridled bulls. lest the whole world turn berserk. When we cut the moorings that tie us to attachments and bind us to ambitions. Inner courage is circumstantial and not perfunctory. We are scared about their venturesome varieties and intrepid traits. Courage is a mirage. which becomes a pest. Weeding out of weakness leads to luxuriance of strength. turns into a parasite and preys as predator. demonical and devilish destruction behind. With food we feed fear and with milk we inject horror. we have Achilles heel all over. Psychological dependence gnaws confidence and nibbles self-respect. steadfast loyalty. One exposes it when a crisis creeps in and a problem props up. Any moron can achieve it with borrowed bravery by mustering a majority.' We cling too much to our past for we have the qualm of losing grip. We are enslaved by our own makings. Fear. Unfortunately. Retaining it for upholding values and averting violations is essential. Soft corner is a misnomer as it turns hardcore.and independently exist. shaping. Fear nurtured nags the mind and proliferates into phobias. wealth. Courage is not the manifestation of brute force and accumulated animosity. caring and becoming responsible. A pack of dholes can ravish the proud lion when it is not with `pride. Bodyguards have become our burdens and the first priority is to safeguard them and to get us safeguarded from them. Enthusiasm exhibited by diving deep to save an innocent in inundation is an act of gallantry and not the flamboyance shown in firing the unconnected victims of aliens. We acquire titles. it vanishes. When we go near. Guts lies in creating. trampling or rampaging do not require courage. Firmness lies in unrelenting inexhaustible compassion and not in crude cruelty. We run into the swords we galvanise. Strength is just an alibi of weakness. exterminating. We are masters of our own serfs. It thrives on the assumption of others. Dependence leads to fear. It will be more of showcase stuff and less of utility material. They are daring and dashing.' Planting a tree requires more grit than breaking a jar. Children are born fearless. Fear is not always ominous. . One who understands fear can transcend it with ease. Our fears of `tomorrow' branch from the trunk of `yesterday. It conceals with cosmetics and veils with hoods. Tusks are elements of masculinity for elephants and are used to fight and not to chew. a secret host Freedom from panic cannot come from outside. Slaying. fame and the like. destroying. Courage born out of integrity is self-dependent. Courage is to face life as it comes. Extremes beget extremes. which led to abhorrence for black. To be like a crystal clear dewdrop with an open mind. Wisdom has only dark footprints to leave. It is infallible. -.Real courage lies in remaining humble without any pretensions and projections. the en route to enlightenment is possible only by shutting the sense of sight. whether temporary or eternal. It is the journey from hurricane lamp to halogen bulbs: florescence to phosphorescence. We have darkness dispersed even during the day and the intensity decides the hour. from mud to mercury. Light brought civilisation but destroyed culture. All our books are imprints of darkness. It is omnipresent. Freedom is earned on our own. Light is not absolute. shelters of buildings are all darkness dissolved in doses. It is ubiquitous and universal. Phobia for death is the fear to face the ultimate darkness. It is mysterious and leaves the location unpredictable. which makes buds to blossom. In spirituality. requires nerves. .V. dark night experience precedes awakening. Darkness united men to lead a social life. Light is a distraction and we close our eyes to listen to absorbing pieces of immortal music. White paper gets honoured just when the black ink caresses it. Meditation. more is the shining of light. Night is the natural shelter for the homeless and orphans. Death is the greatest black hole. Darkness is an equalizer. for darkness requires awareness. Lights have a line of intriguing evolution. Differentiation disappears when darkness descends. Man started with torches and ended with high mast lamps.IRAI ANBU IAS Darkness Deciphered Darkness is beautiful. Aversion for darkness is the apartheid we practice towards nature. More the intensity of dark back ground. Shades of trees. Darkness brings light. Liberty is got from others. It is the maturity to accept faults and to own up mistakes without the tendency to foist them on others. Sharing the fear induced by darkness led to congregations. Light is shallow and darkness is deep. absolutely receptive without any notions about the future and hangover of the past. Darkness is the same. Anyone who wants to be supercilious prefers light and limelight to project and proclaim his features. The darkness of the womb is creative and that of the tomb is putrefying. shadows of beings. Sleep the counterfeit of death requires outer darkness to facilitate and the real one creates inner darkness. causes them to scorch in excess. What we click in brightness is carried to dark to develop. Light highlights and darkness hides. We are all the children of night. Opposites make the organic whole. It is the apathy for darkness. The light. impeccable and immaculate. Men united due to fear and fragmented because of envy. It upholds an umbrella to provide relief to labourers. Every sound and light show banks on darkness for effect. Darkness helps to rest. Lights have gradation. It cannot be maneuvered or manipulated. Place prefers utility. Light was begotten by darkness. We are scared. Transparency is a utopia and translucence is the reality. Grades of entertainment . It should not be a diversion or distraction but a reflection and recreation. the tips of finger become the pupils and the tactile substitute the visual. Entertainment should `maintain' the spectator. In the dark. how was it distinguished as the third day? The longevity of time elongates in night and diminishes in day. its use for a public performance intended to amuse an audience is recorded from the early eighteenth century. if not `elevate' him. It is deplorable if it degrades. that with reverence I did not entertain thee as thou art". The province. `to hold'. if not `elevate' him Entertainment is to energise and not enervate. denigrates and decimates him. originated from French `entretenir' and it is based on Latin `inter' meaning `among' and `tenere'. `bear biting' was conducted to amuse the audience. Light has become decorated deception and is darkness is disguise. Dusk is equally marvellous for it represents rest and fulfillment. What is darkness is sparrow is light to owl. Coliseums had poignant stories in stock and pathetic episodes to recapitulate. The chipping birds set out for pray in morning and return to nest for rest in the sun set. to our horror traduced other civilizations `barbaric'. Darkness hints at the agony of blindness. which sponsored such gruesome sports. Even in Elizabethan era.Time is an ever-flowing endless river with no confluence. Shakespeare says in his `Twelfth Night' that Puritans banned this sport not because they pitied the torment of bears but because they could not bear the merriment of audience.V. Our screens deceive more. `entertainment' dates from the early sixteenth century. "I am sorry. In fact. Darkness is relative. It should refresh and rejuvenate the audience apart from giving them a relief from their rut. Etymology The word `entertain'. They are the two sides of the same coin. -. Darkness has got nothing to do with obscurity. It is for projecting the better aspects and not the bitter facets. Entertainer should also enjoy the event. Excess illumination is also dizzying for it first dazzles and then blinds. We measure the immeasurable and count the incalculable. Weed was not the creation of existence. Dawn is fabulous and it conveys activity and urge. It should sprinkle fragrance and not spread odour. If greater lights were created only on third day. he should be more joyous than the onlookers. The noun. Nature of nocturnal or diurnal quality decides visibility. In nature. It was the invention of men. Gladiators made the public happy staking their lives. All shady transactions take place in broad daylight. Night and light are not competitive but complementary to each other. The gloomy heart is more harmful than the pitchy room. Lack of vision is permanent darkness. The word originally meant `maintain'. pine and grass are of the same height.IRAI ANBU IAS ENTERTAINMENT ETHICS It should `maintain' the spectator. They view sky as their innumerable net work of invisible nest work. This is reflected in Henry VI of Shakespeare. A cheap entertainment glistens like termite wings and gets withered in minutes. He disowns it after completion. Entertainment should bring out the best in a person. It is said. it is said to have served its purpose. Some proffer pittance and appropriate equally. sound ridiculous and impracticable. One should not cheat in gambling and adulterate in poison. `Friend'. motivates and kindles the connoisseur. All great ideas. That will be the greatest accolade it can receive. They transform the individuals and their quality of life. All other relationships are physiological and friendship alone is psychological. Relationships destined and dictated by blood are imperative in nature and friendliness decided and delineated by mind is optional. Only a few donate more. "Most virtue is the demand for greater seduction". to begin with. . then condoned and finally concurred with by the society. Such programmes sell dreams and blind the people in bright light only to return them to their own obscurity. is be all and end all of all relationships. A friend is the other half.There are various grades of entertainment. Etymological meaning of the word `educate' is to `bring out'.IRAI ANBU IAS FRIENDS ARE FOR EVER A relationship with no extortion or distortion Friendship is a unique relationship. consuming less and they are extraordinary entertainment. Their impoverished balance sheet has assets and liabilities on par. Even unethical acts must be ethical.One has to seek. After achieving the desired result. When the spectator also becomes a participant and then a contributor it turns into revelry as well as a celebration. It cannot be like a lollypop to taste effortlessly. Juicy fruits always have tough rinds. -. as the word ends with `end'. They are simply to while away the time. A healthy entertainment will not have imminent enjoyment . He should be invisible. Then it will be an awakening. On the other hand. Many steal time and offer nothing. Some actions may be credible but not creditable. Any river in its origin runs narrow and can be easily crossed by a lamb. One who sees its panoramic view at confluence will never be able to believe it. the artiste will not protrude and project himself.V. It should clip the nails and not severe the fingers. The whole art will be beautiful without a part getting magnified. it may become irrelevant. which we lacked at the time of our birth. In such noble endeavours. A few obnoxious amusements consume the partaker and leave him perennially poisoned. A novel thought that questions the establishment is first condemned. If a note of music or an act of play or an expression of dance inspires. A friend can fulfil the role of all other relationships with no extortion or distortion. Portrayal of realism is not to distort the minds. probe. Entertainment should encompass ethics. It induces and seduces pandering to the baser instincts. He will not be conspicuous even by his absence. worth the try. analyse and synthesise to enjoy the essence. it will be like a jack fruit — hard to handle but delicious. Some may be edible but not eatable. An excellent piece of art produces ripples in the subconscious mind and effects a desirable change in attitude. His sincerity finds its zenith in friendship. A real soulmate is not for just exchanging pleasantries but for experiencing harmony. Their true mettle comes out at the time of crisis when they work as a team. We find easy to vibe with each other with an addiction and difficult to associate by virtue of intellectual pursuits. a dexterous demagogue and a charismatic master all affable appealing to the inner most feelings and subconscious insights of our individuality. worship. A confidant is not needs answered. No accounts are maintained between friends. Trustworthy pals help with utmost confidentiality and never reveal the assistance rendered. which share both prosperity as well as adversity. The very presence of a friend is soothing and soul kindling. . Kural compares noble comrades to limbs that set right the clothes. as he is the very need itself. Committed friends are boons. Men assembling due to weakness and fear cannot evolve as friends. Friendship is not payment in kind but bestowing kindness in leaps and bounds. They are swift in solving the troubles before they become prominent and unmanageable. ignite and incite us into action. Existentialists divide things into `being in themselves' and `being for themselves'. An understanding father. No one announces the audience before correcting the loosened loin robes. But it is just incidental. an appreciating mother. Friendship is born on trust. Friends constitute the third category. the rind is more alluring than the pulp. except jack. Association to annihilate cannot be friendship by any means. both the souls are benefited. Every good relationship commences with a benign note and culminates with a friendly disposition. gestures or even thoughts. They forget the benevolence and never harbour its hangover. a few assemble to solve and save. One should be meticulous in choosing a friend and be slow in discarding him. Only a few are like the plants. Hence the idiom. `all that glitters is not gold'. an affectionate spouse. enmity. Under the canopy of friendship. Boons Men are like colours and can be comprehended only in form. In all the fruits. but no friendship'. One who remains loyal in all other relationships acquires excellent friends. Every friend is a philosopher and guide. Surface should not be the criterion for the choice. They integrate to disintegrate. There is passion. Friendship is not like barter system. love. A good companion can be in communion without words.We can have thousands of acquaintances circumnavigating the periphery of our being but only a very few can enter into the core of our heart. Oscar Wilde ascertains. Many are close like immigrating birds and leave the pond as it dries. an able pedagogue. `Between men and women there is no friendship possible. Booze or smoke may bring people closer. It is actually the other way round. The `best communication' is actually `no communication'. Some gather together for destruction. They inspire. Soulmate Acquaintances laugh with us when we laugh and friends not only cry with us but also try to expunge our tears. Modest persons have more bosom friends than the over ambitious. it lives on love and dies on vanity. Selfish giants use every link for establishing connection power for their continuous furtherance. `being for comrades'. We learn more from friends than from books. the second person becomes first person and hence flouts all rules of grammar.IRAI ANBU IAS GIVING IS RECEIVING V. To provide without pride is more pleasing. we should not grieve when we part from our friend. He would quote thousand and one reasons for not joining our hands at the time of calamity. One who considers friend as precious will find the objects forsaken as frivolous. One can acquire any number of degrees in distance education but they will not have peers to relate and reciprocate. A friend will definitely point out our follies and foibles way before the event. Only a very few give and receive without keeping a track of their transaction. They know that they are mere doors and their hands are sheer counters. They `meet to create memories and part to preserve them'. Once broken can be mended. They are symbiotic and accountants of life. To grant with gratitude is much more graceful. It is said that friendship is like pale blue china. Sacrifice is not a term equated with friendship. Formal education helps in sharing and celebrating the life with friends. as our love most in him will be clearer in his absence. A few give so that they may also receive. No secret. no envy and no competition exist between friends. the marking will always be there. beautiful. They consider acceptance a taboo.The so-called. However. There are a few people who know only to give. For them it is sharing. They list our faults to highlight their own virtues. the grammar of life is more precious and sacrosanct. This life is lived only once. delicate and rare.V. One good friend is a life-time achievement. One should not get disillusioned with too much competition injected into his veins by the curriculum and try to earn earnest friends.' for the receiver becomes important. The rustic will stand steadfast by our side and guard us against odds. the capital `I' becomes ordinary `i. as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain. They are like predators as they consume the self-respect of others. However. Cannot be mended A friend may part but never gets separated. A few are known only for receiving. Responsible persons will never allow a small crack to develop into a crevice and finally erode into a gully and then degraded into a ravine. IRAI ANBU shares his views on pleasure of giving. `cultured' person will talk ethics when we are in an imbroglio. Friends cannot be numerous like hair and could only be a few like fingers. As Shakespeare remarked. Here. They are like parasites. As `Almustafa' proclaims. When we give. -. in this form and in this name. Life-time achievement Education never ends with syllabus and progress cards. . a friend will bear his friend's infirmities. GIVING IS beautiful. giving becomes a response and not recognition. Nature echoes our emotions and reciprocates our reflections. When body. Surrender envisages dedication of the total being to the ultimate existence. Blood donation. the other person becomes important and in compassion. In love. The famous aphorism. Then the mind unfolds. a tantric mystic. Currencies are easily given but care is not always bestowed. It is the convergence of instinct. Life is a strange balance sheet. those who give are the cause of the plight they want to relieve. Hence giving is synonymous with receiving. Only a very few extend their hands with love and compassion. -. the surplus. a few give to expiate. drought. The final stage indicates flowering of an individual. What we give is credited and what we get is debited. At times. giving becomes a donation. Some keep on recapitulating what they have gifted. starvation and holocaust. the essential. Extortion is not the only exploitation. When it rests for a while. the excess. It is not like chewing the cud but eating vomit. we have affairs but not . an action and not reaction. When we do not know the face of the ultimate beneficiary. Judging the receiver is not to be done. It is bountiful.IRAI ANBU IAS LOVE AND COMPASSION Love is the enlarged self and compassion is the absence of self. the leftover and only a very few. The advice is not to deliberately keep our left hand ignorant of our right hand's action. intuition and intelligence at one point without any resistance or refusal. it results in famine. inundation and deluge. mind and soul act in unison. a few. Some give from hands and not from minds. Then sharing is celebration and contentment. a few. if we are generous and parsimonious if we are selfish. eye donation etc. summarizes spiritual knowledge in four stages. even floods can be countered and famines overcome. intellect. We receive in abundance and give in pittance. devotion. If existence decides to estimate our earnestness we would become paupers." We expect nature to be in accord continuously. In love. It should be construed as a description of hypocritical behaviour. To give for psychological imposition will also jeopardize a relationship. It is only at this stage. Man made disasters are more in number than nature-created calamities. storing and accumulation have aggravated men manipulated destitution and caused the demise of weaklings in millions. it leads to flood. `Left hand' means something like "ego" or "public persona" and `right hand' signifies "private charitable instincts. self becomes illusory and the distinction between self and others is also recognized as illusory. the object becomes the subject. fall under this category. Different kinds of giving Some give the useless. "Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. a few.Giving is a pleasure Milarepa. When it is copious and prolific.V. A few give out of guilt. a few to exhibit and a few with motive." should not be taken per se. Hoarding. one is purely neurotic and there is no divinity attached to it. Mutual dependence and psychological clinging may be misinterpreted as platonic love. said. Sosan. It may breed envy. It has no adjectives. Infatuation is also love in its premature form. His hand stretches from his heart and his eyes are anchored in his soul. A compassionate person would not pull even a chair with force. Compassionate persons are always grateful to the receiver. One would not harm others even in the wildest of his dreams. Relationship is often a fountainhead of problems. Then they might exhibit their exuberance. Compassion is the journey from self to self to drop the self. It is just emotional blackmail. Buddist master. It is the attitude that counts. Dr. a Zen mystic. Cruelty is the opposite of kindness. sex. conflicts and agony. Love can have repercussions. as on its own it is superlative. Starvation occurs not through lack of food but because of improper distribution. Compassion is not proportionate to the quantum of financial assistance. to do without claiming credit. accelerate adrenaline. Compassion never hankers for continuity. Compassion does not impose and is a detached attachment. There is no distinction as to race. Many a time. One cannot have rehearsals to convey compassion. increase palpitation and precipitate perspiration. To have without possessing. In love. It expects at least reciprocation in return. If one prefers to die for lack of reciprocation. To return to the root is to find the meaning. Avalokiteshvara. It signifies equitable distribution. some are sincere and some are casual. to lead without controlling are the mysterious virtues and compassion facilitates them.in compassion. Every one loves. accentuate anxiety. It is obtained by finding a perfect balance of virtues. Compassion is a moment to moment phenomenon and at the same time not a momentary feeling. It treats the other person on an equal plane. The best way to mourn the dead is to take care of their survivors. We can trace the invisible umbilical cords to love. creed or even life. a Taoist said. Meng Tzu. Thich Nhat Hanh. Emerson remarked. They know that everything comes back. Samuel Johnson gave a silver coin to a mendicant whereas Oliver Goldsmith took him around his arms and shared his meal with him. men are in love with the projections as T. It blinds the reason and blurs the senses. It neither leans over the past nor bends towards the future. hatred is the antonym but compassion does not even have synonyms. Tao says. One can reject love but not compassion. which broke into dust though it is only from dust to dust. Compassion is a sustained and practical determination to do whatever is possible to alleviate the suffering of others. Compassion is instantaneous. uses the term mindfulness to refer to keeping one’s consciousness alive to the present reality without being sucked into the future Compassion exists in totality without prefixes and suffixes.S Eliot observes in his 'The Cocktail Party' Projection entices projection and results in rejection and dejection. My life is for itself and not for a spectacle. For love. A few so-called philanthropists long for disasters to strike. one becomes possessive and suffocates others. A wilting plant gives pain for the one who overflows with compassion. Ramalinga Vallalar felt sad for a clod. Love arises out of a longing to weave a relationship and craves for permanence. It can come only out of total awareness and at that moment a person becomes extremely beautiful with a graceful face and glittering eyes. It comes either due to bondage or to have bondage. the Buddha of . Liking is the precursor of love. The easiest way to reach God is to have abundant compassion towards all beings. We feel secured with identical entities. seed is stable and the plant is subjected to the vagaries of weather. hives and lives. the almond tree was covered with blossoms. abortion too becomes an aborted attempt and after discovering the intention. Security comes out of repetition and repetition never leaves reputation. Foeticide has become rampant and burial grounds are overcrowded. With the presence of a compassionate soul. a quality. Some mausoleums are found encroached. The more we are secure. Cage symbolizes security and assures guarantee while nest signifies insecurity and provides no warranty. It is not a programmed excursion and is a trekking for treasure hunts. the water we drink and the air we breathe are all vicarious experiences and become counterfeits. Fragmentation gives fomentation to the pain of isolation. One could be compassionate to innumerable beings and there is absolutely no competition for compassion. Chrysalis is secured and the butterfly is insecure. transmitting divinity to translate Godliness. The bird in captivity is safer than its tribe in wilderness. Security is obscurity. The food we eat. One day while doing walking meditation during winter in his garden. fragrance of herbs and sweetness of fruits. Higher the elevation. A person flowers with compassion and spreads his fragrance. Free flow accompanies insecurity in installments. Suddenly. The river in spate carries buds and blossoms. greater the insecurity. Birds without wings are like lions without manes. one can imbibe the spirit and become mature in disposition. Francis of Assissi witnessed a bare almond tree.IRAI ANBU IAS WOMB TO TOMB Security is the greatest form of insecurity and is jeopardy in disguise. It is actually Janusfaced. We are happy with the mirror images. He went closer and closed his eyes in a meditative fashion. Temporal and spatial limitations are not applicable to compassion. They are also not entirely protected due to advent of science and paucity of space. St. It has narrow scope for horoscopes. Freedom and insecurity are the two sides of the same coin.V. wriggles and disintegrates. Security implies status quo. farther we are from the reality. In some sepulchers. Life is not a schedule to be followed but a thriller to be watched. At times. Security is the longing for present to continue the future. Security means stagnation. Aging denudes it due to selfishness and gluttony. Security denotes slavery.compassion is often picturised in Tibetan iconography as having thousand eyes that see the pain in all corners of the universe and a thousand arms to reach out to extend his help. It is neither charity nor a benefaction. Compassion is a passion. He prayed to the tree to tell him about God. There are only two places absolutely safe and secured: one the womb and other the tomb. The present affords affirmation and the future remains unpredictable. There is a grave threat even to graveyards due to occupants in advance. A person of extraordinary calibre lives ahead of his time and those . Security brings seclusion. Light is an anathema to one who loves to grope in darkness. egg is safe and the bird unsafe. -. the foetus shrinks. The pool of water without channels to flow deteriorates with foul smell and breeds worms and flies. bodies are buried in standing posture. It is the basic human quality with which we are born. one gets geared up. writes V. Multi storeyed mansions that accord safety during inundation and hurricanes are vulnerable to quakes and infernos. They prevent entry and simultaneously forbid exit. as our deliverance is definite. Irai Anbu Work is the connecting thread in the cobweb of co-existence. Security and insecurity differ only at the breadth of hair. Body may get exhausted but not the mind. increase their influence and propagate their popularity to counter calamities. what others have already signed. Some do it on the seashore.V. A few scribble. a few script. Here. It is the umbilical cord to the mother universe. They accumulate affluence.around him feel highly insecure. Security comes not by isolating but dissolving in everything that we encounter. It is attitude expressed explicitly and willingness voiced visibly. Too much rest makes one rust. Performance is the signature we leave for posterity. Even the Great Wall of China would become a sheet of cardboard. As Seneca said. . It comes not by adding but by dropping. if trust were absent. Security belongs to the mind and not to the body. We are the masters of what we have renounced and serfs of what we have acquired. Walls are not sureties for safety. The ultimate security comes from within. the targets of floods and cyclones are asylums at times when the globe quakes and the earth shakes. By thoroughly understanding the nuances of insecurity one grows secured. One can guard the body and not the ghost. A few leave them on waters and a few mark them on mountains. earth the celestial bed and the whole world our womb. the flesh is willing but the spirit is weak. When we are on our own. If work is viewed as work. -. On perceiving it as a pursuit.IRAI ANBU IAS LABOUR WITH LOVE Performance is the signature we leave for posterity. no one can harm us and anyone who comes across us will not be threatened by our presence. where bodyguards terminated the boss and servants stabbed the savants. Every fort is a decorated prison. men do not die naturally but kill themselves with their own knives and forks. one gets worked up. Enervation out of rest is more harmful than exertion due to work. Even elixir in excess is toxin without an antidote. It simply denotes the inclination to change the activity to get replenished. a few scribe and a few scratch. The purpose of work is to add to the beauty of the world. Then sky becomes the foolproof roof. They either poison him or persecute him only to worship him later. delight on the face of a destitute and contentment in the heart of deprived. It may wipe the tears of a widow and ward off dangers of a victim. Innumerable instances are there. It is to bring a smile on the lips of the child. Men tend to become greedy to tie over uncertainties. only to be easily effaced. All insecurities are for the body and not for the soul. We have a knack to postpone awards to confer them posthumously. Rest does not mean remaining idle. They are insignias of endangerment. No one can give security for security. Slums. Work is self-discovery The hidden self in hibernation comes out with flying colours. The art of converging body. With a cause. Equal respect is to be accorded irrespective of the cadre of service. they are cent per cent efficient and zero per cent effective. A book printed without space between words could never be read. Workaholics are carried away by career planning. even flowers will be foul smelling. Work is meditation Work is neither worry nor worship. Honour lies not in the type of vocation but in the degree of dedication. Bread baked with compassion will quickly appease the appetite. quality control becomes redundant. One sheds tears for not exuding sweat. Every object we consume is the contribution of some unknown noble soul. we would remain indefinitely indebted to every one. One who retains the tempo from the date of joining to the day of retirement is remembered forever. When money becomes the criterion. It we irrigate the crops with interest. It is meditation where the doer dissolves and doing surfaces. -. If plucked with disgust. at times. Luxuriant lawns are mown with love. They suffer for result and in the process miss the journey. Machines need to be substituted for men who are faced to observe obnoxious practices and slog in subhuman conditions. Addiction Addiction is bad. if not labour of love. When we stretch the muscles of body and membranes of brain.V. they blossom more.Assignment is not just an avenue for earning revenue. We dedicate first. mind and soul renders job as joy and sweat is presumed as the perfume showered for efforts. by treating it as a privilege. Only a Himalayan blunder converts a trivial one into a Herculean task. The organisation comes back to square one and never takes off. Number game tends to numb the instincts and fatigue the faculties. A few distill scent and a few dispense dirt and both help in averting odour and abetting order. Hence. Occupation is an opportunity to unfold our individuality. Quantity becomes important and quality gets sidelined. Work spot becomes a dungeon by considering duty as drudgery and a paradise.IRAI ANBU IAS . at least labour with love. Work is an expression of our gratitude. tended with affection and sprinkled with passion. Toil is the oil for the lamp of life to glow and radiate. both belong to the same breed. delegate later and abdicate subsequently. The employment we profess should become. Labour is not laborious for one who does not brood over the task. When the service provider has the empathy by assuming him as the user. Unless we work. mind craves for completion rather than consummation. breaking rock will also be cakewalk. We have to respond by reciprocation with regards. Trees shower flowers on earth only to commemorate its contribution. they yield more. If we water the plants with care. We should thank the tree before tasting the berry and be grateful to the vine before grating the gourds. Alcoholics and workaholics. Their dynamism is dubious. whether it is liquor or dollar. our endurance improves and resilience increases. Nature is unique. Lower forms of species have more capacity for regeneration. Growth is not always positive. Uniform growth is symmetrical. it will improve the yield’. bamboo has the potential to become both cannon and flute. Every growth is linked with some other improvement. It is always relative and dependent. He tried thrice. Nematodes and lizards recuperate their severed organs expeditiously to regain their shape. Uneven growth is an anomaly. Obesity is ‘stretching sideward’ that fails to commensurate with vertical elongation. One is taller or shorter with one more around. Aptitude should match the age and spiritual advancement. No tumour can be benign. A Tibetan chief pooled the properties of all his subjects and shared them equitably among the families. Increase in prosperity results in reduction in poverty. Physical unevenness too has repercussions. In the second phase birthrate increased with diminishing death rate due to medical intervention. The first phase had more birth rate and death rate. Increase in supply decreases the demand and vice versa. Cockroaches remain undaunted in the midst of nuclear holocausts. The first truth in breeding is ‘cut short the size. Pruning and training are must to kindle reproductive faculties in shrubs. Single dimensional expansion is baneful and worse than regression. at the most it can be non-malignant. Affluence or apartheid is a comparative contemplation. lest something must be incongruous. In a few cases. When we try to outdo a plant. Rise in money circulation aggravates inflation with too much currency chasing too few a goods. in his mission to strive for equanimity. it musters enormous strength for resilience. Unproductive growth may lead to depletion of resources. Growth is not an absolute phenomenon to exert or exact authority.Paradoxes of Growth Growth per se is insignificant. Copious flowering in bamboo groves increases fertility. Weed seed lies dormant for years to germinate at the conducive climate. Anything that grows extra is deleterious and detrimental at least in distorting appearance. Simultaneous blossoming of this bizarre grass has led to luxuriant multiplication of rats in a region. in vain. Surge in one may have ripples all over. Man may also vegetate without unison of mind and body. It may be malignant. Unnatural aggrandisement is ugly. riots and revolution. Pilferage of food grains paved the way for famine and inability of authorities to rush relief resulted in rebellion. Hence. Fatty or plump physique will have hidden disorders yet to be diagnosed. Still. Hence. The third phase is characterised by . lump or wart. Excess foliage causes sterility in plants. Proliferation has to be proportionate. Economy is a cobweb with every fibre intricately woven. lopsided and horizontal. There is a thin difference between extraordinariness and abnormality. growth and decline are the two sides of the same coin. depending upon the manifestation of circumstances. and thereby fecundity in rodents. Swelling should befit the girth of the finger. he found a few waxing rich and many waning poor after the lapse of time. Malthusian theory suggested three phases in population growth. We identify bulge with strength by mistake. causing concern for the top echelons from time immemorial. Evolution of man occurred not by mere growth but through loss of many appendages. awful and horrible. mental calibre. either in the form of gall. growth is not just gaining the essential but also losing the superficial No growth is growth in some stipulations. Intelligence or imbecility is a moment to moment phenomenon and it is purely one’s own choice. Filling up a moment upto the brink with attention and awareness is brilliance. The sophistication of the instrument does not matter. Some sparkle due to the preference of their perfect pursuit and a few fail for they have a knack of choosing the wrong venture. with our own makings. The family tree of outstanding musicians. Imputing intelligence to racial ratings. Moments are always momentary. Anyone can become intelligent at any moment and foolish. It is not a prerogative or proprietary of a particular person. scientific and spiritual progress with hale and hearty citizens. Attempt to measure it is done in vain. Solving an equation is one type of brightness and carving a sculpture. It is just an instrument and not the ultimate. Before we finish uttering the phrase. it is akin to elephantiasis. -. He tempered fire. Intelligence is unique: quantity and quality are one and the same. Money can be . Shrewdness or stupidity. refined water. Nevertheless. Anything associated with creativity is intelligence. All great inventors preserved their pristine purity and their creations were born in ecstasy. none is inferior and are like different brooks that confluence in the same ocean. with death rate exceeding the birth rate and we are heading towards it. A country can boast of its development only when it has cultural. sharpness or bluntness is a frame of mind. It is like the pencil to be sharpened continuously for excellent results. communal chords and facial features assume it as a concrete concept. poets. scientists and painters is still an arena of obscurity. Mind is not clay moulded into a form forever but like a knife to be whet for every grating. the very next moment. No one knows the parental performances of prodigies. Intelligence is one and it finds its expression in different ways through different men. perspired with perseverance and celebrated even their failures. Otherwise.IRAI ANBU IAS INTELLIGENCE Intelligence is neither inherited nor inborn. It is like trying to freeze the moment. ‘present moment’. The end product decides the efficacy of the endeavour. reclaimed earth and explored sky. Growth is meaningless unless we have correspondent distribution. Aptitude of man grew in exponential proportion with increase in his stamina to adjust and understand the environs. They are the extension of the infinite into the individual. Search within is the greatest research. Per capita satisfaction is far more important than per capita income. No one is destined to be dismissed as a dunce. Growth orchestrated with distribution is development. It stabilises as zero growth rate and all developed nations have attained this ideal stage.V. To become aware of one’s own potential is the stepping stone to intelligence. The fourth phase is bound to occur sooner or later. Gardening is noble and felling is baseness. another type. The word ‘genius’ is not a derivative of ‘genes’. Acumen has got nothing to do with ancestry. we are in the next moment.declining birth and death rates. They toiled with joy. harnessed wind. Arithmetic ability or computing dexterity alone is not the indicator of intelligence. One who breeds fruits is better placed than the one who makes bombs. Intelligence and innocence are the two sides of the same coin. By becoming creative. Every type of intelligence adds to the beauty of our existence. No one could be totally selfless. It is said that standard of life is more important than standard of living. categorised. work and leisure. Idiots alone could afford to be arrogant. A fool could be tolerated and not the crafty. A mother alone can remain entirely selfless. Distinction is the humility to accept ignorance. Perversion is intelligence doing somersault. Covetousness. Self-centeredness is the pinnacle of narcissism. Every whole is a part of a bigger whole and the chain continues. Longevity is not the record of years that are spent but the number of days that are lived. useful and will have immense beauty attracting the attention of every passerby. We require both culture and computer. If the heart is made of hardware. To sound solid and appear colossal are the signs of becoming obsolete and extinct.The First Deadly Sin Selflessness is a mild manifestation of selfishness Every one is selfish and selfishness differs only in degrees. the brainy software is of no use. Involvement is the pre-requisite for intelligence. Intelligence cannot be grouped.a love transcending not only the species but also the genus. We breathe and dine. Every product will be novel. Smartness simply means fluidity. a sow is found suckling the orphans of a canine . attentive and compassionate. to drop self.V. It is the urge to find pleasure through others. toil and perspire to survive and thrive. It is absolutely egoless. Psychological satisfaction gains supremacy over physiological well being. The chisel held with love is better than a burette wielded with disgust. Even our selflessness is mild manifestation of selfishness. Fluid cannot be broken because it never sticks to a shape. One may remove intellectual impoverishment and the other may accentuate procedural accomplishment. It is not subjugation of self but its subtlety.devalued but not human standards. one can enjoy study. A child is absolutely self-seeking .IRAI ANBU IAS SELFISHNESS . pride. We place the mitigation of misery of our beloved above our travails and tears. The poesy of verses and vistas of technology are all equally significant in the sphere of enhancement. preserve it for posterity. It signifies the inner vacuum. The receiver will read it several times. One has to become motherly. Intelligence is to link with the whole. At times. its nefarious version. A real wise person never hankers for recognition. -. Cantankerous quality Selfishness is the most cantankerous quality and is the fountainhead of all seven deadly sins. graded or ranked. One who is full of oneself will leave the marks of fallibility everywhere. wrath and lechery are all offshoots of meanness. A man with inclination towards mathematics nurtures nature in numbers and one with keenness on paintings see clouds as collage. Then a great quality gets added even to the epistle that is written. Their self-interest dominates the consequences on their dependants. Snake is slimy and was chosen to seduce Eve to provoke her to taste the forbidden fruit. Even if the whole world were offered to them. Hence it could verbalize like men and both have cannibalism in common. The `law of increasing marginal returns' influences it. crabs and canaries.V. -. Anarchy is often referred to as "The law of the jungle. all would become utterly ungenerous. it is resorted to as an emotional black mail.IRAI ANBU IAS . The real selfless act should not strengthen the self. recalcitrance is relished and its anger attracts admiration. We should disperse and dissolve in compassion and it is the only magical fluid in which all distinctions disappear. Serpent also feeds on its own brethren. One should not try to become somebody but get transformed into nobody.' We make our life a hell on earth to enjoy the heaven above. They are paradoxes as they talk in parables and speak in metaphors. Dropping the over bearing `I' is to be done effortlessly. But many of them vie with one another for the same space and turn out to be "the best of the cut throats.' so that they may feel proud of being the most humble. They paraphrase their panic and justify that they have to run for life as others are after them. man is more of an ape than any ape. At times they are `cruel to be kind. Those who have dropped their self will be selfish or selfless as the situation warrants. Often. death becomes more important than the life of others. they would still like to fence it. For them. as it does not share any duty or responsibility. Human cannibalism has more eccentricity than the expediency in other beings. We budge now to bounce later. The fish is so selfish that it eats its own species to subdue hunger. There is enough space for everybody to branch out. They want to be adjudged the `most selfless. Men of maturity never choose. Commission of suicide Commission of suicide is also due to selfishness." The wilderness of forests has more order than the chaos in our civilized cities. We prostrate before a few to trample on many. Its behaviour looks beautiful." They compete not because of the crowd but due to an urge to prove their competence. Man strangles for power while the beasts kill for prey. It is said that even refusal to choose is a choice. At last. It should not solidify but liquidate the ego.' niggardly to be generous and cunning to be innocent.due to innocence. They want to be unanimously declared magnanimous. Our philanthropy and benevolence arise out of allurement of `Paradise. those who commit suicide muster courage to accept their cowardice. But accepting what is offered without grudge or grouse is not choosing. It extends to herbs and shrubs. People cite competition as the cause for selfishness. As Nietzsche says. Men carry their venom in mind and the quantum increases with usage. If we efface the concept of God. The altruism of agnostics is more majestic than the yeoman yearnings for purgation. They are our footstools. advocates fire as the medium of worship to reach the frontiers of Ahura Mazda. galvanizing. Hot stove rule and management by firing are common phraseologies in disciplinary procedure. Fire has different faces. a metaphorical bird. Light envisages god and enlightenment implies realization. It can be lit as a lamp. updates. earth gets polluted and sky becomes saturnine but fire remains untouched. God of destructive fire. integrity. It originated from an Egyptian solar myth. Fire maintains its eternal pristine purity. The Greeks classified fire into two kinds: one friendly Hestia. The 1461-year cycle of the sun versus the Egyptian calendar was mythologized into long-lived flaming bird. Arthashastra names fire as a divine calamity whose effects are unpredictable. The culinary skills differentiated the civilized from the Neanderthal. Fire creates. after 1461 years died and gave rise to a new bird like itself. purity and hints that those who approach them with evil intention would be deciphered and decimated. One gets enthralled at viewing the sanguine sky during dawn and dusk. Fire burns but also purifies. Svetasvatara Upanishad claims that fire is always present. scorches but synthesizes. People walk on fire as a measure of penance and as a token of vow. water gets poisoned. Fire distills without getting disturbed or distorted. All these things shine by the reflection of the soul. Zarathustra. People are more afraid of flood than fire. Hence water and fire are complimentary and not competitive. Stream should become steam to bring the cheers of rain. Civilization started with the discovery of fire. destroys but distills. Greek mythology talks about the audacious attempt of Prometheus by outraging the other gods in giving the secret of fire to mankind.PLAYING WITH FIRE Fire is beautiful. His overvaulting ambition led to his fall and downfall.faces that have been darkened by exposure to sun. The soul is light and every light derives from the soul. The spiritual dimension of fire is inspiring. sharpens and improves the finesse of our aesthetics. Water tends to go down and fire always flares up. nor does any fire lit on earth. That is why. the Iranian prophet. The sun does not shine by its own light nor does the moon nor does any star nor does lightening. Rig Veda propounds that fire arose within god and in the fire arose love. is famous for rising from its own ashes. held as a torch and it all depends on the user. It is not produced but manifested. The Phoenix. Fire does not burn their toes due to Leiden Frost effect. Air gets congested. which. Guru Grantha Sahib says that endless stream of individual souls comes from god like sparks from one fire. Plummeting of the flint stones in nomadic life enlivened the whole gamut of human lifestyle. It helps in welding. The Katha Upanishad says. It aims high and stays pointed. Icarus flew close to the sun with his wax wings. Kumarasambava says how fire was cursed to burn everything. Fire multiplies on its own. It was the great flood and not the great fire that led to mass destruction and the Noah's Arc had to rescue the representative samples as a rehabilitation measure. . igniting. molding and joining. in East Baptism is done with fire so that the spirit is not diluted. Goddess of the hearth and the other hostile Hephaestus. The expression Ethiopian is from Greek word meaning burnt faces. It is a simile symbolizing chastity. Water cleanses but gets turbid. A spark can become an inferno and a leak can lead to a holocaust. they fly away from him and then sink back into the flame from which they arose. Water extinguishes fire but heat evaporates water. If energy is directed upwards it is meditation and when it flows down the lane it is indulgence. it suits more to physical pain and if one enjoys it. It precedes violence. It is repressed resentment and suppressed repugnance. we invent a reason to subvert a person. Imperturbability is implicit irritation and it always borders on bigotry. race.The water on the soles provides the layer of steam that helps to insulate the foot from the full heat of the coals. apprehension aggravates it and circumstances certify it with lurking future plans in mind. Tolerance is worse than aggression. Attachment of any type is awful as it blinds the reason and blurs the senses in the long run. It waits for the opportune moment to burst and blast. Therefore. We ruffle our feathers readily to . Stoicism means fuming and fretting with simmering blood and gnashing teeth. Fear creates it. It hibernates as brewing volcano and erupts when chance favours. Fire indicates life. We want to affix the stamp `mine' on the universal truth and try to restrain the ocean in our tiny tumblers. We subjugate out of incapacity and agree due to magnanimity. We fight with fists for asserting our affection. One who retains the inner fire intact remains unscathed and emerges flamboyant even if he walks through the flames of slander and conflagration of criticism. It is always hypocrisy. -. they will limp forever. The word `tolerance' comes from Latin `tolerate' meaning bear or endure. It wields a shield and is bound to swirl the sword sooner or later. warmth and dynamism. he is a Masochist and it is not patience. If they walk on plates of steel.artificial. advanced ideas and different faiths. `Mine' and `I' factions The feeling of `mine' and the domination of `I' in us create factions. Our fight is not for the truth but for our own suzerainty. It originally denoted the action of bearing hardship or the ability to bear pain and hardship. The coal has low heat capacity and poor thermal conductivity. We start clinging firmly to our conviction even after understanding its triviality. sect. Blind beliefs will not be ready to wear spectacles to set right their myopia. They divide. It is a dagger hidden below a scintillating smile.V. We relish the fight and enjoy overpowering others. It remains inflammable forever. Hypocrisy Tolerance is negative and acceptance is affirmative. which is at least apparent. caste or tribe. language.IRAI ANBU IAS TOLERANCE Ego creates imaginary issues and vandals reap the harvest from organised animosity Our tolerance is skin deep . A sealed mind is ready to reject current concepts. It is easy to suffer external aches and difficult to forbear mental agony. Antagonism can arise even for difference in admiration. superficial and made up. Fanaticism can be for anything religion. separate and differentiate. Hence. Every vested interest unites people by identifying intersecting hatred. We have thousand and one ways to console and compensate our failures and disappointments. faiths. With this framework of mind there will be no trials or riots. it is not religion at all. As they think ahead of . heaven for a few. But it is a temporary phenomenon. expectations. Sin is unregistered FIR for crime. Actually. it happens as Hobson's choice. Gods are never at the mercy of human beings and do not crave for their protection. Atheists and agnostics too have their postulates on religion and it differs from person to person. Non-belief is also a belief. One tends to follow the majority in traits concerned with human nature. That is why we have two countries with same communities. Temporary phenomenon Majority may appear to win. Hence. fabricated fraternity is administered like artificial insemination. If majority is the main criterion. Every individual has his belief system.cross others when conditions are conducive. there are no issues to remain divided. Religion is the sum and substance of beliefs. even our integration is influenced by them. Mao said that our stratagems are decided by our rivals. Prison is hell and palace. Those who deny have their own concept of hell and heaven.IRAI ANBU IAS Joining the Majority Majority go by the facts and only a few go by truth Ignorant belong to the majority and the intelligent remain a minority. though they were found to be acrimonious at the time they were propounded. Kauravas should have emerged victorious in the Kurukshetra war. But in individual characteristics. discoveries and inventions are the guiding light for humanity. As a matter of fact. Their sayings. Their concept need not match with those of the members of their denomination. Joining the majority means to join the dead. Minority lose in the short run. One should kill one's individual spirit and quell the quest to side with the majority. race and language at loggerheads. The dead would outnumber the living at any point of time. we can have as many religions as there are individuals in the world and even more allowing allowance for defection and conversion.V. Thus. When religion cannot spread love. crow should be our national bird and dog our national animal. Our unity is intact till a common foe is around. In a few cultural aspects. If conversion is construed as violence. rendering one vulnerable and amenable for it is equally poignant. -. each and every human being is unique. Being irreligious is also a religion of its own kind. Ego creates imaginary issues and vandals reap the harvest from organised animosity. An open mind appreciates the best that creeps in from various corners and assimilates them wholeheartedly. Our solidarity and consolidation are the outcome of weakness and not a demonstration of strength. findings. fears and notions. to win forever. Joining the majority is rarely an integration and mostly a disintegration. cholesterol-rich. That is why Tagore said. It is better to have one individual with awareness instead of a multitude with mundane attitude. It is said that only a dead fish swims along the current.IRAI ANBU IAS . They resemble the leaves of the lotus despite being rooted in water. vivacity and vitality.V. in general. All beautiful things are less in number. Breed boredom Majority tend to breed boredom. carbohydrate-ridden items. They preserve their identity.' Inclination to be included in the majority arises out of insecurity. Like `water-proof' they are `worldproof. All the fragile live as flocks. Crowd oriented The size looks fascinating. "Man is kind but men are cruel. They would prefer to become endangered rather than remain dormant. more heads need not be so. The awakened one finds taste in every dish that is offered and it becomes a prasad for him. anti-nutritious. They lack succulence and exuberance. Very rarely the best seller happens to be the best one. The agile lead a solitary life or wander as pride with pride. The world has to revolve several times to make them understand the truth. Men are totally fragmented and their every segment looks for an identity out of psychic crisis. bellows and brays. Second opinions are sought when first opinions are dubious. Hands can strangle the throat to suppress the voice but not the functioning of the mind. The audacious people work against resistance and fulfil the meaning of their lives. Fact is what we perceive and truth is what it is. Their settlements are congregations of segregation. Majority go by the facts and only a few go by truth. mind or soul. herds or packs with fear to cover up their cowardice. They are seldom gregarious and are never egregious. It is only the individual who thinks and knows when to stop thinking whereas the mob shouts. We are. They feel absolutely safe when some one with the same schizophrenia is available. scattered and rarely seen. Their choice will be detrimental to body. Only those who are conscious and confident know to remain as an individual even in a group.their time. crowd-oriented." It is true that crow cannot be white if majority unanimously vouch so. The deer sprints at the maximum pace when it is chased by the tiger. yells. the inane and insipid may not understand their calibre. It is wise not to follow the majority in individual pursuits. -. Victuals consumed by the most constitute unhealthy. He knows to strive against the odds. More hands may be more powerful. Many a man remain as fossils. The best in a person comes out at the time of a crisis. It establishes a link between terrestrial depths and celestial heights. constituting the backbone of husbandry. All docile animals were domesticated by her. She helped them in shedding their claws and ferocity by stroking them constantly and administering copious doses of love and warmth. Learning from nature Seed is miracle in miniscule and universe in capsule. transplant. Man remained mad and was a nomad before embarking upon cultivation. sympathy and empathy from her. Emerson concluded.Culture and Agriculture It converts every drop of sweat into a bead of grain Culture commenced with agriculture. man was the last animal to be domesticated by woman. G. "Those who labour in the earth are the chosen people of God". She contemplated and conceived the idea of farming to avert poaching and avoid danger. It is his part to create. women for minimum wages do crucial cropping operations. Tree offers . matriarchy to patriarchy. "Let me not assistant for a state but keep a farm and cater". she retains the art of wondering intact without any adulteration. "Who sows a field or trains a flower or plants a tree is more than all". We moved on to farming from hunting and relished consuming usufructs instead of blood and flesh to satiate quench our hunger. Land was reclaimed and labour acclaimed while learning the secrets of nature. weed and harvest. "Agriculture is foundation of manufactures". She learnt how nature suo moto proliferates. All social institutions were offsprings of his attachment to land. cumbersome and backbreaking practices are dexterously done by women. Thomas Jefferson proclaimed. Gibbon remarked. Still. R. She wondered at the sprouting of fallen seeds and pursued their growth meticulously. Whittier eulogised. movement to settlement and segregation to family by virtue of his proprietary over land. As Will Durant said. "To plough is to pray". Shakespeare appreciated. sow. Rousseau acknowledged. It demonstrates that roots are always invisible and if they endeavour to show off. He moved from caves to homes. manure and thrash whereas women plant. Man learnt compassion. All trades rest at last on his primitive activity". Tillage initiated the era of non-violence. She inherently understood the intricacies of reproduction as she had firsthand knowledge of procreation. Ingersoll declared. We began as carnivores. Thus. "But a bold peasantry their country's pride when once destroyed can never be supplied". Men plough. Oliver Goldsmith prophesised. became omnivores and ended as herbivores with the advent and advancement of agronomy. She paved the way for safe settlement with peace so that men need not congregate to fight with wolves for the same piece of meat. Woman taught man about nature. "The glory of farmer is that in division of labour. the tree gets extirpated. It transformed soil and soul. Even today. affection. "The first and most respectable of all arts is agriculture". Every new leaf it turns enriches environment. Domesticated animal Man became her pupil and woman his pedagogue. In fact. myth in theology. We drape garlands around lies and place wreaths on truth. a fleet. Galileo ostracised and Bruno trampled. People like lies as truth hurts. Soil educates us that it takes years to build and minutes to erode. It converts every drop of sweat into a bead of grain. Lie cranes its neck while truth lies low. Coloured lies Lie has colours. adulteration in production. Lie is always proactive. shelter for wayfarers. sycophancy in interactions. Coloured lie adds falsehood to facts and concocts truth. Truth owns a bullock cart but lie. It requires tremendous courage to face the truth.IRAI ANBU IAS TRUE LIE Truth is stale for it lacks variety There is no difference between a lie and truth unless and until their difference is deciphered. Labour on land is a productive exercise par excellence. Fragrant flowers fall to prostrate roots. It will be a real fruitful venture and. White lies are accepted in relationships with a view to eschewing embarrassments. Paid lie is advertisement and sponsored one.sanctuary for aviary. A white lie is not in itself false but leaves out a significant part of truth. statistics in reports. Growing a plant or vine or shrub connects us with the soul of nature. consuming the opponent. Truth hibernates and sprouts whereas lie remains dynamic and gets silenced. asylum for apiary. the root cause for their forthcoming. cantankerous perjurers spread the nemesis and chronic prevaricators are progressive in their perfidy. We have started adoring and admiring them to the core. Silviculture binds us with existence. publicity. which can mesmerise and make megalomaniacs out of simpletons. all our relationships are sustained and maintained by white lies. adultery in relationship. glib fabricators convince opponents. A black lie is a statement made after knowing its falsehood. We too foliate with their luxuriance. We feel elated and delighted. Lie can be vegetarian or violent. We live in the midst of lies. It brings mirth in our vague routine affairs and colours our black and white moments. Lie is neither transparent nor opaque but translucent. That is why Socrates was poisoned. Perception decides the veracity of an utterance. Reality is saddled with burden . It becomes an act of great creativity and a fulcrum for life to revolve around. We become harmonious with our surroundings. It is unfortunate that burden of proof is always on truth.V. and refuge for cattle. metaphor in literature and manifesto in electioneering. We can plant if not a tree at least an herb so as to repay one millionth of what we have derived from our cosmos. Consummate liars are perfect to the finish. It lives upto the `parable of sower'. Violent lies could be cannibalistic. reaping and sharing are three fundamental norms essential to convert earthly existence into a heavenly experience. Vegetarian lies are harmless. It is flattery in felicitations. with dedication. a meditation. It provides podium for our winged brethren to conduct their orchestra. incorrigible fibbers are addicted to lies. -. We have fibs. Toiling. intended to avert adversity. "Whoever would lie usefully should lie seldom". Mutual stroking till the back is broken is considered modern outlook and model behaviour. it should be rarely used. However. A fluttering butterfly comes out with flying colours from a horrid pupa. It emanates from the mind and not from the sight. The irony is that even liars are hopeful that truth would triumph someday or other. It is effortless and uncomplicated. Oscar Wilde remarked. it discloses more vulgarity than symmetry. Stamina to tread further on the path of liberation is lost in extravaganzas. It walks naked without ornamentation. Ugliness alone requires cosmetics and decorations to portray sophistication and pretend innocence. Grace is not just appearance. fiction to fabrication and deceit to fraud. Tagore said. "Lie told with good intention is also truth". Beauty and ugliness have a marginal difference. Thiruvalluvar commented. as refugees. we. "There is no worse lie than a truth misunderstood by those who hear it". -. there is always a gap between reality and perception. Truth is not bitter but certainly it is not sugar-coated.and mendacity sprints sans onus. William James clarified. They give evanescent solace and ephemeral relief. chubby nose or bulky lips appealing or repulsive. "Most people are other people. "Truth disclosed with a bad intention is also a lie". .IRAI ANBU IAS The Beauty of Beauty Physical appearance becomes an ephemeral epithet Beauty is an abstract idea. Lies range from slander to scandal. "The lie in the soul is a true lie". Truth is accurate and fact is precise. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions. Negating the true self and aping others has become the order of the day. People are comfortable with lies. are satisfied with temporary relief rather than permanent rehabilitation. Truth is stale for it lacks variety. Lie lived is hypocrisy. All of us were born charming and have grown vile. However. True lie is not just an oxymoron. gossip to rumour. Any organ out of shape and anything out of place is considered repugnant. proportion is the concept concocted by constant conditioning. their lives a mimicry. As life has become a transit camp. as its anatomy itself is divine and beautiful. Difficulty lies in the fact that after several repetitions the protagonists themselves construe them as truth. Still. A cuckoo pushes aside its appearance by forging its melodious voice to the forefront. Buddha cautioned that a lie could not become truth even if it was vouched by thousands of people. Lord Hervey concurred.V. Region specific stipulation renders chunky physique. Truth is what it actually is and fact is what we perceive. Truth is simple for it does not require both memory and maintenance. It simply means sense of proportion. Hence. A larva which feeds on disgusting milk weed matures into a marvellous monarch that probes the petals to ferret pollens of flowers. their passions a quotation". Benjamin Jowett declared. Cultured behaviour is to utter polished lies to please others and onlookers are also aware of them. Elegance lies in the eyes of the beholder. When we stop making deliberate efforts to appear delightful. sharp ears and luminous eyes are the real components that embellish an individual: lest one would be a bundle of bones and parcel of problems. Appearance should befit age. Physical appearance becomes an ephemeral epithet. Complexion need not be a reason for complex. ugliness arises. Comeliness cannot be manufactured but manifested. The essence of life lies in searching for the everlasting beauty that never fades into insignificance. Beauty is relative and not absolute. soaked with tears and punctuated with poignancies. Even the babe of an ass captivates. Distinction in appearance is associated with evolution. A patch with same species of flowers is not garden but a field. Every one has his dictionary on beauty. Admiration of a grasshopper is ominous and adoration of a bee advantageous to plants. An appeasing behaviour and a comforting character are enshrined in memory with enhanced longevity. Angle of apprehension predates connoisseurship of a being. Children are beautiful as they are not aware of their appearance. For some. Nations with plethora of wealth and abundance of resources were plundered by invaders and devastated by aggressors. It can immortalise as eternal epitaph by virtue of actions. When innocence shines in the eyes and serenity surfaces on the face. Anything natural and spontaneous is pleasant. It should not be stage managed. when beauty is identified as beauty. God gave hunger and man manipulated famine. There is no grammar prescribed for it. Selling dreams is lucrative commerce. Facial dimensions are due to chance and genes. Love makes a person appear beautiful. Their pages of history were smeared with blood. One is a predator and the other. active liver. sound heart. `Fairness business' is not always fair business. Difference in creation makes everything unique and alluring. beauty occurs on its own . powerful lungs. Man tends to break the sprinting legs of time in vain and craves to prevent aging. Sparkling of diamond is the result of its willing gestation for millions of years. one glows with exquisiteness. Not skin deep Beauty is not skin deep. All earthworms look alike and there is no concept of Miss Earthworm among them. Strong bones. Exterior symmetry is matter of opinion. Stereotype makes things stale.Glamorous Everything in the universe is glamorous and gorgeous. deeds and gestures. As Tao teaches. It cannot be defined or delimited. as it does not bray to brag. All the beautiful things are enthralling for they are not conscious of their countenance. Nature gifted iron and man created handcuff. One who poses and pretends like twenty at the age of forty should be prosecuted and imprisoned for violating the laws of nature. a thing of beauty is headache forever. Beauty is neither earned with effort nor achieved with diligence. Love is not the aftermath of beauty and the obverse is true. It is not a degree or doctorate to be ostentatiously displayed. a facilitator. Arrogance moderates and modesty enriches loveliness. All beautiful things in the world were created by people who were disdained obnoxious. All of them are hermaphrodites. They are fictitious with projections and imaginations. Liberal hands. Our craving imputes `a larger than life' image to our heroes. Nature has no counterfeits. A discontented self tends to remain begrudged and creates restlessness and ruthlessness. Niceties cover their nefarious nature. Churning out carbon copies is not an objective of creation. The people who make a difference in our life are not the ones with the most credentials. However. It limits our performance. Performance is decided by juxtaposition of circumstances. It is easy to replicate the exterior like long sideburns. law-breakers or rule violators. The remark of Thomas Gray in his Elegy that "All the paths of glory lead but to grave" is not a pessimistic parody but an optimistic observation. loose shirts and tonsured heads. We get enslaved by our own hankering and miss the joy of unique individuality. Many of them happen to be tax evaders. Situations are always unprecedented. Imitation is futile in life. As Charles Schultz observed. every error is repeated and every possibility is throttled. the most money or the most awards. Right perception and broad mindedness will make all beings on earth embodiments of elegance and icons of handsomeness. It endorses encumbrance rather than providing impetus. We tend to be swayed by a single aspect in choosing the ideals. All achievements are transient. Persons at a distance attract our attention and distract our concentration. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners. Man is a function of innumerable variables and assigning superiority to a particular attribute may cause disappointments." Revelation . One has to assume a role depending upon the compulsions.V. Diamonds and pebbles . Paragons and averages do not exist in the real world.IRAI ANBU IAS Role models Retrospection leads to regrets and introspection. smiling lips. consoling shoulders. -.both produce the same splash on dashing with water. We often miss the outstanding people around us. Roles are not identical and cannot be related. insight Adopting an archetype transports us to a distant future. precedence predominates in decision making. Hence. achievements are forgotten. They are the ones that care. Hero image Models have become our role models. We do not remember. awards tarnish. compassionate eyes and dynamic legs alchemise a person into an extraordinarily beautiful one. No one is an exemplar. recapitulate and rejoice the achievers but the affectionate. We nurture inferiority and entertain an ambition of becoming somebody at some point of time.accord. Assuming role models negates the very principle of existence. There is no such phrase as `wrong role model' for all prototypes are wrong. "Applause dies. An ambi-dexterous would write in same configuration with both the hands. They vary in structure and texture rendering sculpting different for sculptors. Our path is ever traffic free and any congestion is our concoction. Every unwanted portion is to be removed. He is simply as he is. sacrifice. Marble statue cannot be an icon for granite to work with. We should become both chisel and sculptor to achieve this venture. It is both invocation and introduction. Let us be our own mannequins and begin with the premise that we are still boulders. Handwriting is not handwriting but mind writing. Sculpture is got by eliminating the extra. It maximises efficiency and minimises the drudgery. Even if one attempts to write with his leg. They tend to colour the opinion. insight. Individuals do not matter. Division of labour from bees. Standards are not available outside. It constituted a better way of representing speech in any articulated language. Before the advent of printing press. The form comes before the content and the colour influences before the dish is tasted. Every creature around us offers invaluable lessons. the same pattern would follow in suit. continuous effort from ants and perseverance from cranes are worth learning irrespective of their total mettle. blissful. Inspiration could be infinitive. It is . Love can become a revelation. One who writes neatly in one language would be capable of writing equally well in all other languages. An enlightened individual neither chooses a model nor prefers to be one. Retrospection leads to regrets and introspection. serene and sane. We have to be like decorticators. Every metamorphosis is a mini evolution. Service. Saving the essential and sacrificing the redundant is the essence of discovering art in grit. The practice of linking characters of the alphabet to produce the small letters used today in writing originated in the monasteries. Handwriting introduces the writer to the reader before the contents are perused. Employees were recruited with legible hand writing as the sole criterion to undertake such cumbersome work. Scribes found it easier to write whole words without intermittently lifting their pens from the paper.Pre-eminence can be admired and not the persons. steadfastness from spiders. Inspiration and imitation as well as replication and reflection sound similar but are miles apart in their actual meaning. warmth. knowledge was transmitted only through hand written manuscripts and the mistakes were also meticulously carried over to the next generation. Some may be basalt and some shale. absolutely contented. assimilated and absorbed. dedication. All of them were rendered redundant with the invention of print medium. The worst of the universe has the best of a few remarkable qualities. Beauty descends by administering the process of distillation and deletion. -. Polishing our positive points without any urge to prove our calibre and competence to the world will make us seasoned and relevant.V. hard work and all other admirable qualities can be learnt.IRAI ANBU IAS Handwriting The invention of the alphabet was a significant step in the human history. yet to be hewn and carved into beautiful statues. They are the imprints in brain expressed through the hand. It allowed all words to be fixed in written form with only a small set of phonetic signs. the first glance of scanning done for any black and white presentation. Hence drawing and painting discovered in caves of antiquity predated inscriptions on stones of monarchy.IRAI ANBU IAS . It creates curiosity. It provides the power to watch keenly and admire aptly to grasp each and every object. The writings of a few look like manicured gardens and some. a haiku in the inland. -. One who has relentless determination can transcend the limitations of nature. Calligraphy is used to captivate and not to dissuade the reader. We still read to relate it to figures and shapes. induces interest and sustains them. Ultimately. A missive expressing obituary and an epistle intimating intimacy will vary in the loveliness of letters.V. Tagore learned painting in the later part of his life. Some writings look like abtash cipher-difficult to read and impossible to comprehend. Handwriting can be improved at any point of time provided we have patience to bestow attention. no need to entertain frustration for the clumsy handwriting. Pictorial writing preceded symbolic writing. a disabled can become differently abled. One can always make it reader friendly by adopting uniformity by setting the upper limits and lower boundaries with proper space between the letters. Graphology is the study of the character of a person from his handwriting. stringent or a spend thrift from the way he writes. whereas a few have their entire writing in an italicized fashion. bushy thorns. A blind can become a visionary and a blind can lead the blind in a better way. Exercises to observe can improve the capacity of discernment. Too much ornamentation will mar the script and spoil the spirit. One would comfortably flow with the pages without expending energy to decipher the correctness of letters. They are like unpalatable colourful dish. Some would write in a diagonal manner and they would require a line to be drawn even to affix their signature. A steady handwriting with beautiful letters uniformly spaced and appropriately sized reflects the care calibre and capability of an individual. There is a Sanskrit slogan. Mahatma Gandhi regretted forever for his awful handwriting. Some may have too many insertions punctuated with leading arrows and the page would look like a treasure hunt material. Vinoba was learning languages even after completing fifty years. Louis Braille. With will power. A good handwriting facilitates a person to read the message with ease. Anyone who maintains his superb handwriting in the examination papers in addition to the quality of answers will become an outstanding student in all the spheres. Observation in the early phases of life strengthens the acumen to write and paint. Temper tantrums will cause minor tilts in the writing pattern. In the Chinese. Some would scrawl liberally and the presentation would be like a crossword puzzle. One brags that the handwriting of her spouse could not be read by anyone else and the second surpasses by saying that her husband's handwriting will be incomprehensible even for him. Hence. A child should be taught to draw before it starts writing. Some scribble with frequent corrections and it indicates the wavering mind. the man who devised an alphabet of raised letter for use by the blind was himself blind from the age of three. One can find whether the individual is stingy. which conveys the conversation between two women. Figures are fathomable from the collective subconscious mind. Some write beautifully with legibility missing. Some have the knack of highlighting important phrases in italicized letters. the picture of two women in one house implies quarrel. The skill of observation can find its expression through different ways ranging from humour to wit and wisdom. Some would write a novel in a post card and a few. our writing is nothing but maneuvering of circles and lines. It is the show of strength that determines the premiers of the herd. It may last for hours or prolong for years. War has no spatial or temporal prescriptions. Subjugating and not governing is the goal. When we are not at peace with our . devastate. Lions kill the male cubs to retain their hold in the pride. Peace today lies in preparing for war. They came in multitude mounting on steeds by surprise and ransacked the wayside villages and built pyramids with severed heads of innocent victims. broods. The female. Man alone enters the fray to kill. Sometimes they do not have a climax. Enhanced scientific knowledge helped battle metamorphose into war. Our unquenched anger is responsible for antagonism rampant in the whole world. they kill not for pleasure but to satiate their hunger. It may be a series of skirmishes or episodes of encounter. Every organism fights. This was the ethics of warfare. Animals of the same species assault not to kill but to rule the resources. Any reasonable man will find it illogical and neurotic. In war. There is no ceasefire. The strongest will lead and the submissive will follow. all norms of organised combat were flouted. Otherwise. The one who starts would not know when to end. struggles and exploits for survival and continuance. All the outer wars are just repercussions and reflections of inner conflicts. Exceptions cannot become examples. preys upon the male scorpion. Besmirching fame and tarnishing glory have become the hidden agenda. Nomadic warriors broke the discipline of organised battle field codes. ruin and annihilate. Later.Battle and war Exploitation is ubiquitous. The attack is to earmark territorial jurisdiction. strives. Nobody who decides not to be a part of the army was injured. The person who decides to declare the clash and shouts patriotic slogans hardly participates in the actual event. Tussle is inevitable among beasts to claim control. loot cash and empty coffers of the loser. destroy. It is akin to advocating treatment for insanity as the best way to keep sanity intact. It was real display of gallantry and bravery. The moment one surrenders. Thus. It is a targetless hatred unleashed in abundance. The victor leads and the vanquished vanishes into solitude. We need not swirl the sword and it is enough to press the buttons. A contented tiger hardly harms the docile deer . waging war is not a one-time affair. It was invasion ad nauseam and aggression uncalled for. It is not instinctive. every resident is involved. it graduated to rule more heads and extend tentacles of power by which all his lust and greed could be fulfilled. Machines fight and men operate. Battles in the beginning were to covet cattle. which is its style to exhibit gratitude for gratification. from dawn to dusk. The canines swallow the weak offspring after delivery to compensate the weakness suffered during gestation. pack or pride. the other stops the onslaught. after copulation. Today. plans and nurtures violence and sees that it proliferates and enters into every cell of his being. holding their shields and hurling their spears. flock. He fought initially to usurp resources and usher his multiplication. He premeditates. It is found both in flora and fauna. Parasitic vines and insectivorous plants are not rare. Youth sacrificed their lives amor patriae. It is fought with brains and not with bodies. Even a baby may perish or an octogenarian may get maimed. War continues in the form of clandestine attacks and rebellious retaliations. Battle was still reasonable with able bodied men of both warring countries deployed in a predetermined place wielding their swords. The uninvolved citizens were massacred to leave a macabre scene. Reputation is built by innovation and not by repetition. Our brain turns to be a garage for garbage. Men with less care to reminiscence remain young in words and deeds.V. Inventions did not come out of recollection. Memory gives complacency. Anyone can reproduce after repeated reading. When we realise that wars we entertain within us are more ominous. Parroting is . are missing links of memory. Some of them were academic dropouts but students of the University of Universe. Relationship is spun with fibres of contemporary issues and animosity is woven with threads of antiquity. the volume of answer takes predominance over substance. We carry the boat after reaching the shore. as they live moment to moment. One who is always ready to lose can never be won. It is wrongly epitomized as the end of knowledge and erroneously termed as the terminus of learning. lacking in freshness and fragrance. Borrowed knowledge is artificial and ornamental.IRAI ANBU IAS MEMORY Memory is a poor substitute for intelligence. Learning by rote helped in oral transmission before the advent of paper. Memory blocks expertise and portrays a proxy projection of command and comprehension. We save skeletons and spend spirit. Our education system and examination exercise have become barometers to measure the pressure of students in tackling a volley of bouncers in the form of questions and queries. It magnifies the encoder and mesmerizes the decoder. At times. Mediocrity masquerades with memory to feign mastery. we become tranquil like a serene lake. Memory leads to prejudice. we fight to seek it outside and get more and more intrigued. Grasping with mind was felt convenient than writing with hand. Glib talkers use memory as a tool to impress. Learning commences where memory ends. Exploration and inquiry. the essential traits. It does not have the slightest semblance to ingenuity. Verbose reciting is verbatim vomiting and is a great sign of incomprehension. analysed and understood to produce the best. What one recites after recapitulation is not the pearls of wisdom but droppings of the wise. Without referring to the original works of Shakespeare one could distinguish with distinction in English. Meaningless slogging means so much in curriculum. Their absent mindedness is not an accident by chance but a preference by choice. Conditioned conduct is inflicted as the mind keeps on rewinding. We never try to prove our mettle. They were very close no mind. Palm leaves were not an easy medium like parchment to scribble and script. One never keeps the wounds green and allows them to heal. -. It helps in flaunting the spurious and foiling the obvious. Every phenomenon in nature was observed. Many great men did not strain to remember even their personal phone numbers. the problems could be predicted and learnt by heart. Some harbour so much nostalgia that they have hallucinations of their previous births.own self. It is not the be all and end all. influence and imposture. They were worldly foolish and universally wise. It is not the landing spot but a boarding point. Mavericks alone moulded civilization to monumental dimensions. Remembrance denotes past. Exhibiting power of memory and protrusion of muscles are similar gestures and both are superficial. Even in mathematics. Our memory mostly preserves trash and proscribes treasure. They were the results of interpretation. History is revenge retold and rebuttal recollected. The more a person is for memory. It is always a reaction. When accumulated knowledge fades. No one remembers one's address by effort. It requires an action replay for refreshing the memory and aggregating the acrimony. Remembering becomes an addiction beyond reclamation. Animals never avenge and do not harbour animosity. He would not be against memory but would be above memory. Creativity comes by dropping the hitherto existing concepts and mechanisms. An attentive mind can have a grip over facts and figures without any ordeal of memorizing. tutored by others and watered by hatred. Civilisation is the conversion of poaching into fighting. intuition works. Revenge is self destruction. In "tit for tat". a two-edged Weapon Civilisation is the conversion of poaching into fighting Revenge is a two edged weapon. The protagonist also gets affected. Applause for a wrong cause tranquilizes more than approbation received for a genuine endeavour. which graze them more. When memory fails. It requires tremendous courage to travel on the correct path despite obstacles and opposition for probing the truth. acumen shines. instead of water. Every thought for avenging causes organs to orchestrate heavy secretion of fluids and the excess strain leaves a stain. The best machine gets the first place. Hunting for flesh substituted by hunting for power. It is an afterthought and becomes an acquired quality transmitted through generations. one reciprocates and never discovers. on its own.V. Retention should be the outcome of understanding. Men act in haste with a feeling of repugnance reigning over the senses. It is neither original nor creative. the less he tends to be original. If it is so. It is a blade without handle. Important events and enlightening information listened to with interest remain forever. should be scholars and scientists par excellence. Memory per se is not bad.IRAI ANBU IAS Revenge. Reprisal is often referred to as upsurge of animal's instinct. injury induces bruises and they are elements of a vicious circle. Decapitation is adopted as the short cut for capturing the capital. It is an imitation. blood would spring. Vengeance is not a welcome venture. Abomination breeds revulsion. It brings cheers on the stage and ovation from the crowd. Herbs and drugs can hardly improve the power to grasp. it should be invisible like the sugar in caramel and not apparent like cherry on the ice cream. One who knows the nuances of memory will not be for it. Proficiency never matters where efficiency alone is evaluated. buffaloes. retains the essential to leave out the superfluous. Mind is a great filter. If we dig the earth after a few years. . It repeats itself due to the inexhaustible spirit of retaliation and vindictiveness.the best form of performance and apt answers are photocopies produced with hands. It. -. However. anger hatches wrath. It is always secondary and borrowed. It does not rest as it has an insatiable appetite and unquenchable thirst. clarify. educate. Mahatma opined that rats can hardly think of forgiving cats. It misses the culprit and targets the innocent. Recapitulating the good moments we spent with the objects of our aggression and nice gestures they extended can ameliorate our urge to react with the same amplitude. We should make this world filled with the music of laughter and joy and not with noise of wails and travails. Some are so timid that they restrict their retribution to mosquitoes. It can be a simple verbal exchange. Our relations are equations that never balance. A few cross words and leave them there. Vituperative tongue lashes more than what a whip injures and bleeding of the mind never clots. provoke. Fire cannot be extinguished by fuel. `holier than thou' attitude. Quarrel and altercation are its alternatives. There is nothing called non violent revenge. -. Many cross swords. Real revenge lies in extending a bouquet when a dagger is expected. We want our balance sheet always to be lop-sided with more assets and less liabilities. guide. At that moment. Even Miss Universe would look ugly in the grip of anger. At times scurrilous language is more wounding than swirling sword. inform and entertain. What was once a rock could have got sculpted into a carving and what was once mud could have bloomed into a lotus.V. We assume supremacy and presume. The very thought to attack is violent. One who knows that man is not a static phenomenon does not nurture any ill feeling. Revenge has so many faces. Biographies proclaim that one who handles the gun will be gunned down sooner or later. We do not deal with the same individual twice. A misguided missile Revenge can be a misguided missile. continue the contention and aggravate enmity. The grace of the great is due to love that radiates from their eyes. The feeling of bitterness never subsides after eliminating the target. When condoning comes out of strength.All riots arise with a priority to prove physical power. retorts. Students rag the fresher for treatment meted out to them by seniors. rebuffs. By love we can nullify hatred and by compassion we can neutralise wrath. only the proximate persons turn into deadly rivals. more by observing and the maximum by listening.IRAI ANBU IAS LISTENING Man learns less by reading. It can motivate. Man appears beautiful when he laughs. The victims are not even onlookers. he overflows with innocence. enlighten. Revenge is the function of ego. Seed of hatred remains dormant till the correct moment comes and it is like a potential volcano or a tickling time bomb. Very often. Generally. Research proves that we learn 80 per cent of what we know by listening but most of us absorb just 25 per cent of what we hear. Speech is not always lip service. Our senses dim and brain paralyses by channelising all our zeal into irksome emotions. Rebukes. Revenge comes back in speed post. Causing to get reformed is better than cutting to bleed. . it inflicts more pain than punishment. repudiation are all vengeance verbally vent out. Books are vocal words told in black and white. the arrows are blamed and the archer goes scot-free. Pregnant anger is worse than delivered action. Synesthesia may be mixing up of senses in neurology but not for virtuosos of art and literature. It is said that hallucination is not vision. Some will constantly interrupt. The disease of not listening exhibits several acute symptoms and chronic disorders. While listening. Undivided focus occurs at that moment. Constructive criticism well received with an open mind will obviate mistakes and clear misunderstanding. Yet. We converse within us. Speaker also has the responsibility to deliver a spell bound oration. Listening activates the subconscious mind. Listening warrants magnanimity. We hear to overhear and drop to eavesdrop. Eyes have lids to close. Listening occurs only when we value the importance of the other person. blindness is sympathised and deafness is dug at. Our lips are tight and mind is loose. concomitant converging of all the senses at one point happens. When the conscious mind fails. body movements and eye expressions by reading a delivered speech. Gettan. Hence. A belligerent voice may not convey. Transaction cannot be consummated without listening. If discretion is better part of valour. convince or convert. we shut them with a hermetically sealed mind. One who feels superior with an aura of snobbish attitude can never be attentive. Continuous reading may render the eyes tired and exhausted. Ears never become worn out and there is no such thing as excessive listening. One who listens to his address should glisten with wit and wisdom. a Zen monk used to say. mouth has lips to shut but ears have no mechanism to shun sounds. the second person should become the first person. Conscious mind is just the tip of an iceberg. he would be dismissed as a dismal failure. every word uttered enters into the soul and becomes a part of the system. Brutus goaded his countrymen to hear him for his cause and be silent so that they may hear. Noam Chomsky’s transformational generative grammar elucidates it. A few are lazy even to listen. Active listening is the silent salute that encourages the speaker. miss the juice and taste the rind. Still.Listening requires to be learnt. When the mind is free from prejudices and preconceived notions. Unless we close the eyes we cannot enjoy the melodious music. Reading can only give a vicarious enjoyment. It is called disagreement fallacy and is termed illusion of communication. Mark . The day dreamers dwell in their own imaginary world. One may be extraordinarily endowed with mastery of language and a gallery of vocabulary. Language may be the same but the meaning may be different. In a typical communication. you have no listening ears. Everyone talks but only a few listen. Then. Listening requires a keen discernment and an eye for observation. People differ in tongue but resemble in emotions. Sight strays and clasps whereas ears stay and grasp. Some are selective listeners. While reading we miss the electrifying presence of the person. Bernard Shaw said that England and the United States of America are two countries separated by the same language. Man conveys more by facial expressions and through body language. Poor listeners are attracted and distracted by all the unwanted occurrences. subconscious comes to the rescue. Attention engulfs us when we remain without duality. listening is the best part of communication. Rulers become unruly by turning a deaf ear to the problems of people. without listening. 7 per cent of the content is verbal and the rest is non-verbal. Listening requires empathy. One never makes an effort to recall the words in mother tongue as it has become a part of the subconscious mind. We will miss the gestures. When you have a talking mouth. People love their own voice more than the symphony of Mozart. They grasp the chaff and blow the grains. Our silence is mostly superficial. If we tape all the sounds that we utter in an ordinary day and run the tape would run only for 11 minutes. In a few instances like ventriloquism. Humility always pays rich dividends. Words may envelop but eyes reveal. Listening cannot be enforced by summoning the senses. chant hymns and sing songs. The preferred becomes the blue eyed boy. Nobel Laureate. Argus eyed men could not be hoodwinked by others. turns a blind eye. However. Eye lids are immortalized as symbols of security. Kannappar was the first to donate his eyes. a startling experience may be an eye opener. an athlete of Croton. The women act as carriers to transmit them to their male off springs. Singer eulogized eyes as the windows to look at the soul of an individual. Speech is scabbard but sight is sword. Some draw analogy by reading the two usages. Eyes have many references in daily usage . People say. They help in perusing the other parts but see not themselves. Eyes are special for they shed tears for aches and pains of all other organs. love is blind. affection and apathy. Colour blindness is a trait associated with sex-linked genes. parents prefer to refer their wards as eyes. Some do not look at but look through. Cleansing the eyes with crystal clear water retains the retina free from infection. Statistics may mislead and keep us blind folded to reach wrong conclusions. eyes dominate. Those who are at loggerheads do not see eye to eye. He lifted a particular calf onto his shoulders everyday. satiation and gluttony. was a legend for his feats of strength. The student who attentively listens to the class finds the exam light like a calf and others feel it as a burden like a bull on their shoulders. Nostrils function for the continuance of life. compassion and impatience. One who ignores the genuine demands. He wanted the almighty to peruse the world with the human vision. Eyes can recite poetry. contentment and covetousness. It grew heavier with age and finally he was lifting a full-grown bull. Eyes act as thermometers of our system.Antony wanted them to lend him their ears.V. Mahatma (not the School) remarked An eye for an eye would only end up making the whole world blind. Blinking lubricates and steadfast watching of the visual media obstructs blinking. passion and callousness. thereby exhausting the eyes. One who plans for the next generation is a visionary. They are known for sacrificing their self-interest. While conversing. proper orientation of eyes will make the presentation convincing. -. Heat or acidity or diabetes is expressed through the eyes. Gouging the eyes was the poignant punishment awarded by the invaders. Eye contact is important in communication. People who do not foresee the probable contingencies suffer from myopia. Keeping an eye on skeptical individuals is an important ingredient for an administrator. Assamese language has a proverbial statement that a person with colourless eyes is not to be trusted. Eyes reflect attraction and aversion. The poesy of love finds its fluency through eyes.IRAI ANBU IAS AN EYE ON THE EYES Eyes reign supreme among the physical faculties. Milo. we trust ears more than the eyes. The first cataract surgery was done in India. In kinesics. Sometimes. love is blind and god is love. in conjunction and conclude that god is . It was a grave punishment before their departure to grave. The moment a person becomes aware of his outrage. Johnson. exasperation envisages an excellent shelter. The best way to preserve one’s eyes is by donating. When things are beyond our reach. The continuation of vision quenches the quest for life after exile. Apathy travels in a trajectory and hits the most vulnerable targets. anger. It is not the tip of an iceberg. It is the mother of all evils. something alive in him even after his death. US author and editor. Those who are furious have to recoil their self to reach resilience and the results are deplorable. hurl files and push chairs to show our antagonism. It is the best of all donations. Anger is against human nature. Anger is an ailment and compassion is therapeutic. Love is the meeting of the minds and marriage of souls. Unadulterated anger . IRAI ANBU.IRAI ANBU IAS ANGULARITIES OF ANGER Anger is the mother of all evils. He had to confess that the great works of Milton were performed under discountenance and in blindness but difficulties vanished at his touch. bang windows. One could donate. As Saint Antony Exupery said love is not two persons gazing at each other but both looking together towards the same direction. Very often targets of our annoyance are not the causes for it.V. A few individuals with gifted intellectual profundity and rare creativity have overcome the limitations imposed by existence.blind. Blindness is divine injustice. though highly biased and critical about Milton. Dr. They performed miracles by the power of their inner vision. could not help acknowledging his genius. We express our emotions through rage and resentment to cover up deficiencies and defects. One burns in anger and glows in love. Love cannot be blind as two falls in love by exchange through eyes. We sling slippers. as the rest of it is made visible. Anger symbolizes helplessness. slam doors. Eyes are crucial in improving the awareness. State of unawareness It is true that anger can only exist in a state of unawareness. -. They tilted their eyes inward. "Anger is a short madness" according to Horace and he is correct in his definition. It requires tremendous sincerity to observe one's own self when anger rises. which functions against human nature and hence one gets all kinds of disorders due to the constant companion. The real mettle comes out at the time of anger. writes V. Love looks not with the eyes. as one does not know even the face of the recipient. We may skip a meal and forego a need to send signals about our temperament. Shakespeare justifies. Anger leaves footprints in the mind as it is like sprinting on sand. as it is analogous to a flight. but with the mind and therefore is winged cupid painted blind. It is an ill feeling. To love is a basic tendency of human beings and an inclination to remain soft and flexible indicates life. As Henry Ward Beecher. said. "Never forget what a man says to you when he is angry. Compassion does not have imprints. Inanimate objects are attacked with vehemence for no fault of them. A few have eyes all over their bodies and they could see what happens on their back." anger is different from hatred. it drops on its own. Anger sustained and wounds kept green without being allowed to heal graduate into hatred. Hence. double blood pressure and triple medical expenditure. To attain that high degree of anger is a Herculean task as otherwise it may become a Himalayan blunder.' "Anyone can become angry— that is easy. it competes only with water in consumption. The forces which render people a hungry lot can make them an angry lot and they may stage a coup d'etat. They are personification of anger itself for a moment and it helps them in shedding it immediately. Wellfounded anger with mighty forces adds a quality to the being and it shines like a golden sword on a velvet cloth. They never brood over rage to hatch hatred. One should know how to pretend to be angry without being actually angry to get things done. It triggers the dimensions of our dynamism. It may lead to sabotage. Anger is not always bad. On seeing inhuman injustice and incredible cruelty perpetrated on a group. Individuals may form groups. It signifies that the results of wrath will be detrimental either to the experiencer or the person at the receiving end. Chinese emperor Shen Nung was a serious stickler for boiling water. Patient hearing and empathy for others help in over powering diabolical. Their anger is born out of love. to the right degree. Mind becomes light as it need not have to carry unnecessary burden. one may lose one's temper. Suppression and repression. avoidance and evasion lead to unexpected eruption at an inopportune time and results are disastrous. for the right purpose and in the right way— this is not easy. Silent posture and sincere introspection can dilute anger and make its exit permanent. There is a thin difference between anger and hunger. it was done in garden and the leaves from a nearby . mesmerizing mythology and appealing anecdotes to its credit. If such an art is mastered. It is replete with resplendent history. at the right time. As Aristotle mentioned in his `The Nicomachean Ethics. The attempts will accentuate adrenalin secretion. It may be spontaneous without any hangover of the past.IRAI ANBU IAS A Cup of Tea An ounce of tea has gallons of antiquity. -. rebellion or revolution.Children and sages look beautiful when they become angry. riot. anger becomes a slave and relinquishes its position of a dictator. Once.V. assassination. To day. demonical and devilish feeling. It is the oldest beverage and still widely drunk for its rejuvenating capacity and refreshing quality. increase palpitation. It is an altruistic act without even an iota of egotism. which go against their consciousness." The word Danger The word danger has only one alphabet added to anger. Anger remains concentrated as endemic for a while and gets manifested manifold as epidemic in a suitable environment. One should understand nuances of anger and try to transcend it. their emotion lasts for a minute and is lost forever. swell into a crowd and turn into a mob to destroy and devastate. Efforts to control anger are worse than anger itself. Then history would be written with serum and blood instead of pen and ink. The origin of tea and the discovery of its taste were purely serendipity. It is to condemn incidents. It becomes anger directed towards self and is suicidal. Their anger is authentic and unadulterated. But to be angry with the right person. It helps in digestion and aids in reviving the stressful eyes. As J. Krishnamurthy says. Serenity dawns in the Zen garden and the whole environs is filled with joy. Bodhi Dharma peeled off his eyelids to avert drowsiness and threw them away. Bodhi Dharma. tasting tea is a kind of meditation to be done attentively with love. At that moment they themselves become the tea they take and the distinction disappears. On December 16. He found it as an ugly little shrub. Intake of tea checks halitosis. The bush was the wild tea tree. 1773 a group of patriots threw the export cargoes of tea sent by East India Company into the sea. S. Thus early morning tea is not only a stimulant but also a symbolic nirvana. When the tea plantations of Kenya wilted due to severe drought. in Boston.plant accidentally fell to render the water brown. The incredible demand paved way for unbridled greed. a Scotsman. It moderates muscle relaxation. a virulent leaf disease devastated the coffee plantation. plucked the leaves of a proximate bush and chewed to ward off his weariness. Eliot would measure his life in coffee spoons. which sprouted as a tea plant. In Japan. The stakes became skirmishes. The ugly little shrub remained invincible and tea industry got a start. the observer becomes the observed Then being and doing become the same. Hence. Tea grew accidentally with coffee in Sri Lanka in the plantations of James Tailor. tea helps in enhancing awareness and effacing slumber. It demonstrated that a storm may brew in a tea cup. He observes without duality. It exploded and resulted in shutting the doors of entry forever. . contentment of mind and determination of purpose Respite during any session is always referred as tea-break High tea. Washing the limbs and entering into the meditation hut with a sense of devotion is a pre-requisite. According to Indian legend. Tea leaves have a few vitamins and more fluoride to fight dental decay. and flute when he sings. Ineligible profits will lead to inevitable loss. He eulogized it as donor of vigour of body. escalated into battles and culminated as war for independence and authorization for autonomy. The evening tea led to entertainment outside and thus tea dances came into genesis. He is not even a witness. Only Prufrock of T. tranquility and peace. tea party are common usage. He becomes a lesson when he reads. All other American cities exemplified Boston. The tea ceremony helps the individual to have a taste of the divine. Emigration of workers to plant tea plantations and supplant coffee stubble led to their permanent settlement and cascaded into racial discrimination and rebellion for liberation. Nature balances and it helps to moderate even human nature. The planters in Nilgiris exported the condemned quantum to exploit the situation. in the fifth year of his seven-year continuous sleepless contemplation to develop insomnia. He extends this attitude to every endeavour that he pursues. After a couple of seasons. Why Zen alone considers tea as sacred and sipping it as a ceremony. As per Zen. dance when he dances. The phrase teetotal is said to have been derived from tea-meetings organized to skip alcohol. Seekers sit silently and sip the tea drop by drop with utmost sincerity. The emperor drank the mixture and declared it a delicacy. game when he plays. It is heartening to heart by improving circulation. History notified an event as tea party in which no cup was served but barrels were thrown aboard. the demand for Indian tea was on the increase. Teaspoon is the standard measurement for administering medicines. The decoction of tea diffuses diarrhoea. walls as murals. The . dogs and ducks. trite and expected. Love becomes thrilling as it flows like a river and marriage brings boredom as it hardens the relationship like a glacier. Existence itself is evolving. The ordinary people crave for stereo typed events and long for the status quo to be maintained. crass sympathies. paintings. Hence marriage becomes the easiest way to subjugate love. predictability and too much of exposure results in boredom. Anything new shocks them and change would upset them. Similarly Himalayas was not snow clad once. Beasts have the brain and men have the mind. bark and quack. hyenas and mynas are perfectly complacent what they are and contented with what they have. modification and moderation. cites two reasons for a conversation to become boring. shake the foundations of authority and remove the clutches of slavery. Animals never feel the pinch of monotony. question the existing dictums. One should guard against becoming irksome to others. If the conversation becomes a process for mutual sharing and incessant learning. When walking became tedious. flying became the passion. the profounder of lateral thinking process.V. Any one who suffers from inferiority complex is bound to beat his own trumpet to others. riding came to rescue. They bray and gibber. The largest desert in the world “the Sahara was once a pleasant land with rivers and brooks forest and grass land. The utterly stupid and the highly enlightened both never get bored. All the sculptures. Only the brilliant feel doldrums with the regular routine things. The people who talk about themselves will be boring to others. They viewed rocks as figures. This remark is applicable to the common men in their day to day affairs. Repetition. assert and attract. it will be a nourishing experience. feeble powers of attention and irreclaimable weakness of character. Donkeys and monkeys. Superiority complex is nothing but inferiority complex disguised under the garb of superciliousness.-. one could conclude easily that they must not be husband and wife. stones as monuments. The people who got bored are easily satisfied with the best. The first is that no one has anything to say about the subject. Creative individuals keep expressing their alacrity to overcome their ennui through various means. James Bridie Mr. familiarity. dull understanding. The quick-witted look forward to new occurrences and the unique features captivate them. While sailing became weary. They either flourish or perish but simply do not vegetate. They are the ones who become changed agents. They get exhausted with the predictable events. Status quo tantamount to death and growth is signified by mutation. Boredom is the phenomenon of the mind. When a couple on the road is found very happy talking to each other. laugh and chirp not out of boredom but to alarm. It is in the womb of boredom. Epoch-making inventions are the echoes of efforts to overcome drudgery. They are the harbingers of transformation.IRAI ANBU IAS BOREDOM Boredom is a sign of intelligence. Bolfry says boredom is a sign of satisfied ignorance. imagination got conceived and was delivered as discoveries and inventions. words as rhymes. blunted apprehension. The second reason is that what is said is routine. poems and architecture were created out of the urge to overcome the feeling of remaining idle. Braggadocios will never interest any one. Edward De Bono. Restlessness is the friction between the youthful half and the aged remains. Sometimes. Salt preaches equanimity and its intake is uniform irrespective of effluence of the affluent. Sodium in salt maintains the fluid in our blood cells. `not worth his salt. In ancient Greece slaves were exchanged in lieu of salt and thus the expression. then it becomes dynamism. They do not want to prove anything to others.V. Restlessness is different from boredom. Even the ordinary thing is become extraordinary in their presence. One gets cloyed with sweet but not with salt. If the speed in thinking commensurates with the pace in action. When they keep quite they do not talk to themselves. Salt preserves. It was not to be or not to be but whether survival or surpassing.IRAI ANBU IAS WITH A PINCH OF SALT Salt signifies synergy and acts well in addition instead of solitary isolation Salt stands as a symbol of immutable. `salary. They consider repetition as death decorated and future has rebirth assured. They look at even a blade of grass with reverence and respect for the existence. incorruptible purity.creative people had to overcome the hurdles created by the society to prove the utility of their innovation. Youth are often restless due to the mismatch between the fast thinking and slow action. it was satyagraha for self-distillation and not for sugar extraction.' came into existence. They could enjoy every gulp of food. . Life is a continuous renewal for them. the scientists have to lure the rulers with taxation that would accrue as the main attraction than the benefits which would be bestowed. One has to cross the corridor of boredom to enter the sphere of bliss. It is a state of satisfied innocence and not the stage of satiated ignorance. Sweat. It is distilled by a process of elimination and not through enhancement. -. Special salt rations for early Roman soldiers were known as `Salarium argentum. Hence. Chloride is necessary for digestion of food. They add the quality of attention to every moment of their life. The famous dictum of Max Planck in the philosophy of physics reads an important scientific innovation rarely makes its way by gradually winning over and converting its opponents. purifies and protects commodities and improves their endurance. tears and serum. all have significant quantum of salinity. Youth is not just a stage of life but a state of mind.' The term became the forerunner of the word. Youth wants to fast forward and the aged like to rewind the film of life. But to reach that stage is not possible through the quantum jump. thus rendering us to vibrate with vigour. every drop of water and every breath of air. They feel aloneness and are absolutely happy with the universe. A man of awareness never gets bored.' Salt enables our bodies to perform a variety of essential functions. Restlessness is negative and devolution of mind. Salt's history Salt has a history apart from the mystery around it. They generate and transmit electrical impulses in nerves and muscles. Men of awakening live dangerously and for them every minute becomes a thrilling experience. What happens is that its opponents gradually die out and that the next generation is familiarized with the ideas from the beginning. Cartoonist R. -. Due to salinity. Mocking at somebody's capability or intelligence. The economic dimension of salt is quite interesting.IRAI ANBU IAS Zeroing in on Zero Zero is not to be conceived as a negative factor. It works out to a cup in quantum. What significance does zero bear? We need to examine in detail. a portent of misfortune. Jews included salt on the Sabbath. It is the power index which . Dead Sea is not really a sea but a great salt lake. At the same time. The statement. `sweet are the uses of adversity' but `salt is the output of adversity.' In `The last supper. It is not actually. there salt flourishes. salt works succeed. Ten per cent of all the salt produced in the world is applied to American highways for road de-icing. Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt. its water is so buoyant that no one drowns and it is even difficult to get under the surface. writes V. zero is a place holder in computation. as it turns out. Where nature perishes. Spiritual dimension of salt is soul kindling. the affectionate tussle between spouses should be subtle and not known to outsiders. About turn is restricted to regiments and prohibited in religion. once in a blue moon. By turning back. Salt dissolves and disappears not revealing its presence. Iodine does not distort the taste.' When evaporation exceeds precipitation. Lakshman used to say: "We Indians have invented `Nothing''. Discovery of zero is considered a pioneering step in the field of mathematics. People still spill salt on the left shoulder to ward off devils and wipe off evils that may be lurking behind. When sugar was proposed as the medium to be mixed. vision and dynamism of human beings. is important both metaphorically and figuratively. In Buddhism and in Shintoism salt is used to drive off malevolent spirits. Hence salt was propounded as the correct component for it is consumed in adequate volume by every one. Erie Canal was constructed out of the tax collected on New York State salt and tolls charged for salt shipments. Salt signifies synergy and acts well in addition instead of solitary isolation. Hence. we at times call some one a "big zero". It is the principal de-icer as it is the most available and cost effective.V. it was dismissed due to differential consumption between haves and have-nots.' Judas spilled a bowl of salt. Salt is the outcome of adversity. In mathematics. The name is a misnomer. So a cup of salt in the body is a joy forever. IRAI ANBU. When iodine content was fast depleting in food grains it had to be supplemented to vitalize cerebral function. Similarly. it should not exceed the requirement. It is a divider between the positive and the negative numbers.At any movement we have around 250 grams of salt to keep our system agile. one does not die in Dead Sea though it is deadly. Greek worshipers consecrated salt in their rituals. `The salt of the earth. Jesus called his disciples. It is a cardinal number associated with an empty set.K. The pouting between couple should be like the quantum of salt in food and this concept was advocated by none other than Thiruvalluvar. Those who could afford eat more sweets and the deprived. Even elixir in excess is poison. silence and sound are not separate'. Crucial in democracy In economics.converts any number into unity. J. and his son brought him one. `Bring me a banyan fruit. zero was omitted to be included and hence one year has been added to the actual number to be denoted.' Aruni said and his son cut it into two. the very listening is the silence. starting from the emptiness of mutuality to the highest emptiness of ultimate reality.' Aruni said and his son cut a seed into two. West talks about silence as the absence of words and East names it as the absence of thought. As Thich Nhat Hanh says. But when you pay it back. `Cut it into two. Aruni said. the mind is empty of all conceptions and notions'. `What do you see. "If you have a debt to pay. That is wonderful because you are free. after the completion of B. Love is nothing but the emotional experiencing of zero.' Aruni asked.. Yet it cannot be seen. one would see the whole . `What do you see.' his son replied. Death is considered as the zero point of life. Krishnamurthi says. It is actually the pinnacle of life. It is a sudden collapse of a section of an individual's ego and boundaries and permitting one to merge one's identity with that of another.C. Tilopa wants us to become the hollow bamboos to allow the divine to pass through us. All great discoveries arose from the "no thought mind.' Meditation is zeroing on thought process." Even when the chronological order of the years was devised. it is negative. `Form is emptiness and emptiness is form'. There are seven kinds of emptiness. `I see some very small seeds. Passed away does not mean gone. absolute zero is significant. it is the number which cannot be a divisor. For them.' his son replied. In Physics. Chandogya Upanishad reveals the mystery of nothingness. `Take one of the seeds and cut it into two. which makes the entire seed to grow. In democracy zero hour is crucial. It can be positive." Physical manifestation Emptiness is the physical manifestation of zero. Unless one becomes empty of his preconceived notions. `within that seed is the essence.' Aruni said. Dhyana is the attainment of `no-thought'. the room is useful not because of the walls but because of the emptiness within the circumference.' Aruni asked. `Nothing at all. To attain nothingness is the ultimate objective in spirituality. one cannot learn any thing new. In investigations. zero based budgeting is advocated. Tao says. If one practices the art of looking deeply into a drop of water. Buddha said. to know existence is knowledge and to know the non-existence of existence is wisdom. zeroing on the culprit is crucial. It is an identity element in respect to the addition of real numbers. Zero is not to be conceived as a negative factor. People feel happy to remain full even if they are stuffed with garbage. The Indian tradition trusts `learning zero' as the final step in the education process. Lankavatara Sutra claims `when perfect wisdom is realized. Spiritual insight It is to be remembered that Indians discovered zero not out of accident but due to spiritual insight. your balance returns to zero. `When you listen to sound. In demography zero growth rate is ideal. And. V. Useful but lifeless Scarecrow never gets bored. Only those who are stuffed with straw are puffed with pride. They gain pleasure not by commanding respect but by inspiring fear. It is an irony that both cream and scum could float and flaunt. there is no pilferage. -. Scarecrow implies that one who has died already cannot die further. We can possess them. exploit them and discard them at our will. nibbling the nipples and the bogus one mum like a mummy.ocean in it and life will be full of music. All pretenders are like scarecrows. `Straw-calf' helps to extract up to the last drop of milk. scarecrow would be blissful. She knows the difference between the real calf zealous with life. In the words of Khalil Gibran. A slight dig will reveal their profile and render their mettle. They forget to fight and take recourse to flight. They are more of a projection and less of profundity. They promise more and perform less. We cannot hoodwink the cow. Men would milch the cow dry till the udder bleeds. Some times. She certainly differentiates the hardened human hands from the tender tongue of her offspring. It is an apology for a human figure. It pleads not for rest and stages not an agitation. It never moves. Scarecrow serves to prevent leakage but `straw-calf' subserves to facilitate exploitation. Men are always the best disposables. Scarecrows can be inscribed as insignias for charlatans and mountebanks. It stands still insulated from insolation and precipitation. But she endures the pain of bereavement and touch of treachery." thus reads a beautiful Zen haiku. as the final lesson. dance and celebration. It is absolutely loyal for it is thick skinned and inanimate. does not scream but remains effective. still birds mistake them for watchers. Men may embezzle but with the scarecrow. they remain useful. jumping with joy. it is more productive than men who guard. It derives joy when others are in a jittery mood. It neither complains nor grudges. Blissful If bestowed with soul. "A scarecrow in the field so useful yet lifeless. Despite their ignorance. One that does not throb with life will not drop with death. This is what zero teaches us. If men are reduced to things. The calf is no more but the greed is unbridled. . its pastime lies in the posture of threat.IRAI ANBU IAS Scarecrow and Straw-Calf Men of shallow sensitivity are equated to a scarecrow A scarecrow stands undaunted. sans feelings and emotions. Scarecrow never shouts slogans nor indulges in social dialogue for wage hike. Our gluttony is more than the grief of the mother. they march ahead with glee. They are ebullient with overconfidence. It is pseudo and not original. -. They do not want to be either scarecrows or `straw-calves'. Nothing comes from vacuum including the vacuum cleaner. erode the soil.She consoles herself that death of her heir at the invisible fingers of nature is an easeful one than in the tyrannical hands of her master. consciously concealing and correctly camouflaging. Once in a while. timidity etc. Greek actors used to wear masks to portray anger. Their whole life is spent in proving themselves and impressing others.V. produce clouds. When it flows as breeze. Their compassion is congenial. They are livelier in photographs. Men of shallow sensitivity stuff themselves with straw and go on parade with pride. in clock it transmits alarm and in nature it brings seasons.IRAI ANBU IAS WINDING UP THE WIND Wind with its invisibility makes its presence felt. They neither dictate to exploit nor abdicate to surrender. compassion. the bovine is equated with the divine but its garland is found irksome for it rubs on the lashes she suffered on her soft neck. no harmony. `persona. Without air there will be no music. Correct approach Wind teaches the correct approach. we discover the depths of barbarism. Men of awareness Men of awareness prefer to remain as individuals. We can use wind to draw water from the ground. Personality has its root in the Greek word. Wind teaches the middle path. stroke and cajole artificially for receiving approval. It puts off the candle in excess and cuts off the light in its absence. light the lamps with energy and thus can understand the ramification of different facets of existence. They stuff others also with straw to extract. They live according to their super consciousness. The same wind which strangles the wicks of lamps can light them as electrical flow after metamorphosis in the wind mill. In flute it becomes music. We are taught to smile. Personality is like a scarecrow. in siren it forms the call. it slays them all. When it blows with rage. . in cyclone it becomes a calamity. A few people are comfortable only on stage. love. All appearances are always deceptive. Oxygen supply decides the burn and glow of the fire and breath. IRAI ANBU WIND IS the air in action. their love is genuine. We start trusting our pseudo-self as the real one and that too when the whole world showers the fake with gasps and claps as accolades. enrich the earth and thus orchestrate action in all forms of nature. They are neither sadists nor masochists. in whistle it becomes caution. We develop personality by deftly masquerading. They smile from their hearts and speak from their souls. it sways the trees. their affection is real and their anger is authentic. extort and exploit. and no sweetness for the ears for sound travels in air. writes V. It is a source of energy which remains to be tapped.' which means mask. courage. If we scratch the outer `Erich Berne layer' of culture and civilization. Wind can put off fire. What we send through wind comes back manifold whether music or noise. water and taste can be categorized and body. the desire for permanence and longing for immortality will automatically subside.IRAI ANBU IAS . -. Wind transports the sound. It is socialistic in fervour and altruistic in temperament. The mighty palaces are devastated by strong super cyclone but not the tiny wings of butterflies. Weather brings wind and weathering occurs through wind. vapour and fragrance. The relationship is well understood from the fact that bud yawns to blossom when it holds the breeze to its bosom. life blossoms and breathe out last to expire. conserve and reserve the fresh pages of its heart and soul. returns to us with double the force. Components of wind Components of wind are crucial to decide the sensation of body and sensitivity of life. wanders as wily-wily. Wind with its invisibility makes its presence felt. perfume or pollution. transcending artificial barriers. The air that stagnates in the pit stinks and the one which flows freely has a sweet odour. It can neither be arrested nor curtailed. Rebellious too Wind is rebellious. tongue. sky and sound are related. earth and smell can be grouped. green house effect.Wind is the pedagogue to preach against possessiveness. All the vital parts of body are invisible and the visible ones accord protection to the invisible. Then every breath becomes a bonus and every moment becomes an opportunity. petal or rag. But nature protects nature. We want short term survival to forego the long term prosperity. It is said that ears. The direction of wind decides the incidence of locusts. suspension of poisonous particles. fire and light have correlation. Invisibility is the essence of importance. nose. Pollination. If we could understand that life exists between the two intervals. propagation are the handiwork of wind. terrorizes as typhoon. But still we crush the air. The olfactory sense can feel the scent and send the SMS to mind. circles as whirl. Depletion of ozone. When we breathe in. global warming are all due to the vagaries of wind and results in trampling and tampering with air. In our body we have five types of wind. and spoil the atmosphere. increase in carbon dioxide. including the breaking of wind. it warns men against manipulating the fragile arms of nature by its fury. Time and again. eye.V. squeeze the wind. There is no provision to take shelter. if the wind decides to wind up the weary settlements. It spreads the winged seeds and breaks the backbone of their dormancy. Breathing is a physical process and respiration is a chemical phenomenon. Closing the fist to hold the chill breeze makes the palm warm and render it sweating. wind and sensation have linkage. The open hand can enjoy the coolness forever. hovers as hurricane to send signals to preserve. elixir or poison. Every inhalation is a symbol of continuance and every exhalation is suspension of life. heat. Wind denotes dynamism. It strikes as cyclone. jerk the knee and foment the muscles to bring back the flow. The tactile. Tactile is the lowest with which even microbes are endowed. Consumer hears the haggler. lascivious and licentious. Civilisation commenced with man realising the magnificence of sixth sense. lick. No superstars Nature has blessed all beings with equanimity. The aborigines can sense cataclysmic downpour before meteorologists predict. visual. Auditory occupies a higher plane by virtue of discrimination. perishes and ages whereas mind regenerates. cajoles and conditions the physical faculties. It controls. He was able to discriminate. Colour blindness is common to animals and gradation increases with evolution. Food is their altar and their tongue extends up to their rectum. appreciated and adjusted with the vicissitudes of environment deftly. ornithologist the chirping. decide and deliver. The sixth rests on mind cascading emotions. . swing the foot. We crack the knuckles. Deafness robs the music and blindness snatches the spectrum. Sixth sense Sixth sense holds the reins of lower senses to reign supreme. Apes jump to spot the predator and alarm the herbivores by gibbering. some climb and there is no superstar among animals. They mostly munch. A pack of dholes can ravish a solitary lion with ease. Bats hear the ultrasonic and avoid collision. Visual differentiates advanced from the primitive. a few run. First five senses We get identified through our bodies. passenger the whistle and wayfarer the wind in the never-ending cacophony of life. We place visible over the invisible by default. Olfactory declines with progression. chew.The Seventh Sense When the mundane disappears. bite and drink. Nostrils are their best weathercocks. danger from safety and useful from waste. entomologist the fluttering. He understood. The remote control lies in the pouch of the invisible. The peerless pace of cheetah is for a few minutes but the indefatigable deer can sprint for hours. It streamlines their urge to maintain privacy. invigorates and matures. the sublime surfaces We experience the essence of existence through the senses. The sixth is commonsense and sole prerogative of homo sapiens. He distinguished good from evil. It tends to suppress them at odd hours and repress them using coercion. musician the melody. Wolves can sniff a carcass miles away from their zone. Men who derive maximum bliss through carnal pleasures are rooted in it. We filter and hear what we want. Significance of tactile is realised during temporary numbness. Man withstood the test of survival through his judicious balancing of senses by employing logic. The first five senses are physical and produce feelings. Gustatory comes next and it dominates in gluttons. They will be libidinous. Body degenerates. Hair is visible and heart is invisible. massage the calf. A few animals can smell. gustatory. olfactory and auditory senses aid us in enjoying the elegance around us. crucial for the creation. We stumble upon super consciousness and communicate sans words. We smell the extraterrestrial aroma and hear the extraordinary concert. Consequently. lust. Last is the maximum and is ranked as minimum. In the seventh. the profundity of a poem.' The last number is always greater than the previous ones. Madness is an aberration of sanity. Death is not unimportant due to its arrival at the fag end of life. words and deeds. dance and sleep. They never make backdoor entry. Climax becomes important in literature and life. Our pleasures are discrete and pains made public. Last is the latest National anthem is not insignificant for it is played at the end. Titles are formal in a movie and even in them the name of the director. On the other hand. It is a phrase invariably uttered by organisers who propose the `vote of thanks'. . lunacy and eccentricity. It is a ceremonial statement without realistic connotation. It is like removing the clothes and not peeling off the skin. it is the `most. The last place seldom requires any reservation. greed and gluttony without any effort. We can operate through intuition and the inner voice will guide us to purity.V. No beast suffers from mental ailment. Anomaly leads to schizophrenia. The last is also the latest and the current. it becomes a man-eater and homicide is so contagious. Then bliss becomes a 24-hour phenomenon. the last act determines the depth of a play and the last stanza. One is sure of staying there and no one would push us behind.Loopholes in society have become our firmament to spread out our desires. meditation. hypocrisy and chicanery.IRAI ANBU IAS THE LAST WORD The last is also the latest and the current Last but not the least. The last scene facilitates the success of a film. the sublime surfaces. the ultimate behaviour of the incumbent dominates and the superiors influenced by `recency effect. we understand them and they drop on their own. While evaluating a performance. Commonsense moderates and transgression is eschewed. When reason fails. The acceptance or repudiation of a theme rests on the closure. When the mundane disappears. figures last. as there is absolutely no competition. In fact. signs and gestures. last cannot be the least. the seventh is available. -. Freshness of fragrance will be found in our breath. Transcends the senses When we cross the sixth. The moment a carnivore devours a man. feeling triumphs and man devolves to fall into abysmal depths. We surpass desire.' The last event remains green in memory and colours our opinion. The sixth controls but the seventh transcends the senses. walk. Transmission takes place at the speed of thought and subconscious acts as an antenna for telecasting. Sixth sense leads to pretension. even a broom can become brush. Conclusion decides the density of any fiction. Seed is the first and fruit is the last. they are the same. the last becomes the first. They want to be grooms in halls of marriage and the deceased in houses of mourning. On aging. -. The inclination of a few to become premiers and reign supreme forever resulted in bloodcurdling battles and gruesome wars.V. Hence. In the long run. sharpness in sculpture. Mysterious dimension The term `last' has a mysterious dimension. Hence. Finishing is important both in race and art. When we strive. The last begets the first and vice versa. fumble and tumble down. The first is always to support the last whether it is the rungs of ladder or garments worn in order. hen metamorphosed from its previous form. Seed is sown only to reap the fruit. There is always a question as to whether egg came first or the hen. In Tamil.To remain last is the most difficult task.IRAI ANBU IAS . intricacies in painting. Life is not linear but circular. juicy. Life has secrets in stock. Today becomes important. the order becomes meaningless. Old age is beautiful in its own way. Butterfly is enthralling than the young larva. The last post a person officiates is the highest in his job ladder. fruit becomes captivating. Dessert is the final dish in a sumptuous feast. transformation took place on a step-by-step basis and the species evolved first to procreate its progeny. economy in literature. Here. by our dedication. Qualification is what we acquire in the end and not with what we begin our academics. Cadre at retirement is the pinnacle of power an employee could enjoy in his career. No one can succeed by effort. chiselling in poetry. Quality of the bassinet is not in our hands but the magnificence of tomb is the result of our own deeds. As per evolution. we may fail. there is no difference between the last and the first and some times. Elevation in architecture. We want a pleasant taste to linger on. They can vibe with the centre of universe at ease. One who never rushes madly is found rewarded amply. cradle is pronounced by destiny and coffin. finesse in art. the last becomes precious and apparent. We can predict the first but not the last. In life. an adage describes the aspirations of such schizophrenics. ornamentation in furniture and binding in printing render final touch to the product and enhance the loveliness of creation. It has to be an effortless endeavour. We are born crying and if we could die laughing it would be an achievement par excellence. At times. as it is the latest in our life. it is raw and pungent. lace work in apparels. edible and delicious whereas at the prime of its youth. Those who prefer to lag behind cause no harm to anyone around.