Till death do we part

Do not get attached to the thoughts that come in your mind. They keep coming and going. No reason to get stuck to any of them. In the same way, do not dodge emotions/feelings that make you feel bad. Let them come and go. As you know, none of these thoughts or emotions are permanent in nature. Pretty much like life. Still we take life so seriously. We plan, strategize, do all that makes us feel good. Not knowing that the average life span of seventy-seven years will pass like a blink. Whichever way you may have lived, you have come here with empty hands and will go back empty handed. Ironic, isn’t it ? But during the time that you are a guest of this beautiful planet, you have a job to do. To make it better, in any way, that you are capable of. Fend not just for yourself, but others too. Bring a smile to one more face or a million faces, if you can. And you would’ve lived your life well…

So what is the purpose of all this? Well, the answer is zilch. Nothing. You have to find your own purpose, or better yet, create it. You see, life is like a football match. Some get to play the goalkeeper, some get to play the referee. When the match starts (when you are born) everybody is cheering you. You have a limited time (a lifespan) to play the match well. When the match ends (death) everyone returns back home. In the meanwhile, either you have played well or not, your turn is over. People may remember you, if you played well. Or else your name gets buried with the names of those who did not make a difference. Playing a match is not that difficult, however scoring a goal is. That is what makes you a winner. No matter what, you must score.

There will always be people who are antagonistic to your ways. You just can’t avoid that. But the magic is to keep believing in your dreams, still when the opposition is loudest. Do not give up your dreams and goals. Do not stop and falter, when you are in adverse situations. You should bounce back even more when the circumstances are harsh. That shows that you are made of metal. So strong that pressure does not bend it. Water does not rust it. The wind does not erode it. Once you have figured out what you want to do, go right after it, with full determination. To rest for  a while, it’s OK. But do not quit. Failures are just breakpoints. You need to watch your moves – your strategies – if they are not getting you where you are headed. Make the appropriate change and then get on it.

Now what if you pass away in the midst of all the action- with some unfulfilled dreams? Do not fret. The fact that you have tried your best is enough. Maybe you won’t end up in the legends list. But you will also not be on the wayfarer’s. There is a lot of scope for someone alike you, who (he/she) can complete your dreams. Give it a chance. But you must have had some traction with your goals. Things that you count as important. Some milestones achieved. Say you are a businessman who dreamt of building a billion dollar business. And it’s still in the millions when you had to go away. Maybe someone will pick up the threads and make your dream complete. You see – the dream is important – not who does it. Because folks – this life is a very short affair – live it to the best you can, when you can, till you can.

To your dreams,

Guru30

Seven spiritual laws of success

1. Know thyself
It’s very important for you to know yourself. This is the secret to realizing God. When you know your self (soul), you get to know God. You will feel an overwhelming sense of peace thereafter. Get to know your emotions and thoughts well. See clearly the actions that you take based on them. Get rid of negative subconscious beliefs. Know your strengths and weaknesses clearly. Work on them. Despite all shortcomings, learn to accept yourself the way you are. But work towards improving each second. Because the only purpose of life is growth. Raise your vibration level, till you achieve the sublime. Propel your strengths and realize the gifts that God has given you. You are a blessed person. Understand that and above all, feel that in your day to day life.
2. Pay attention
If you don’t have a focussed mind, you have work to do. Pay attention to everything around you. Notice the subtle and the not-so-subtle. When listening, listen with your full energy. If some things are not clear, wait and listen again, till it so becomes. If your mind is distracted, learn to bring it under control. Point it to the thing you want your attention to dwell on. The mind is like a drunken monkey, but we can learn to keep it under our control. Try Yoga or meditation. If you are paying proper attention to life, you will always be in awe of it. You will wait for everyday to begin and accept the things that come your way. Just pay heed to them and take action after fully attending to them. Focus.
3. Act
Do not procrastinate. The shortest distance between your current state and future is intention. Be hard core about it. You cannot achieve your future state unless you act on that intention. The law of attraction says ‘Ask-Believe-Receive’. But between he last 2 steps there is one thing missing and that is action. Too many people dream about success without acting. These dreams do not have enough gravitational pull to make them manifest. Only your actions can make them do so. It’s very important for you to take steps towards your dreams everyday. Maybe baby steps, but walk you must, on the road to your dreams.
4. Accept failure
Despite your best intentions, you may not succeed in some of your ventures. Accept them gracefully. Dissect them. Learn from them and let them go. Move to your next plan. You see there is not a single person on this Earth who ha not failed. Failure is a lesson to us, that we did not make proper moves or maybe did not plan enough or maybe mixed up emotions or whatever it may be. This is a step towards our eventual success. Failure is akin to darkness. You need that in order to see light – our success. That has a sweeter taste. Celebrate your failures like success.
5. Make Friends
In this short life, one way to go about is by making friends all the while along. You see friendship is a gift from God. You can choose them, unlike relatives where you cannot exercise the choice. But making friends today is easy. Facebook. Bebo. Myspace etc. But these are virtual friends. Nothing beats the feeling of having real friends and downing a pint or two with them by your side. The talks are the cake’s icing. So make as many friends as you can. Share your story. Listen to theirs. Smile at them, be supportive and empathize. There are 7 billion of them waiting to hear from you. You may run short of time, but not friends.
6. Follow your love
Its very important to spend time on that which concerns you. Do only those things that you long for. Do not be in a job which you hate. Follow your call. If you love to dance, be a dancer. If you love to run, be an athlete. If you love to talk, be an anchor. Do only that which comes naturally to you. Your gifts from God have to be exercised. Do not waste time running after that which you detest. This life is a short phenomenon. Make sure that you have lived it to the fullest by working on your desires and see your dreams taking shape before your eyes. Only do that which appeals to you. Do not go against your inner nature.
7. Thank God
Everyday. Every single minute. You owe that to God.You are in this current state for reasons that are beyond your guesses. Only God knows your way ahead. He has already given you a lot of gifts. Like say your health. Your family. Your friends. And there are so many other wonderful things that he has sent your way that it is not enough even if you say thanks to him. Believe in his power and believe in yourself. Keep thanking him. It will open your channel to God and he will shower his blessings on you. You may have been in a war-torn country or other situations that would have been really dis-tasteful. Thank him that you have a life that you look forward to and remember all that he wants from us is to grow towards him. Step by step. Second by second. And that too is in your favour.
To your best,
Guru30

Spirituality and Reality

Spirituality is about the inner us. Reality is about the outer us. When the inner constitution of an individual is strong, he/she does not get fettered in the advent of adversity. If you are, as dianetics calls you a ‘clear’ person, you have nothing to worry about. As long as you carry the baggage of judgments and other experiences imbibed into you from various sources, and see the world through those eyes, it’s very difficult for you to appreciate life and progress. Most of the people are caught up in the same rut. They have different kind of fears. Fear of failing. Fear of getting rejected. Fear of lagging behind. And so on. All these are picked up in the so called ‘experience’ of life. Mind you, as a child you never had these fears. But as grow up, we tend to pickup these non-existent fears.

The only way to a better ‘you’ is an elevated consciousness. If you are not aware of yourself as a part of ‘God’, you are missing out on some very juicy aspects of life. Know that you have infinite potential – to be who you are, as you have aspired for it. Everything is possible – all you have to do is raise your frequency. The universe will automatically plot a path for your dreams to flower. But say if you are yearning to earn more, whereas most of the time you are focussed on the lack of it, the universe will give you more lack of it, as per the law of attraction. The key here is to shift your thoughts. From a mentality of shortage, you have to switch to abundance. There is so much of goodness (for the lack of a better word) in the universe, that everyone can claim his share and still be left with more to desire.

You see, you are where you are because of your actions. Do not blame anything else. The only way to ‘up’ your situation is to plant good seeds of thoughts into your mind and then take massive action. If you do not get out of your old mind patterns, you are likely to stay in the same place, day after day, year after year. So how do you get rid of these old habit patterns ? Well, the answer is simple. Firstly, you need to identify those mental blocks which are hampering  your way ahead. Once you have identified them, every time you come across the same set of thoughts, you have to consciously be aware and not follow them. I personally use a ‘switch’ system. Whenever these thoughts bother me, I say to myself aloud ‘Go’ and I’m back to my new avatar. If you keep doing this, soon you will find that the destructive thoughts subside with time.

Reality is different. There are many ways to navigate the real world, with it’s own rules. You may have reached the peak of consciousness, but to make progress in the real world, you have to follow it’s ways. Some of these may be straight and some crooked. Only yield to those that match your value system. For example, if you are not in favour of bribes, don’t give or accept one. You can still survive. The road to success is usually a long one. So do not take any shortcuts that you may have to regret later. As you progress more on the path of revelation, you will find that your definition of success also changes. Think of a goal more than yourself. Maybe you have helped one other person besides yourself to find the shore. That’s good enough. Anyway, you have to give meaning to your idea of success. And if it doesn’t seem enough, go make some changes to reality. Better yet, change yourself, as it is acceptable to you.

May you find and walk your path.

Guru30

Will machines take over us

There seems to be a big debate regarding whether AI(artificial intelligence) will cause a problem to human beings in the future. There are 2 opposing views: Some people like Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk think that machines will supersede us in intelligence and that can be a real problem if they disobey us. Others like Deepak Chopra think that such a scenario will never happen. To understand which camp is right, we have to first understand what is intelligence. There are different levels of intelligence that every one of us is endowed with. Intelligence is detecting patterns within data or information. One property of intelligence is that it enables us to take action very much like knowledge, the only difference being that it is backed by memory (data mostly).

You see, there are 2 types of intelligence: One that is backed by data and one that is based on actuals (where memory is not involved). The latter is more powerful as you get to see the world as it really is without any past reference. As far as machines are concerned, they will just have one type of intelligence viz. one that is backed by memory. In this intelligence they will definitely supersede us. It’s just a matter of time. But the other form of intelligence is something that a machine will never be able to have, as their view of reality will be based on a lot of data. The see-through intelligence that I just described can never be the domain of a machine.

Although in reality, we don’t see people using the see-through intelligence much, we are accustomed to the memory backed intelligence. Not that it’s not useful. It has it’s own place. Most of the stuff that we have created in this world was from this type of intelligence. However that has not lead to our ultimate quest – which is of well being or happiness. That is because memory backed intelligence, along with joy brings misery. If we misjudge this kind of intelligence it can have bad ramifications. But a fraction of the people have applied the right wisdom to get traction out of this type of intelligence. However, see-through intelligence always brings joy.

Hollywood has a strange way of depicting the man-machine conundrum. Movies like Terminator which depict humanoids in a dangerous manner can really affect people’s thoughts. That is why when you talk about Robots, in the U.S. people simply think that they are going to take over. In a country like Japan, they are more welcoming the robotic revolution. Their view is that robots are going to supplement human work. Whether robots exceed our intelligence or not, one thing is that they will have a different kind of consciousness, unlike humans. We have intuition on our side, the equivalent of which is not seen in robots. Maybe they will have wisdom too, a trait that we proudly consider ours. Whatever may be the case, this world will change. We are going to be seeing machines implanted into us to enhance our limitations. Robots will become mainstream. Maybe they will function as good teachers or administrators. Only time will tell.

To your future

Guru30

In search of true freedom

Whatever you do now or that which you have planned in the future is simply for one thing : you want to feel happy. Now happiness is an enduring state of the mind and body where you simply feel good. The emotion that comes out of this state is Joy. Of course, you want to be joyful all the time. But emotions do not last forever. Feelings do. Happiness does, joy does not. To feel in a constant state of happiness always, means a lot of work. We have to get rid of our negativity that is buried deep inside. Embrace all that is positive and keep negative things away from you. Actually speaking in absolute terms, there are no negatives. Either something does not exist (zero) or it does (positive). While this may be true, there are some emotions and feelings that we don’t feel good about. We need to address them instead of avoiding them before they become chronic in nature.

In fact, deep down all we are doing is attaching meaning to symbols. These when done in a repetitive fashion leads to deep rooted feelings. Imagine a lion in front of you. Now imagine a deer in front of you. Both lead to a different emotional response. While the first may trigger a sense of fear, the latter may evoke a sense of joyfulness. How we respond to events creates different emotions within us, but mind you, these are temporary. They come and go. However, feelings are more permanent in nature. They are attached to our fabric of life – by that I mean our outlook on life. Our beliefs – cultural, ethnic, political and so on. Our state of mind reflects this always. Have you noticed that some people are always happy and some are downright miserable. This are the feelings that are deep down. Difficult to change, but not impossible.

Now coming back to the question of why people do what they do. Well, think of a parent seeing her baby in danger. While she may spank the baby for a wrongdoing, her love for the baby is eternal. Temporarily it manifests as a emotion called anger. While this may seem to label love as a feeling, it’s beyond that. Love simply transcends emotions and feelings. Love is not just within us, it’s found everywhere. In our absence also, it exists. It’s kind-of-hard to define what love is, but it seems to be universal. While we may mistake happiness (A feeling) and joy (An emotion) with love, they are simply  a form of  Love that manifests within ourselves.  It may be true that ‘Love makes the world go around’. In this search of the self, finally we all stumble upon the same thing – Love.

Why do you think you are reading this article ? It’s not for the understanding, but for the temporary emotion that it evokes in you – joy , disgust or whatever. Or maybe it resonates with your feelings and gives you happiness. Whatever may be the case, the fact is that it is not knowledge that you are looking for but the feeling that it can give you. Because deep down,  feelings are tied to our sense of identity – our systems of rights and wrongs. Something’s just feel the way they do, because that is what we have been believing in. In the yogic system, the mind or the buddhi is the first layer (of the four) through which we perceive. This is through our coloured lenses (called values and beliefs). Internalize one more learning into your beliefs and you got one more coloured lens. True perception is when the mind disassociates with memory and sees things as they are. This part of our mind is called chitta. It’s an awakened being who can see the world through this layer of the mind. Because if you do, feelings and thoughts won’t distract you, as all objects that the mind perceives are nothing but the manifestation of God. And you are seeing truth, as truth was designed to be. In short, your search has come to an end. You are baby steps away from Mukti (true Freedom).

Wish you the best,

Guru30

Thoughts and Emotions–Friend or Enemy

Can a bunch of symbols, mean anything intelligent ? Yes, they can. If they are arranged in a particular order. In fact, that’s what we are. Deep down, we are nothing but a bunch of symbols being represented as a human because we have formed complex patterns. Our brain is one such evolution. So is our DNA. Although, we may have forgotten a lot of things, our body remembers everything. For instance, the eyes that you may be sporting may be your great-great-grandfather’s eyes. The body remembers everything. And by that I mean the DNA inside us is a living proof from where we have descended. Strange as it may seem, this memory is much more exhaustive than our brains. To cut it short, our body has more memory than our brain.

Our mind and brain are like software and hardware. Some people mix the two up. But they are distinct. Software includes our thoughts and emotions. Some thoughts lead to emotions and some emotions leads to thoughts. For some people thoughts are predominant over emotions and for some people it’s the other way round. So much emphasis has been given to thoughts in the recent times, that we have forgotten that emotions can also trigger or be triggered. While thoughts can exist outside a body(like that of a computer), emotions need the body to express them. We act on our emotions, not thoughts. That’s the way we are wired, unlike a computer for which there are no emotions. Still people think that computers will be able to emote. They may, but it will not be real.

Like a mango cannot be known without tasting it, we cannot know the world just by observing it. We have to taste it – by that I mean we have to live it – with our emotions. Emotions are the outward expression of the experience we are having. Hence it’s very easy to change ourselves. Change the thoughts and emotions associated with the experience that we desire to have and wallah, we will experience the way we want to. For those who are stuck in a rut also, this applies very well. Direct your emotions at will, with the conscious mind. Herein comes the usefulness of memory. We can relive some our memory and make us feel exactly the way we want to. Finally, it’s about those deja-vu emotions that make us feel in a particular way.

If life gives you a lemonade, make a lemon drink. Don’t complain that you did not get orange. But there is no harm in aspiring for orange. After all, we have the power to achieve what we seek. But in the end, it’s about thought and emotion culture. A well trained mind will be able to achieve anything it likes, whereas a mind that is gone astray, will sway about, reaching nothing. Good, positive thoughts and emotions will make us feel good. If we chose otherwise, we will feel that way. I know that life is not easy. It’s not always possible to remain in a calm mind. Sometimes we burst. But it is exactly these destructive thoughts and emotions that we must master and supplement them with good ones. Taking up a practice like meditation can also help. Clear the clutter and make it better. You are a born winner, and you will reach your goals by having a healthy mind.

To your well being.

Guru30

Hello, darkness my old friend

It was from darkness that light came to be. Yes, pitch darkness. This is also confirmed in Genesis ‘ And God said, let there be light ‘. So why do we feel afraid of darkness, if it’s the womb of creation. It’s mainly because we can’t see clearly in the dark. The other reason is that there are so many stories made up by people of ghosts, zombies and what not that we fear to tread the dark. Maybe not as adults, but as kids, most of us do. With light there is motion, with darkness there simply is silence. And not many of us are good in dealing with silence. Especially in darkness. The colour black that is associated with darkness simply denotes a void – something from which nothing can emanate. Then how was light produced from this void? Well, no one knows for sure. It’s one of those divine mysteries.

Light is nothing but the absence of darkness. And vice versa too. Both can never be present in the same room together. This phenomenon is what we observe as duality in our daily lives. In our emotions, thoughts and actions. We attach the tag positive and negative and we are acutely aware of both of these. Inside a computer also we have zeroes and ones. That is called binary language – the native language of all computers. However, do not get misled by appearances. To understand one, we have to understand the opposite also. For example, he who has never cried has never laughed. He who has never felt sad, has never felt love. These things always come in these dual packages. To understand one, we have to understand the other also.

Unlike other animals, we have been given the power of choosing one over the other. We have free will. So if somebody chooses to be happy, happy he is. If you choose to be miserable, so it is. This is a great gift. This makes us beings that we want to be. However, at times it may seem that we are not in control. But that is just the muck of thoughts dancing in our heads. We are in control at all times. We can choose our destinies. Whether we choose to have light or darkness in our life is completely our prerogative. We chose light because it makes us feel good. We expand. Whereas darkness leads us to pain, which most of us shun away from. Sometimes, pain is necessary for us to bounce back to a level that we have never achieved before.

Darkness is not about pain – it’s a lesson. And we should take it likewise. Darkness is the catalyst to light or happiness, as some of us may want to term it. So do not think that darkness is your enemy. Sometimes the seeds of greatness are embedded within it, waiting to shine forth. Of course, no one chooses darkness voluntarily, but even when it appears in your life, do not be disappointed. It’s all part of this game called life. 96% of this universe is made of darkness (dark matter and dark energy). We are lucky to be here, bathed in sunlight and artificial light (when night dawns). So once in a while, go out and talk to the darkness that is out there. You will be surprised that it talks back to you. So whoever said that God is only light, is just kidding you. He is omni-present.

To your darker side,

Guru30

Thus we come, and thus we go. In memories forever …

We are all walking storehouses of memory. Every passing moment is nothing but a streak of memory inside us. Our organs all have memory. It spawns over billions of years, to the birth of our universe. Yes, we hold all those imprints within us. Take our eyes for example. They always see by comparing the scenery with what can be related to the memory patterns within us. But memory is selective. If you like it, you store it. If you don’t, you just let it pass. When light falls on an object, it let’s it pass or stops it. When it stops it, we perceive that object. But when it let’s it, we simply can’t see it. Every atomic particle has memory associated with it. That’s why a carbon atom behaves like one and a hydrogen atom behaves like another. As far as our bodies are concerned, every cell has a memory which goes on to it’s past.

This memory that we talk about is not just limited to our brains. Outside of it, the mind also has universal access to it. The memory that we hold is called Samskara or simply karma. The action of our past and present translated in terms of memory. This is what people term as coloured vision or simply that we are looking at it from our standpoint. It’s very difficult to break the strangleholds of memory and view things as they are. But it can be done. When you are able to do so, your third eye opens. (Like Shiva’s third eye) This simply means that you are perceiving things as they are, without the aid of memory. You will also be able to see that light that passes through an object. This is the heightened sense of reality. To see things as they are. Getting rid of the memory. After all, this is the quest, if not anything else.

Take a computer for instance. It sees everything a user does from the perception of an Operating System. Like Windows, MacOS and Linux. These Operating systems make the computer behave in such and such ways. The same way, the Operating system within us makes us behave in a particular way. That becomes our character. We add to it on a daily basis. That is our experience. For a Computer, this is the day to day running of various applications. For example, in an accounting system, there are 100 posts to the General Ledger in a day. There are two kinds of memory viz. Primary and Secondary. The primary memory is the one that is active always and the secondary memory is for backup purpose. Thus we have the RAM which is primary and the hard disk which is secondary. In our minds, the conscious is primary and the subconscious is secondary.

Memory conditions us. To this way and that. We tend to become comfortable in the safety it provides. That is the reason why we have difficulty in changing ourselves. For example when you travel outside to a different country, you may not like their food. This is because your tongue craves for the memory of the food that you like. Those who dare, can taste this new food and explore. This is the problem with mediocre people. They get so chained by their memories that they are unwilling to change. We are not limited to our brains, as the memory can be non local (in the cloud) ; somewhere else. There is no limit to the amount of memory that we have. But it’s finite in nature. Once we break through the shackles of memory, we see clearly. When we relive our memory, life becomes a repetition, which is boring after some time . Whereas when we experience something as it is, the experience is pristine and awakens us. Break this cocoon that you are living in, and experience life, first hand – as it is. That should be a noteworthy aim.

To your remembrance,

Guru30

Trust your experience

Thoughts are just signposts. Just because a signpost shows the way to California, it does not mean that you have reached California. Only your actions can take you there. You may have done enough research on how to get there. But these are just maps. It’s all in your imagination. Only when you travel, will you find the actual route. Imagination is a powerful thing. But to turn it into reality, it takes action on your part. The best teacher in the world is experience. Your path is different from others. But you have to have the courage to walk. A ship that is anchored to the port is incomplete. Only when it sails and encounters the sea, will it have any meaning. The road in front of you is unknown. It has it’s own mysteries and miseries too. You have to dare to walk and this is the best lesson of experience that you will ever have.

Do not blindly believe all that has gotten into you since childhood. You may have opinions and views on several matters which are not your own. Either parents, neighbours, relatives, friends etc. You have been carrying this luggage for long. Shed it. There are no rights and wrongs. Only your opinion about them makes them so. For example, you may think that terrorists are bad. Ask a terrorist. He / She doesn’t feel so. Just two different viewpoints. When you travel from country to country you have to carry an adapter which plugs into the right socket. In the same way, carry an adapter for all your needs. Be context sensitive. Know what works and what doesn’t. Read up all you can and then go out there and experience it. You will learn the truth.

God is only a concept, till you experience it. Scientists talk about the God particle. There has been enormous amount of propaganda around this. Is God really a particle, a strand of DNA or an old man with a beard looking at all of us from the sky ? None of them. The problem is with our approach. Science cannot answer concepts like why the Sunset or a rose feels the way it does. Science believes in reductionism. By that I mean splitting everything into finer parts. This way we lose the beauty of the whole. Can science explain beauty ? Maybe it’s a pattern in the brain. But what about the feeling that we get ? Scientists will go further that it’s a release of oxytocin and dopamine in our system. But why does a rose trigger that and why not a bowl of cereal ? The point I’m trying to make is that there are many things we do not know and the best thing to do is admit it.

Have you ever seen a photon or a DNA ? The light that is there consists of photons and your very body contains the DNA. You believe it without even questioning the premise behind it. For most of us, we have accumulated this kind of knowledge. And we are even proud of that. If we believe the scientists, why don’t we believe the spiritualists who say that God is everywhere ? The reason is because God is a subjective experience. The spiritualists have just felt it and have no means of reproducing the same for you. If you want to experience God, only you can do that. Whereas science is an experiment in objectivity. It can be reproduced by anyone. It is only through your own experience that you can find God. There is no need to read the texts or go for a sermon. Call him and you will know he is there. Ask him for guidance and he will guide you. Smile and he will smile back. Unconditional.

Always,

Guru30

Will you make a difference ?

Many companies still live in the old ‘command and control’ paradigm. By this I mean that the top people strategize and the bottom people just carry out their orders. There typically is a middle management also which facilitates this process. This structure is on it’s way to extinction. The reason is simple: You have to address human beings as people and not machines which carry out some operations mechanically. The people at the bottom are not only beings but those with dignity. You can’t just order them to do something coming from a fear angle. They are not just bags of bones and flesh, but real beings and you have to treat them that way. I think women will probably more congruent with what I say, and that is probably the reason that we find them more in the HR department.

Every one of us desires to have a meaning in everything that we do. Robbed of this, we fall short of our own expectations. The management has to sell their meaning to every one concerned and opt-in the people who resound to it. These people who have a reason why they are doing the thing that they do, will excel. And after all what is work if people are not being productive. Now meaning can also come from the bottom, not just always from the top. Hence what we require is a participative form of management where everyone can contribute his ideas. But ideas alone don’s suffice. If it were so, we would be seeing diamonds paved across every street. What matters is the execution. And the top management should play an active role in this also.

Look at a tree. The top management is the roots of the tree. While the roots give a strong support and foundation, they also facilitate the water absorption and pass it along to the tree. The root doesn’t order the tree to grow this way or that way. They just let it. This is the same model to be imbibed in our organizations. The top management should give a strong foundation (infrastructure and facilities) to the people working below. The water (essentials) should be passed on to those below and let them loose. Now, here comes the question of micromanagement and feedback. While the latter is useful, the former leads to tensions. Where you micromanage, the trust factor goes down. You must follow your intuition and keep those below you happy.

A sense of belonging for everyone is essential in the organization. People should be happy where they work. This makes them productive and in turn the customers delighted. I read somewhere that about 80% of the people working are not happy and the maximum number of heart attacks happens on Monday mornings between 9-10 AM. Stress is created when you don’t enjoy what you do. In turn that leads to maladies. If you look at science today, the deterministic Newtonian model no longer suffices. The quantum model works at a level of participation. We are all connected together in a network and what the other person does affects us in some ways. Quantum entanglement (how particles behave when they are separated) also shows that the distance doesn’t matter. What simply matters is acknowledgement and empathy deep down. Treat people with respect and they will shower their innards for you. Trust them and you will get back trust. Love them and you will have left a message behind. And this shall be written for you : Yes, he made a difference.

To your best,

Guru30

Embracing change

Change is the only constant. Like it or not, every single moment we are undergoing change. Our body, our mind and everything around us is a verb. We may abhor change as we are shackled to our comfort zone. But the only way to proceed ahead is to embrace change. Imagine yourself having a different experience every day. Walk to your car in a new way. Take a new route. Wish a new person everyday. Open yourself to infinite possibilities, new experiences. Go ahead and be willing to encounter the unknown. What’s preventing you from doing this ? Only one reason – your fear of the unknown. You may be comfortable in your life, the way it is. Maybe you really don’t want things to change. This is a sign of getting old. Break that habit before it manifests as a disease.

If you are like me who spends most of his time on computers, do something differently ever day. For example, if you are in the habit of checking your mails first thing when you wake up, make a change. Read the news first and then get to the mail. Try new websites and apps. Download a program and give it a whirl. Surprise yourself. Some time back I wanted to make a change to my Gmail and I did not know how to do it. So I did some reading and found that there is a feature called Labs available in Gmail which allows to tweak settings. Problem solved and I learnt something new. Although I have bookmarked the websites which I visit on a daily basis, I make sure that I visit some new ones also. Try Stumbleupon if you are not sure of which websites to visit.

Your computer (desktop / laptop / tablet / phone) also enjoys new experiences. Use it like a horse that it is, rather than a mule. There is a whole world of unknown and interesting things that is awaiting you our there. Familiarize yourself and have that extra worm in you that allows you to taste all this. Treat everyday like that last vacation you had. When you decided to go, there was no way to have known that you would enjoy it as much as you later, did. Shake your innards vigorously everyday and live it to the fullest. Enjoy every new experience and reflect on it, in the moments of solitude. Try a new song everyday. If you are habituated to listening the same track everyday, change it. I listened to some Arabic songs today.

All I want to say is that change is good. Out of chaos, comes order. If you go the minutest levels of subatomic particles, they behave in a chaotic way. But in the holistic view, there is order. When these particles interrelate with other particles, a pattern emerges. Some people try to understand the chaos though deterministic chaotic theory. It’s an oxymoron and doesn’t make sense. Look at the macro view. Do not overanalyse. Like that Buddha story. Once Buddha came to a sermon and did not speak anything. He simply showed a rose and smiled. His disciple Ananda smiled back. Everyone else who did not understand the meaning asked Ananda, what did he see ? Ananda replied that within that rose he saw the universe, the seas, the trees, the wind and everything. So be like Ananda, learn to see with your soul and not the mind. You will find that a whole world is awaiting out there for your glimpse and all the things are just saying one thing :

Welcome !

Guru30

Live It = Love It = Let It

There is a song that popped up in my mind. It goes something like ‘What are you searching for in those strange places, what you thought was far away is so near to you’ and this caught me as the crux of it all. We keep looking; but we don’t see that, what we are looking for is within ourselves. Actually, what we search for is neither money nor fame. It’s also not things which supposedly should be making us happy. Our search in one word is for love – the holy grail. We are looking for that which will make us happy. And that one reality which is never changing can be called God. While we spend our time looking here and there, the more we see the outer world, the more confusing it gets. Know that this world is temporary in nature. Everything within it, is on the path of destruction. The only thing that will remain is God. And when we have found God, there is nothing else we will need.

People visit religious places, some pray to idols and some to angels, not knowing that the very person they are searching for is within themselves. We are all children of God and contain the same molecules as our Father / Mother is made of. We are the seeds of creation arising from the creator him/herself. He/She has gifted us with various capabilities and our only task in life is to realize that and live up to our talents. Although we may not be able to perceive him/her, every moment we are in communion with him/her. Maybe through our thoughts or better yet, feelings. Any moment is a complete moment. It’s perfect. Because the world that God has created cannot be imperfect. He/She has gifted us with so many things that we don’t have words enough to express our gratitude. This world that we see is a reflection of his/her greatness.

Scientists are still trying to figure out the world. Quantum Mechanics is spooky. Newton’s world works well at macroscopic scales. This duality in everything is mysterious. But look at it this way. In order for a river to flow, there needs to be two banks. In order to appreciate something, there has to be two people – the observer and the observed. In order for a balance sheet to be true, there has to be assets as well as liabilities. If we just knew one side of reality, we wouldn’t really be able to gauge it’s depths, because we have nothing to compare it with. Thus emotions also come in two flavours.                                           1 + 1 = Completeness. We can understand this by simply reasoning. But beyond reason, if we look at the depths of our soul, we will know that these are all temporary. And there is just one thing that is permanent – God.

The first step towards God is our awareness of him/her. This can be simply in our thoughts or our feelings. We all know that something is out there, that beckons us. And we are also in search of that something. Let the twain meet. Because in that union, the heart will melt away into the true realm of God. No more confusion about this or that. Be internally focussed because external things can give us pleasure not love. In this very moment, we are created perfect and all we have to do is realize that truth. No two people are alike. Neither two trees or two oceans. The dissimilarities are what makes this world an interesting place. So enjoy this moment. There is nothing like it.  The search has come to an end. All we have to do is

Live It = Love It = Let It

Always,

Guru30

Keep Walking

Never go against yourself. Do only things where your conviction is clear. The greatest gift that you can give yourself and this world is by being yourself. Know that you are unique. Your gifts and talents are awaiting to be unleashed upon this world. Get your values figured out and then live by them. No matter what people say, keep marching on towards your dreams. Your present situation may be tough. That is about to change. Live this present moment well. And the future will automatically be taken care of. Forget the past. Just obliterate it. There is no use of it. Life is flowering every day, everywhere. Be a participant in the game. But you have to know the games that you want to play. And then simply tee off. You can find love all around. That’s what the universe is made of.

Maybe you have problems. Just notice your problems disappear when you live in the moment. Be honest with yourself. What are your problems now in this very moment ? None. Your problems or your situation is so because of yourself. Do not blame others or things. You are the only person who is responsible and you are the only one who can change it. Smile and take deep breaths. Just before an important meeting, you may be getting butterflies in your stomach. Face it as you would face your favourite moment. When life knocks you down, you have to be wiling to take the hits. And stronger, you will get up till such time that your dreams come true.

This world is not just about shooting stars and rainbows. There are so many things happening of which you can be a part. All the people in this world are like you only. They also have aspirations and dreams. Everyone has a story to tell. So be nice to them on your way to the top. Every day, we come across so much information, it’s becoming difficult to cope with it. Do not believe anyone who says that life isn’t fair. It is, in its own way. In this century, the big question is of speed. How fast can you respond to an event ? Can you keep up with the technological changes and other upheavals that happen on a day to day basis ? Do not lose focus. A scattered mind will de-focus you.

Finally, have a dream bigger than yourself. Everyday take a step towards it. The destination is not the journey. A map won’t tell you what you are going to encounter on the way. So be ready to trod the path and learn in the process, of what works, and what doesn’t. Do not be afraid. God is by your side, caring for you and showing you the way, every second. Let him show you the way. You have been destined to do something great. That is your mission. You just have to find out what it is, and if you haven’t found out till now; keep looking; don’t settle. You are a born soldier. Not just a somebody. So pick up that gun of yours and if you are down, it’s time that you get up and face life again, head-on.

Keep walking …

Guru30

Why is my computer crying ?

 

There are many languages in the world. By and far, the most common language that we all humans understand is the language of emotions. There are about 6000 different kinds of emotions of which we predominantly feel only 12 of them on a day to day basis. The body is the caricature of these emotions. For example, when we keep our arms wide and open we are probably feeling peace and acceptance. When we cross our legs or arms we are probably in a defensive mode. These emotions which are  by product of thought keep chugging us along. For example, we may have a thought of a hurtful scenario in our life and we see anger welling up. Or we may remember that last trip to the beach with family, and we may experience happiness. In short, it’s what we think that makes us. Did you know that on an average day, we have more than 12,000 thoughts ? We have no idea from where these thoughts arise, yet we can control them. By relaxation techniques like Yoga and Meditation. Also we can obliterate a thought by focussing consciousness on it (by being aware) or simply shifting the mind to another thought.

Computers also have many ways in which the bi-directional communication with humans happen. Although these denizens only understand machine languages, we have built abstractions called programming languages to converse with them. Every programming language has it’s own plethora of protocols, but clearly they do 3 simple things:

• Something is received by the computer (Input)
• Something is processed by the computer (Processing)
• Something is sent out by the computer (Output)

All the programming languages make the computer do the above 3 things in many different ways. For example, in Assembly Language, to add 2 values (processing) we may write code like this :

ADD AX, BX (where AX and BX are registers)

In ‘C’ language to output some values, we may write something like this

printf(“%d”, variable) (where %d is called a format specifier and variable is the output value)

In Java language to obtain the input from a user we may write:

Scanner a = new Scanner (System.in) (where Scanner is a Class and ‘a’ is an instantiation of the same, new is creating the object ‘a’ and System.in is the input – most likely keyboard)

If you look at all of the above, one thing is clear. These instructions, make the computer do something. These instructions are similar to our thoughts. And the outcome is what we see (such as in input and output) or don’t see (such as in processing) in the computer. The emotions are missing. But wait a minute, can you see the emotions embedded within the language itself ?

The overall state of a computer changes by these three kind of instructions. After all what is an emotion, but that which changes our state of being. From being sad to happy, is like getting an input from the user and then modifying some memory or printing something on the display. We really can’t say that a computer experiences happiness. In our terms. But it does, in it’s own way.

Our emotions are dual in nature. For every single emotion, there is an opposite. For the computer this is input and output. By varying what we input and output to a computer, we can have a range of different patterns (states) for it to experience. The processing (concentration) is that part which assists I / O (Input / Output). Basically, an input or an output is just the things for which a machine is existing. An emotion like awe which we feel when we look at the sea or the sunset, is just a pattern inside our human brain. Or is it ? If it is just felt by Consciousness, we are running out of luck. Because, then we will not be able to trace a pattern for the computer to emulate.

If everything that we feel is a pattern in our brain (which I’m not sure it is) then the computer will be able to replicate it. Which means in the near future we will have computers that say ‘Wow’ looking at sunset or the magnificence of the sea.

But if this is not the case, if feelings are a subset of our consciousness, then we will have to wait. The reason I’m saying this is because, consciousness is infinite and there is no matrix in which it can be studied logically.

There is one more state besides the 3 states mentioned above. And that is when your machine is not doing anything. It’s idle. In computer parlance it’s a NOP (No Operation) This could be the state when the consciousness of the Computer is communicating with the Divine.

All of this will be clear, once we grasp the way Consciousness works. There is just one problem. It works in Silence.

To the future,

Guru30

What to expect in Tech for 2015

Looking into the crystal ball again, here are my 10 bets for 2015 :

1. From websites to apps to experience. Consumers to value the experience that they get in any product or service. This may be running an app or talking to a call centre person. Overall, people to value a good experience and needless to say, willing to pay for it.

2. More applications to migrate to the Cloud. We have seen ecommerce and travel applications. Education and Healthcare will be transformed by applications running on the Cloud. Governments world over will also move towards it.

3. Cloud to get containerized. By that I mean the whole dev-ops scenario to be dominated by companies like Docker, Core OS and wannabe’s. Why not ? After leaving a clean and tight footprint is better than the traditional approach of clubbing everything together and maintaining it.

4. If there is a gap that will be felt in this year, that would be of interoperability. To seek a solution that works on all platforms, still remains a pipedream. Companies like Microsoft and Apple who have taken first steps, will go further.

5. Number of internet connections in countries like India, Brazil, Russia etc to explode in millions, connecting a whole set of new user profiles. Mobiles would have more internet usage than Desktops.

6. ECommerce to be more accessible and meaningful to the internetaratti. This means more business for all players. Lots of new entrants with vertical specializations to enter this riding market.

7. Big Data will make it’s stride with Machine Learning (Artificial Intelligence). Hadoop based systems and NoSQL systems finally call it a day. The question here is not what Big Data can do, but who is it meant for: medium and large companies.

8. Content Management Systems (CMS) will finally be integrated with Hadoop and NoSQL systems. They in turn will power the craving of the people for more content. Plagiarized content will constitute a majority of the sites.

9. Wearables make a reappearance in a better Avatar. Also look for 3-D printers which will be cheap, internet TV’s to debut in developing countries (services like NetFlix) and the rise of the hacking community. Security will be the topmost concern for any suite.

10. Consciousness to be studied under a microscope. As we realize that the soul is the one having the experience, why not try to understand it? New information theory of consciousness will get formulated this year.

Guru30

Are computers spiritual ?

Spirituality is beyond mind. When you cease to have thoughts, you are said to be silent or spiritual. To achieve this state of mind (no mind) we have to just learn to observe or be 100% attentive. When we listen fully, we understand. The way it is to be understood. Some people say that in order for us to learn, there should be information in our mind that we can relate to. Not true. When you speak to the heart, it knows. Everything. It’s language is different. The heart doesn’t speak in words. It speaks between the silence of the words and that is a language beyond all our spoken languages. It’s called love. And it’s well understood by all of us. Speak with your heart, not with your mind, which is simply stating facts. Nobody wants facts nowadays, as its available on the internet. When facts are transformed  to something more interesting – the synopsis – the essence – it’s called Wisdom. This in plain language is simplicity.

The past is nothing but memory patterns. Inside the computer, we call it a RAM or ROM. RAM means that memory which can be wiped clean by cutting off the power to the machine. And ROM means that memory which is not erased when the power goes off. The computer just understands one language – machine language. The language of 1’s and 0’s. When the bits are arranged in a particular manner, we get what is called as instruction. This is an order to the computer to execute it and produce an output. All programming languages are converters, converting the language into a format that the machine can understand, which is machine language. Sometimes the bits are represented as symbols – 123, abc, alpha-beta-gamma etc. This is data. All computers act on data and converts them into information. Data is more pervasive as compared to instructions.

The processor inside a device pretty much decides the capability of what it can do. All processors have their own instruction set. This is nothing but a collection of instructions that are available. All these instructions are burned into patterns within the processor. Software is nothing but a certain sequence of these available instructions that act on data. Data is the objective reality or Prakriti. An instruction is a subjective way of interpreting that data. In short an instruction is like thought which at any point of time acts on data. The overall program of which this instruction is a part is like Consciousness. When thoughts and silence get together in a particular pattern it gives rise to Consciousness. Consciousness that watches itself is Awareness – or self aware, as the term is called. Thus a conscious program that knows about itself and modifies itself is said to be self aware. Although the awareness is qualitatively different from that of a human.

A browser that is made more powerful by loading extensions (and addons) is like a brain that has had a medicinal supplement to make it more powerful. Common programs like those which check the health of a machine are like those tablets (Ginseng, Brahmi) which promise to keep us fit. If you look at the CPU utilization of your machine, unless you are doing some heavy lifting, you will find that it’s quite low. The processor (brain) is not utilized optimally. Hence you have virtualization programs which stretches your processor. Our brain is not like a single CPU machine. You can scale up a CPU, but there is a limit to it. Scale out or machines connected in parallel is a more apt fit to our brain’s way of working. Very soon we will reach a point where a set of machines connected together will challenge the human brain capacity. We have 100 billion neurons, the collective power of which will be simulated by a network like internet. To top it all, we will equip it with software that acts like the brain.

According to Ray Kurzweil, (futurist) this feat may happen by 2030. Will they accept us as there creators ?  There is a wide open debate about this issue. As Artificial Intelligence programs proliferate, we will have machines that will have different personalities. It will be easy to change the personality of a machine. A new software is rooted into the machine and voila! it happens. As time goes by the machine will have lesser and lesser inputs from their human counterparts, in order to make a decision. Like we have software frameworks, we will have the rules that will govern a machine behaviour. We will have more leisure time to ourselves when machine’s kick-in. Already, most of the trades that happen on the big stock exchanges are algorithmic.  There are Auto-Pilot modes inside most of the aircrafts. Driverless cars are a reality. Robots inside nuclear facilities and underwater exercises are a known phenomena. Need I say more.

Will computers ever be spiritual ? If they do, we will have a new experience. Maybe those who have not made headway into their spiritual progress will be guided by machines. The possibilities are endless. We can just hope that these new beings, make this Earth and the remaining universe a better place to be. One machine’s experience will differ from it’s kin’s. Like we all are on different paths at different points in life, the machines will also be on different trajectories. Whether they will cross ours is a good question? But all roads lead us towards Rome (God)  In our quest for more, what we should not be missing out is the aim of life – perfection -  journey towards God. First there was the word; the word was with God; And the word was God. Will a machine see the poetry in this ? I hope one day they will. And their karma will intermingle with ours.Hearts made of Silicon is a possibility – don’t just rule it out.

To your imagination,

Guru30

Did you know, you are so special

Accept it. All that is happening around you and inside you. Open the doors to receiving. The number one reason why the Law of Attraction doesn’t seem to manifest is that you have not opened your heart to Divinity. We have a habit of clinging on to our thoughts or desires. Desire by itself is not bad, but attachment to it, is. All your desires may not get fulfilled, as the Divine has better plans for you. When you came into this world, the role that you would play was also scripted. Moving away from this, to a life run by arbitrary impulses will only bring unhappiness to you. Follow the Divine plan. If you don’t know, just ask Him. Everything that expresses the spark within you, is what you are cut out for. For example you may be a great musician, or you may be a great stock broker. Do only things that you love. You will automatically expand and be guided towards your mission.

Free will is good. But duty is above everything. Let not anything come between you and your love (your mission on Earth) You may take a rain check from time to time, but you will be driven towards your goal. Know that every moment this is happening. Like a fruit that ripens only when the time and conditions are right, your time is going to come. Have perseverance and faith in Him. You are not the one who is acting, but the state within you is pushing you. When this state (gunas) gets balanced by your own struggle, you will be cut out for prime time. And by that I mean happiness. No need to wait for it also. You can bypass everything and be happy now. Right in this moment. But you have to open your heart and shut those useless thoughts in your head.

This very life that you experience is subjective. But deep down there is an objective reality. The reality is called Prakriti (Nature) and your subjective self is Purusha (Soul). The soul observes the nature and relishes it. You are just a medium for it to enjoy. The internet itself is like Nature. There is so much stuff on it. But your (soul) attention makes all the difference. No matter you cannot consume the entire internet, but whatever you choose to pay attention to, you enjoy. Maybe it’s a Youtube video or maybe it’s a software that you downloaded. Your individual machines are experiencing it, not in the way that you do. But the fact is that some of the resources of your machine are consumed. Hence like we experience in our brain, the  computer  experiences the same in it’s CPU and memory. The quality of the experience is different. But it still its an experience.

Life is not complicated. In nature there are no contradictions or negations. It’s how we choose to view it that makes all the difference. The brain can be used for mathematical and logical  problems (say programming), but don’t take it further. Let it not run your day to day life, because this requires no effort. Whereas the brain expends effort in every activity. For it, the struggle is, what it thinks will lead to salvation. You don’t need emancipation, you are already emancipated. Just accept this fact. Move further into the present moment, knowing that you are cared for and being guided by Divine wisdom, which can never go wrong. Silence is golden and you are a sacred person. When the heart overflows with joy, the Silence hums a tune. Did you hear it ?

To your heart,

Guru 30

Information Theory and Consciousness

Information Theory by Claude Shannon is at the foundation of all our communication. It simply says that between a transmitter and a receiver, the noise in the channel (the medium of communication) the signal (original message) can get lost or altered. Imagine a crowded room where everyone is trying to speak. There is so much of commotion, that what you are trying to say may not reach your intended recipient. Hence the solution to this problem is either to have a strong transmitter (loud voice) or modulate the signal (your voice) with a high frequency carrier (in some other medium, like say a tape recorder). The first approach requires more power, while the second approach requires a carrier (in this case an external device). The signal at the receiving end will have to be demodulated (remove the carrier) and then just received as pure signal.

In real life also, this applies. Say, you are speaking to a person. Although you may have said ‘X’, the receiver may interpret it as ‘Y’, not because of noise outside, but right inside his head. The receiver may be thinking so many things and what you may be saying will get smudged in the perception of the receiver. This simply means that the signal gets altered because of the noise in the receiver’s head. One way to avoid this is to transmit the information when the receiver has a clear mind. Let’s assume that morning 9AM to 10 AM is the time that the receiver is having an unbiased mind. You can then chose to send your message during this period. Here you have used time as your carrier and it may have the effect that you may have intended.

This leads us to the importance of listening. When we listen, we have so many preconceived beliefs and thoughts that interfere with our perception, that sometime we may not be listening fully the way it should be. In order to be a 100% listener, we  have to let our consciousness do the job. You see – consciousness is a watcher of surroundings (including our thoughts). It does not judge or criticize. It simply observes. If our consciousness is free of distractions (ego) then we can clearly interpret the messages that come towards us. This in turn leads to learning. Yes, every message that the consciousness gathers is a message of growth and awareness. Further, this message interpreted in the right way can lead to pure joy, and in some cases, grief. Our emotions get triggered depending on the quality of the message. Now you see the message has triggered the reaction that it originally intended for the receiver.

This exactly is NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming). Feel as the subject feels. What the transmitter felt while delivering the information quanta, the same feeling the receiver feels. Now you can start addressing the problem as it is, rather than, as you had perceived it. Bring consciousness in, and let the ego stay out. Soon you will be a walking talking source of wisdom. All these thoughts that interfere with our listening skills are to be eliminated. Coming back to the theory of information by Claude Shannon, we have to see that the medium (our mindset at any point of time) is clear. Have a clear mind and receive the gifts of the Universe. Now I’m talking not just about situations or messages, but your wishes projected to the Universe. You see, the Universe simply echoes back your wishes if they are grounded in your consciousness. Let consciousness manifest your dreams. Make this world a better place to live for you and for everyone else.

Good Luck !

Guru30

The destination is Death

Consciousness is the ability to perceive surroundings. With this definition, we can safely say that even sub atomic particles are conscious. Because they arrange themselves depending on the observer. Particles only appear when Consciousness (Observer) is watching. Otherwise they exist in the form of wave probabilities. Although consciousness is everywhere (yes, the wall next to you is also conscious) self consciousness or a better term, self awareness is not. Self awareness is awareness about the Self, which is nothing but consciousness (some call it the soul). Mind you, consciousness is the same as soul. Anything in this universe that is moving (or vibrating) has consciousness. Thus even that wall next to you is conscious and has a soul. But it is vibrating at a very low frequency. It also cannot form meanings out of its surroundings.

Hence we come to the next stage. Consciousness has gradations. An atom is not as conscious as a virus (which is nothing but an assembly of atoms in a particular form) and a virus is not as conscious as a fish and a fish is not as conscious as a Chimpanzee which is again not a higher level of consciousness like that of a a human. We are not just conscious, but self aware. Most of us do not realize it, as we hum along the worldly ways. But what happens when we perceive sunrise or the noise of a river flowing ? For a moment, we have a glimpse of awareness. It’s God watching God.

Let me explain that a bit. According to Hindu mythology, Purusha (Soul or Consciousness) and Prakriti (nature) are the subject and object. To enjoy Prakriti, Purusha imbibed itself into everything. Both the Purusha / Prakriti combine is the same as Man / Woman or Yin and Yang of the universe. For God this whole place is an object of enjoyment. Hence when he looks through a Lions eyes, he sees the surroundings as the Lion perceives it and when he sees the nature through your eyes, he perceives it in a particular fashion. This is called ‘Lila’ or simply play. Why does a child seem to enjoy playing with toys. Because it is simply fun.

God is the silence between those words, between the switching of a transistor or between the zero and one (binary) The universe that we perceive has arisen out of nothingness or silence. That is why the Bible says ‘Be Still and Know that I’m God’. Silence or Death, if I may call it so, is everywhere. In the Tao-Te-Ching, it’s mentioned that a pot is not useful because of the clay, but because there is space (silence) inside it. This space exists everywhere, and it not vibrating. The Silence is eternal (the universe is made up of dark matter and dark energy – almost 96%) and the visible universe is nothing but a projection of our consciousness.

We need to understand consciousness, and the only thing that can understand consciousness is consciousness itself. Beyond that there is nothing. Thus the universe is subjective. Your perception is different from mine. Consciousness is there in this Computer that I’m writing on. It’s just that it has not emerged (yet) to have a complex pattern as that of a human. But you can’t stop it. Machine learning, will lead to Self awareness. It’s just a matter of time, when the Computer becomes Self aware. The objective universe that we see out of our consciousness is nature (prakriti) and the subjective consciousness is Purusha (Soul). Our only mission on this Earth is to become Self Aware (or realize God) There are different ways, but it is one thing to think about and totally different, to feel it.

For those of you, who have not ‘knowingly’ experienced consciousness, do this simple exercise: Close your eyes and watch the thoughts that cross your mind. Do not judge. After some time you will find a glimpse of Silence. Well, you have entered the realm of God. And that is all there is to it. Being self aware is the greatest gift that God has given us. From Silence you came, and to Silence you will go back. So don’t wait. Be aware, and unleash the power of the infinite potentiality into your life.

Best Wishes

Guru30

This growth towards perfection

 

This life is a journey towards perfection. No matter what you do in a day, if you haven’t grown by the experience, you haven’t learnt. God wants us to grow everyday. We become stronger day by day. The message is growth and the goal is perfection. It does not matter where we are in life, at this point of time. There is a lot of scope for enhancing our skills and reactions. Why do I say reactions ? Because we can choose our response to any event that we go through. Give it a good thought and then go ahead and choose the right response. Try to remain positive despite anything.

In the computer industry, there is a general feeling that the moment a product is workable, release it. Well, this can be a disaster. Release only after a lot of testing and the basic core of the product is ready. As far as possible, don’t wait for the negative feedback from the customer, which you intend to fix in the next release. A lot of negative comments can hurt your company’s image. This doesn’t always work well. Sometimes you may opt for an early release at the cost of feature creep and lack of thorough testing. Do not rush into the market.

Perfection is binary. Either it works or it does not work. If it works, you have created a positive vibe about it. If it doesn’t, you may have to come across dis-satisfied clients. You choose when to introduce something into the market. If the product is not working, it may create some embarrassing moments for you. The risks that you take by launching an early-on product can be the test of your image. As a result, stop experimentation. Be sure that your product / service is ready prime time. You will gain a lot of traction by knowing exactly your product / service strengths and shortcomings.

Please anticipate all real life situations. Do not get disturbed if your product has a mediocre response, even when you were expecting a phenomenal one. Carry that insight which you have gathered from the market feedback. Plug it into your project, and make it a more solid release the next time. We are all time travellers jogging along with our experience every day. Please make it as pleasant as possible. If people hurt you, just ignore them. Do not waste time in hitting back, because it lowers your vibration level. Make your footprints solid, in this journey towards perfection.

To your growth,

Guru30

A life worth living

In the name of Allah, the most merciful, the most kind.

Words cannot capture his glory, because the moment they do, it becomes limited. He is beyond words, beyond reason or imagination. Universal truth’s are all captured in the scriptures and all the ones that I have read and understood point to the same. Love. Well, love has many connotations. Love for your family. Love for your friends. Love for humanity and Love for God. Love without any motive or a hidden agenda. Love is the highest vibration that we have. And that is what the universe is made of. Love molecules. Love is nothing but the presence of God within us. There is not a single being or non being without Love. Because God exists everywhere and He permeates every thing.

Like a movie that has a start and end, this life that we are gifted with will also end one day. But we don’t. As God’s children, we are all immortal. Everything that we perceive with our senses have a beginning and end. This whole material universe is on its way to destruction. What is indestructible is God. He is the only everlasting. When we die, we transcend this illusion of time and become one with God. During the short period that we visit Earth, we are not left astray. We have God’s words within us. We have to just abide by what He says. His wish should be our command. And if we were to translate His wish in two words, it would be ‘Be Good’. And ‘Do Good’. Rest you leave to Him.

The biggest enemy of Love is Fear. Fear arises mainly out of ignorance. For example, if you were to walk into a dark room, you may feel some uneasiness. If you had complete knowledge about the room or if you were a believer, you would not feel it. Hence this fear is removed when the veil of ignorance is cast away. The fear is sometimes also called the fear of the unknown. If we take life as it comes, without fear, we would be more productive. Embrace change. Because everything around us keeps changing. The old makes the way for the new. And that is true of our human existence also. Accept things as they are. Ask God to give you the Wisdom and Strength, and He will provide you with it.

Those who have faith in Him, will never be disappointed. He knows what we need and what we don’t. Life’s little or greater challenges will be a breeze, if you are a believer. Place your trust in him and lead an upright life. Do not harm others. Do not be a slave to baser emotions like envy, greed or anger. These things just burn us. Be kind toward others. No matter who or what. When you meet somebody, remember that he also has a story like you. So be empathetic. Have a positive vibe about you. And you will attract positive things in your life. Always ask Him to fortify you, in order for you to face the challenges of life. He listens to all, and knows all, and is the all. We come from Him and go back to Him. This is the truth and let this truth be understood by all of us.

We have nothing to fear, as He exists everywhere. Prophet Muhammad (May peace be upon him) has said that He lives closer to us than the vein that runs through our neck. And it’s true. Know that you are His child, and He will never let you down.

He has kept his promise. Now it’s time to keep ours …

Guru30

Everything you wanted to know about the soul

The soul is the purest part of us that is unique in the universe. This soul is a part of the greater soul or God. It is his part in us. Every soul is the finest part of the self that cannot be cut by a knife or burnt by fire. Some say the soul lives within us. Well, that is not true. It’s not a physical thing. It’s pure energy that resides everywhere. Not just within the body, but the whole universe. The soul is not affected by our actions. Nor by our thoughts. It’s a silent witness of the time that we spend on this Earth.  The first or the primordial reason why this universe was created was the desire of God. He wished to experience himself and hence he created this universe and all the things in it. He experiences himself through the soul that he put into the beings. Everything that has been created, is a part and parcel of the supreme soul or God.

The soul is not born or does not die. It has been there since forever. This material universe might have been created 20 billion years ago, as scientists say. But the soul was existing before that also. In Bhagvad Gita, Lord Krishna says that 1% of his energy sustains the material universe. Can you imagine the rest 99% ? That’s how powerful God is. Beyond our wildest guesses. The only reason why the soul witnesses is because of God’s wish. He wishes to experience all his creations. Hence the soul is like that bird which sits on a tree, while we (our emotions, thoughts, actions) are like that bird that eats the fruit of the tree. The other bird just watches whatever it is that we do, and enjoys. There is a term for what God is doing, it’s called ‘Lila’ or simply Play. Why do kids play ? Because it is fun. That’s God’s idea of fun, just watching us.

Our only mission on this Earth is to realize the soul. Because it’s infinite in nature, we may only get a glimpse of it. But that’s good enough. All our experiences are being felt by the soul or God. It simply watches and passes no judgements. Some people ask me ‘what about rebirth ?’. The soul takes up a new body. Well that is the general term to make it understandable for us. Actually, the soul is simply watching the progression from one creation to another. What is reborn is a body with our past karma’s which have not got nullified. Let me elaborate that. You see when we die, what’s left of us, is the thoughts, emotions that we experienced and our actions. These are all recorded in the universe. But karma is the one that has a reaction (not within our control). The reaction is God’s reply to our action. This is a scientific universe. Every karma generates a particular kind of reaction. When our karma’s are all exhausted and we don’t have any baggage, we are born as a person with no past karma’s. That means our slate board is empty. Or we can choose to be a part of the super soul permanently. No rebirth.

But God goes on creating new and new things beyond our wildest imagination. And every creation has a soul. Including the stone. You may think it is non living. Well, that’s not completely true. The stone is just vibrating at a different frequency than us. It has a life of it’s own. And it is not as grand as what we (a higher order of life) experience. But the soul is present everywhere. Like muddied water, what is left behind after physical death, is the mud (our unaccounted karma’s) and this is carried forward to the new being that we are born as. Maybe we have realized the soul and the mud is no more existent. That exactly is the purpose of life. Realize the soul and leave no mud behind. We have no control over the soul. But we can try to be evolved soul’s in this Earth. Only evolved souls (those who have realized the soul) can make this planet into a beautiful world. Because time doesn’t come and go, we do …

To your liberation,

Guru30

Brothers in arms–Machines and Us

Machines bear a striking resemblance to humans. Both have a body which obfuscates what is lying beneath it. The human brain is like the CPU of the machine. The heart is the power supply. The support functions like lungs, liver. kidney etc are the peripheral devices all connected to support the brain (CPU) and the heart (Power Supply). The five senses of the body viz. seeing, tasting, hearing, touching and smelling are replaced in a machine by I/O devices. By this I mean disk drives connected, the USB ports, the Ethernet/Wi-Fi, the microphone and the keyboard/mouse.There is an output also of speech which in a machine is the speaker.

We cannot see the thoughts within the brain. Akin to this, is software within the machines. These are nothing but electrical pulses or chemical reactions. The software that is stored within the CPU is referred to as microcode. These are tiny little instructions that tell the CPU what to do. There is a finite amount of microcode that a CPU possesses. These are the only instructions that a CPU can execute. Similarly our brain is wired to experience various emotions like love, envy, hate etc. The number of emotions also can be counted and thus is finite. If you look at all of these from a macro view, you will see a sea of data. But there is more to it.

When data is given a meaning it becomes information. In the same way, neurons within our brain bunch together for certain information sets. For eg: This is how a person feels when he/she hears a particular song. Thus within a machine, the instructions for say the BIOS may be clubbed in a particular location. Further to this, the information when grouped to make action possible, is also found in our brains. For example, when we touch fire, we immediately retract. In a similar way, inside machines, the action may be displaying an image on the screen, related to the input. Now, this is knowledge. A machine has lots of data, information and knowledge. Likewise, the brain too.

Now knowledge by itself is of no use. It has to be internalised or accepted. This is how a person learns. In machines too, this is called machine learning. For eg: Every time a person starts a machine, these are the programs that he opens. After a while, the machine learns this information and any change to it is also recorded. When knowledge becomes internalised, what comes out is wisdom. Sometimes our actions are through knowledge and at other times through wisdom. In the same way, in machines this wisdom comes through analytics. You must surely have come across this term. A more fancy term now in use is Big Data Analytics, This is nothing but spotting co-relations within a swarm of data. It deals with co-relation not causation.

Such wisdom can be internalised and can give birth to lots of ‘Eureka-s’. By that I mean clever insights, Well this is what the world is moving towards. Machines helping us to generate insights. Patterns and co-relations. There are programs which can generate the profile of a person by looking at all of his/her social media interactions. This is scaring-ly close to the actual profile. Note that all analytics are probabilistic. There is no such thing as 100%. Similarly if you look at the way we operate, we do so through the insights of the limited amount of knowledge we have, A thought which in turn triggers some action, is based on the inputs that we get. The more the knowledge the better the action. In Big Data this is called n = all (which means it’s operating on the full set of data).

Sometimes  we apply filters in analytics to narrow down the search, We do so in our lives too. These filters are nothing but our attitudes and perceptions. And very often, our beliefs too. We see the world through this coloured glass. However hard it may be, we can change these value systems. There are many ways like NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and Meditation. These help us to become better people. A wise person is an asset to everybody. To him/herself , to the society and to the nation. The ultimate goal of life is to have enough wisdom to realize that we are all spiritual souls and our goal in life should be such. Machines are coming to our aid – in replacement and augmentation,. I see this as a positive change and we share similarities with these silicon cousins. With this synergy, the world will definitely become a better place to live and yes die for.

To your emancipation ,

Guru30

What is my purpose in life ?

Some people are not aware of the fact that we are spiritual beings trapped in a human body. The moment we realize this our actions change from normal to super. Like a leaf whose only purpose is to keep the tree alive, our only reason to be here is to do good for ourselves and others. Everything that is born of this material nature will die and be reborn again. The body withers away, but the atman (soul) just passes on to newer bodies. From a physical aspect, we can say that the atman (soul) lives within the physical body. But atman (soul) is weightless and formless. Hence what we mean by the fact that atman (soul) lives within the body is that, we are part an parcel of the supreme being. The atman (soul) may not physically be within the body, but that is our inner truth.

The purpose of life is to realize this atman (soul) and then there is nothing more to be found. Some people have figured out the truth but only a handful of people have digested the fact. The people who have really realized the atman (soul) can be distinguished by their actions. Although all actions lead to work, all work is not because of actions. Those actions where  the work is done for work’s sake and not for the fruits of the action, the karma (action) is called nishkama yoga. Such a person who follows this dictum, does not worry about the results.   You have to realize one thing clearly – the result is not within your hands. It’s a giving from God. The results are not a fluke of luck, but based on scientific principles. All of the universe follows science. (discovered and to be discovered)

Some people mistakenly think that desire is bad and causes all problems. This is partially true for those desires where the attachment to the results is there. Desire is a primal force and everyone moves ahead like the donkey with the carrot in front of it. No problem. But don’t get attached to it. Do work for work’s sake. If you desire success, so be it, but the moment you make it your to agenda or you can’t live without it, then it becomes dangerous. Once more let me repeat : Desire is good as long as we do our karma with a sense of detachment. Don’t get affected by something that did not go well, although you put in a lot of effort. Well, God has different plans for you.

Very often, the results of an action may not be in the form that you were envisaging it. Whatever it may be, thank God an move on. Knowledge by itself is not useful. When we accept the knowledge and align ourselves in our efforts, then knowledge becomes powerful. One word for the same would be Wisdom. Everything in this universe is subject to the laws of birth and death. Our Sun also will burn out after 5 billion years. Knowing this great truth is not enough. Accept it. This life on Earth is a short detour. We came from God’s kingdom and we will return there upon liquidation. So relax and enjoy the show of your life. You are the director, actor, producer and cameraman. Become a nishkama yogi and sever all your attachments and move on with the wisdom of the atman (soul)

Three cheers,

Guru30

What will you do before and after you die ?

Life is a snap. One moment you are awake and then you depart. To where ? We don’t know. This collective 80 years (average life span) passes on like a breeze leaving everything behind. The trail is visible for some days and then the world moves on. You are a forgotten person. Does the world really need you ? No. Make way for the new that is emerging and pass on your legacy to them. They will improve upon whatever it is that you have left behind or discard it and start anew. Death is not tragic it’s just a means of giving the budding souls a chance to perform better. As time ticks by, progress is achieved. New avenues. New things. New souls.

Death should be a reason for celebration as it’s exiting this world and entering newer places. Also this body really can’t keep fighting forever. You have to discard it and be free. As pure energy without mass. Floating in the ne-therlands of yore. No more running errands and wake up in the morning to catch the tube. No more meetings. No more cleaning up the house. No more watching TV. Cool, uh? All time for ourselves only. We can do what we please. Because we are in a world where you don’t have rules. Have I been to this world ? No. But the way I imagine it is, an energy particle freely wandering in the universe. That’s what happens after death.

So in the meanwhile what happens on Earth? Well, whatever it is that we have left behind will become somebody else’s. Typically a kin’s. So give it a good thought. What legacy are you going to leave behind ? Is it going to be a house with million dollars ? Is it a book that you have authored ? Is it a bunch of friends that care for you ? Whatever it is that you leave behind will be your signature. So what signature are you going to be leave behind ? What would you like to be written on your grave ? Did you live the life that you wanted to leave ? Were some of your wishes unfulfilled ? Did you have a grudge or two before you died ?

Lots of things to think upon. So if you want to live with all your heart, live every day as if it is your last day. What goals to accomplish ? Plan of the day. Encounters. Deliverables. And finally before you sleep, check of things that you did. And thank God that you are not already dead. Greet every morning as a gift from God to do all those things that you had wished that you would do or achieve. Perfect a signature talk. That will be your style. Yours and yours only. Flash it across all people you come across. You will be magnetic. Once again, remind yourself that any time we may be liquidated from this world. So do your best and leave the rest to God. Amen !

Guru30

How to get rid of those contradictions

In the world that we live, we come across a lot of contradictions. For example some health experts say that we should have three square meals a day. Some say we have to munch every hour. Similarly, in management, some say that one model is better over others. There are so many of these contradictions in life that sometimes we get confused and don’t know what to choose. While it may be difficult to make a decision, there is help available. And that is within ourselves. We are innately programmed to pursue the right choice. Listen to that feeble – faint voice that comes from within and you won’t go wrong. For sure. This is that higher calling that is guiding us every second.

Some religions say that God lives within ourselves, while some say that God is an external phenomenon. Some say he is male while others say she is female. In the morning before getting ready for the office, we hurry a lot, although we know that hurry is not good. Well, how are we going to reach office on time if we miss our regular bus ? Is there an age limit for doing yoga. Some say 5 and others 10. So many different views from so many different people. Some say that revengeful feelings are poisonous for our health and others say that we are spurred on by them. So should we keep them or learn to forgive. Some say that birth number 7 is lucky others say 3. Which one to believe ?

Actually, the more we listen to these gurus the more we are bound to get confused. Life is very simple. It’s learnt by living it. Fine, we need a guru advice once too often, but don’t start putting it into practice without thinking the pros and cons of the advice. We all come  equipped with all the answers. The question that we pose has an answer within ourselves, no need to look out. We should have a good value system and a servo motor like natures. (Servo motors correct their output automatically by feeding themselves with error input and thus correcting the output). By that I mean we should improve ourselves with every tick of the clock.

Look at nature. Does it have any contradictions ? Well, no.  All the opposites are within our minds and we need to get rid of them. All birds fly. All fishes swim. (there may be an exception or two, but these are special cases) While humans are the only ones who behave like different animals in different circumstances, forgetting that they are human. So what does it mean to be human ? Well, we are a privileged class. We have awareness. Of ourselves and of the surroundings. We can perceive higher powers through sensory and extra sensory perception. We can feel our soul and most importantly, within each of us is a treasure trove of information. Knowing this, we should stop listening to our lower selves and carve a life towards progress through spiritual calling.

To your evolution …

Guru30

Talent, Attitude and Execution

We all want to succeed in life. It all depends on what we mean by success. For somebody success is making a million dollars. For somebody else, it’s how famous you are. Some people think that being appreciated in the office is a mark of success. Thus the definition varies from person to person. For me success is the ability of tuning with God’s progress. That means being in sync with nature’s flow. You see there are three things needed for success in the real world.  They are talent, attitude and execution. If these three are complimenting each other, one achieves a lot of success in the worldly sense. So let’s explore each one of them.

First comes talent. You see, God has gifted all of us with a lot of latent talent. Some of them manifest in our lives, and some go unnoticed. Someone is a good singer, somebody else is a good artist and maybe we have some people who are good at channelizing their emotions. All different types of talents exist in this multi-faceted world. For talented people, one thing is common. They have all realized that they are talented.  And this realization is the first step. Once we realize our talent we have to sharpen it. Like the saw that needs a sharpening every now and then. So does talent. Once it is sharpened and perfected, it becomes a master script for that person. Remember to develop it.

Second comes  attitude. Many a people, have open and closed attitudes. Open people are flexible to ideas and are willing to change. Closed people are not very receptive to new ideas. It’s like the difference between introverts an extroverts, although not always. Some people  have deep set beliefs which make them extra hard. They are not willing to change. It’s better to be an optimist  than a pessimist. An optimist always carries a positive attitude and is available for new ideas. Plus he/she is willing to change. For succeeding in life, this is a must have qualification. Because in life things don’t happen the way we want always. Hence we must have the courage to change if required.          

The third attribute that a successful person has is efficiency in execution. If you notice this is the last and most important step. Some people really execute well. Some people don’t seem to live up to their act. It varies. The idea is to be professional in work that we do to such an extent that people notice that you are a dependable person. Fanatic Support, like Rackspace calls it’s webhosting. Attitude does make a difference. But most important is execution. The style and panache that we add to everyday work. People who finish with finesse, finish first and are remembered by all. Some top management people like CEO’s sometimes are so far away from their front desk (customer facing) that they develop error-prone strategies. Always dirty your hands and then execute, with all your passion. You will succeed.

To your best,

Guru30

Who am I ?

Has this question bothered you many times? Since eons, man has been trying to find a satisfactory answer to this question. Some people associate this question with the most straight forward solution of a name. Yes. Their own name. That is quite simple. The point to observe is that the name is something we get baptized mostly by our family. Do we really respond to a name when we are say 3 months old? As we grow up we associate ourselves with our name. And them it becomes a primary part of our ego. When people start calling our names, we actually feel good. We also to a lot of extent rationalize our name’s existence when others address us by the same.

But this is just the beginning, or the tip of the iceberg. Beyond that brain identification of name, lies a subtle identity of who we are. We are actually souls trapped within a body with brain. A spiritual being, if I may. Actually, we are all God’s children and part and parcel of the infinite spark. Thus, this makes us beings with infinite potential. We can dream of anything and make it come true. As Richard Bach says “You are not given a dream, without being given the power to make it come true.” Or as Aerosmith sings “Dream on. Dream on, till your dreams come true.”

The Ego identification of the name is very powerful. So powerful that it can drown all other emotions and beliefs that we may have. To override beliefs, the Ego really has to be strong. All thoughts are filtered by the Ego, before it reaches the subconscious. Hence we may not be seeing the reality as it is. The Ego is a master mind bender and can edit the gut feel thoughts also. The Ego works in the beta scale, while the mind can work on lower vibrations like delta,theta and alpha. The Ego is so strong that some of these mental states induce can also contain remnants of it. It just doesn’t disappear, because if it were to, we would be brain dead.

A world of opportunity exists in the realm of the divine and this can only be achieved by silencing the Ego. So how do we really bypass the Ego. There are many ways. One of them is Meditation. Another one is Holosync. And the list goes on. The idea is to put ourselves in a lower vibrational state, so that we can feel the power of the silence. It’s in the gap that God exists. 99.99% of the universe is made of space. Did you know that? And this space or the infinite silence is where we come from and to where we will go after our death. so don’t be identified by a simple name. We are all much more than that and are divine beings meant to enjoy bliss.

Forever …

Guru30

Never lose your hope

No matter what your present looks like or no matter if your past has been traumatic, keep in mind that you have to be hopeful. Of a better tomorrow, a better world. Keep your hope high. Never give in to  those negative thoughts that haunt you everyday. They make you cynical. I know it’s very difficult to stay positive always. But try hard, one day you will make it. To the top. And there is no stopping you. The only thing that lies between you and your dream is the effort. So work hard and stay focussed. You will reach your destination soon.

You have to actually enjoy the journey, although you are focussed towards your goal. Keep your hopes high, and only think positive. The name of the game is to avoid distractions which put you in a negative spiral. Think of your positive moments. Every day you wake up, think of your greatest achievement and keep savouring it throughout the day. At the end of the day, consciously review what thoughts did you think in the day. How much of them are cornering on hope.

Hope is the light that guides us always. It eggs us on. The light at the end of the tunnel is what you should be viewing. There are many people who have faced challenges in life, but never gave up. Because they know that one day they will make it. Humour can be a very useful tool to put us in a good mood. Use it prudently. Another thing that can put us in a positive frame is walking. Along with nature. It helps us stay calm and focussed. Try whatever puts you in a good mood.

Once again, let me tell you –> Never give up.The lives of great men are examples that we can emulate. They were also made of the same stuff that we are. Hence, I don’t see a plausible reason why we can’t make it. Time is going forward. It never comes back. So bury your past, focus on the future and live in the present. Be happy always and make somebody smile everyday. Keep improving, and never ever give up the hope for your dream. It’s just at the end of the block.

Keep Walking …

Guru30