Books Read- 2017

2017 was an eventful year for more reason than one. It has helped me shed some long standing  habits and embrace a few others that have proven to a breathe of fresh air. Among the new additions, i would cherish the reignited passion for reading as the main take away for this year. Reading has been meditative to a large extend- it gets me immersed in a narrative , keeps thoughts and emotions focussed and leaves me with something to ponder on. So here are some interesting books that I came across last year.





1. The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho -"To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation"
Read: Dec 2017

Alchemist occurred as a happenstance. I was chatting with one of my office colleague and we meandered on to books. He narrated an interesting tale where in his spouse happened to read this book way back. After many years, when she attended an interview and was asked of her favorite book, she spoke about Alchemist. Interestingly a couple of the panelists in the interview had also read the book and probed her deeper on what she liked of the book. Needless to say, they stuck a great chord and ended up making her an offer. Now here's the best part- on her first day at the company, not only did they give her a copy of the book, but also distributed it to all her colleagues as a mark of appreciation for the impact the book had on the interview process !!!!

This stoked  the curiosity in me to get to it soon. I reserved a copy with the local library and promptly borrowed it a week later. The forward section in itself set a nice foundation to the core theme. The book was published 25 years back in Brazil and hardly anyone took a note of it at that point. The original publisher cut the contract off the author and let him him loose. Paulo Coelho did not loose hope. The book was based on a boy following his Personal legend  to find his true calling and giving up on the book would have meant that author did not trust on his own personal legend- which was his capacity to write and inspire others. He knocked many other doors and finally another publisher gave him a second chance. Slowly by word of mouth, the sales started picking up. When an american visiting brazil picked up a copy of the book, he wanted to translate it in English and find a publisher in United States. Harpin Collins brought it to American audience and the rest is history. The book went on to become a best seller in New York Times list and stayed there for many years.It was widely translated and is considered one of the best books of 20th century.

Book talks about the simple tale of a shepherd boy-Santiago from Spain who has this dream of a treasure buried near pyramids. He listens to his mind and sets out in pursuit of it. Along the way, boy meets many interesting characters - a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself a king and an alchemist all of whom helps him get further along his pursuit. He also discovers new vocation on the way- by becoming a crystal merchant and makes a good fortune of it. Despite all his successes and some major setbacks, he never takes his eyes off the dream and relentlessly pursues the destiny. Story concludes with an interesting twist where in he eventually discovers his destiny ; but had evolved as a transformed man with deep understanding of his self.

The Alchemist  leaves us with the  message that if someone is committed with all of their heart on to something, the whole of the universe conspires to make it happen. There could be several moments where in it could all seem out of place, and one is far far away from the calling. This is illustrated by  the set back in Santiago's journey where in he was left with nothing to fend for. However, this too is the play of the cosmos and as Steve Job's mentioned-the dots would all connect up.The key is to remain persistent and keep going after one's dream/destiny.

2. Inner Engineering- Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev -"The way out is in"
Read: Oct/Nov 2017

Inner Engineering -A Yogi's guide to joy could be best described not as a book, but as a scientific process that encourages one to explore the great possibility of being human. This book has been of such deep influence in me that i read it thrice and am still trying to grasp it's full import.

Book starts by developing a grounding on what spirituality is and how different it is from religion. Religion is based on a set of beliefs which are revered and held close to heart. Spirituality  on the other hand holds no absolute truth. The path of spirituality is the path of exploration to get an appreciation of how body,mind and life energies work. Yoga is based on this fundamental premise that if one holds a complete mastery on these three elements, then life unlocks in fully glory. In that regard Spirituality and Science run on the same rails- the only difference being Science tries to explore existence  on the basis of evidence where as Spirituality tries to explore existence on the basis of experience. 

Any quest that is externally focussed is always unlimited. This is the reason why there is always a longing for more and bigger in life. There does not arrive a point in life where in one is fully contended with the material aspects of life no matter how much they have accumulated.There is absolutely nothing wrong with the desire at all. It's just that it always limited and leaves one in an unfulfilled state with a longing for me. It's only when one realizes that the true desire of the existence is a longing for the unlimited that spirituality begins. Spirituality is a path of exploration with an attempt to better appreciate the mechanics of how body,mind and life energies operate experientially. These are pretty much the only three physical  instruments  that one has at their disposal.

This path of inner exploration also stems from a larger concept that there is nothing called external or internal.Every human experience whether it be in the past,presence or future is 100% self created. For eg: one can go through very difficult or challenging situations at workplace,home or even as part of life changing events.None of these needs to be stressful.Stress is essentially self created. Similarly, what ever one perceives with their 5 senses namely eyes,ears,nose,taste and touch are also completely internal. The object that triggers these senses could be any but the way it is felt/perceived all happens within one self. Extending this logic, everything that one perceives is internal to them and hence the world is a macrocosm of this tiny microcosm called human being. In other words, the whole world is manifested internally.When the entire world is being experienced within one self, isn't it the mechanics of the "I" that one has to pay attention to ? Spirituality further goes on to to treat body,mind and life energies as things that one can use and not necessarily that defines what one is. Body is nothing but an accumulation of the food that one has derived this form from(Annamayakosha). Mind is an accumulation of all the impressions one has gathered through the course of their lives(Manonmayakosha). Life Energies or Pranamayakosha  is a manifestation of the energy body. Hence all these are entities we have gather from the world and not necessarily us. Spirituality is a exploration into the fundamental question of "Who am I" if none of these are what truly defines us. There are two more levels of existence which is defined as "Vijnanamayakosha"(etheral body) and "Anandamayakosha"(ultimate blisfulness) which are non-physical and comes into one's perception if the physical aspects of what one can manage(namely the body,mind and life energies) are brought in perfect synergy(a.ka. in a state of yoga or union with the cosmos).

This book is a highly recommended read for anyone who wants get started on perceiving the existential reality rather than the psychological reality (that's created by the mind). 

 3. Losing My Virginity- Richard Branson -"How I Survived, Had Fun and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way "
Read: July 2017

Branson's book was a fun of a roller coaster ride end to end. It talks of how Richard Branson- a kid with an entrepreneurial bend of mind started off with a small scale magazine called Student and diversified from there on to built tonnes of other successful businesses under the Virgin brand- namely mail order business, Virgin Records,Virgin Atlantic,Virgin Mobile and Virgin Rail to name a few. I knew very little of Branson and was simply left awestruck at the end of the book with a living example of how far a driven individual could go. The aspect that makes Branson's success unique is that he is not a number driven individual with an a analytical bend of mind-but rather some one who brings his 150% passion into everything he does and leaves no fun on the table.

Another aspect that was distinct about this book was that it mixes a nice dose of Branson's personal life along with the corporate side of the story. Book goes into depth on the different relationships Branson got involved with at different stage of his life. Towards the end, he comes across as a wise man who learned from his experiences.

However, the part that touched me in a very deep way was the vivid description of the adventurous side of Richard Branson. Branson is someone who believes in living life in the edge- because that truly brings him in touch with his existential reality and gets the best out of him.He attempted  crossing of the atlantic in the fastest time in pursuit of the Blue Riband accolade back in 1985. He failed the first time and was rescued from the middle of the ocean. He went for it again and succeeded in 1986. In 1991, he crossed the pacific in a hot air balloon traveling all the way from  Japan to Canada creating a new world record. He has since then attempted to several such adventures- in pursuit of breaking what is considered impossible.

Richard is also one of the most flamboyant businessman who owns several diverse properties such as the Necker Island in British Virgin Islands (near Puerto Rico) and a huge yatch named after the same island. I remember reading of the  Obamas who are close to Branson, having vacationed at Necker after the 8 year presidency term. Book also talks of Branson's efforts such as setting up a global elders forum chaired by Kofi Annan, with an aim to provide direction on global problems that cannot be solved within the institutional framework such as UN.

It's a great read on a unique personality who built an empire staying true to his fun and adventurous spirit. Highly recommended.

4. Onwards-Howard Schultz- "How Starbucks Fought for it's life without Losing its Soul"
Read-Feb/Mar 2017

Starbucks has consistently been ranked as one of the world's most admired companies(Ranked #5 by Fortune -2018). It also has the reputation of being one of the more employee friendly companies out there. When i joined Starbucks in Oct 2016, i was curious to learn more on what's unique about the company culture that makes it a much celebrated brand for the right reasons.

The very first Partner Open Forum(Employees are referred to as Partners at Starbucks) in Nov 2017 gave me a glimpse on how company operates. During this all hands forum, Howard Schultz( the then CEO of Starbucks; succeeded by Kevin Johnson) creates a warm and welcoming environment for all the partners. What stood out interesting to me was the fact that only a small segment towards the beginning is spent on the hard financial readout . Bulk of the session was centered on the difference that baristas(the frontline partners) are making to the customers, initiatives in line to bring diversity to the corporate culture (such as hiring veterans, refugees etc) and the investment Starbucks is making to create a difference in the lives of the people around. During the session, partners openly interact with the CEO, posing hard questions and voicing suggestions to make things better. This transparent culture where in there is a lot of emphasis on empowering the partners to do the right things for the customer is one of the reasons why there is a general sense of optimism about the brand and the culture.

I had read earlier that Starbucks had been the first in the industry in terms of  a. Providing Stock grant to all it's employees including even those baristas who worked part time b. Provide the best in class health insurance to all its partners (incl part-time ) since 80's during which time it was unheard of 
c. Provide access to education for all the partners through tie up with Arizona State University. After the partner forum, i wanted to learn more the company and "Onward" proved to be the perfect book for me to get a better appreciation of the company DNA.

 "Onward" by Howard Schultz charts the story of Starbucks with a specific emphasis on the crisis of period of 2008 during which time, the company was in serious danger of being liquidated. This has been an inspiring corporate turnaround story , where in the company rallied its collective forces under a committed leader so as to make a spectacular turnaround.

Starbucks was established back in 1971 by three partners (Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and  Gordon Bowker) after they were mentored by Alfred Peet( the founder of Peet's Coffee), who is widely regarded as the man who introduced Americans to high quality roasted coffee. Howard Schultz had originally joined as a Director at Starbucks. Starbucks at that point was selling only whole bean coffees. When Howard took a trip to Milan, he observed that the place had a culture of it's own when it came to coffees. He was super inspired by the coffee bars that sold espressos and wanted to replicate the model back in US. The founders however did not take much of an interest in the idea. Howard was not ready to give up and started his own chain Gionale in Seattle. A couple of years from there on, the founders of Starbucks decided to sell the company to Howard and he was at the helm of his original company.(Fast forward to 2018, Howard has stepped down as CEO and still in charge of expanding the premium segment of Starbucks chain- The Roastry. It is not an irony that the first roastry opened in Seattle houses the Princi bakery - from Italy; a testimony of Howard's love with the place that shaped his destiny. The starbucks cup sizes Grande and Venti are also from Italian which could again have something to do with this legacy ).

Since 1987, Starbucks saw an exponential growth both in terms of the number of Stores being opened and consequently the top line. The brand grew in resonance with customers and was widely seen as the "third" place (after home and office) that provided a warm,comfortable and a safe setting for customers. However by 2000's the mad rush to expand the company foot print and an excessive focus on top line and bottom line began to impact the operational efficiencies. The focus on the customer gradually started diminishing and success of the brand began to get taken for granted. When the subprime crisis hit hard, the prospect of buying a $4 coffee seemed an excessive indulgence for the consumer and consequently the brand suffered heavily. Starbucks started loosing money and started closing in on a point where in, shutting down the stores seemed more viable compared to running them. The company was on a serious downward slope. Howard Schultz who had stepped down as CEO in early 2000's and was part of the board, came back to take the reigns of the company. The book talks at length about the several measures Howard took to get the company back to it's glorious helm.

As can be expected, there is no one silver bullet to turn around a mammoth engine like Starbucks. In all fairness, there were also positive macro economic factors post 2008 that certainly aided the company's resurgence. The biggest part of the turnaround in my read was the rediscovery of the core- where in Howard inspired each and every partner to rally around for a bigger cause and in the process got the very best of them. There were conventional cost cutting measures such as shut down of the stores and painful lay off's. There were three specific events in the book that resonated with me:

1. Starbucks felt that it was important to focus on it's speciality- namely brewing good coffee during these adverse times. Somewhere in the rush to expand the chain, the fine art of coffee brewing had been liquidated. The classic smell of coffee that was typical of early Starbucks was now replaced with warmed sandwiches. The place had slowly lost it's soul.

 To get back to the basics, Starbucks shut down all of it's stores for 3 hours during Feb 2008. During this time, the baristas were reinforced with the art of brewing coffee the right way. It was a bold move by the company to do the right thing for it's partners and customers in the wake of several criticism on it's already battering fortunes.

2. Customers truly cared and loved the brand deeply over the years. Every store that was being shut down during the crisis not only impacted the partners but also the community. People genuinely wanted to provide inputs and suggestions but there was no organized way to achieve it. Howard during one of his vacations to Hawaii met the Michel Dell and discussed means to get the voice of the customer more directly to engineer innovations. This resulted in the portal mystarbucksidea.com which provided a great platform for customers to voice their inputs. Several pioneering steps undertaken such as creation of a loyalty program, opening up digital channels to enable ordering and introduction of several new drinks has been an outcome of suggestions from this platform. This forum saw a high level of engagement and participation from customers that ultimately helped company reinvent itself.

3. Howard Schultz called for a meeting of all the store managers and executives of Starbucks to unveil the resurgence plan. The venue of this corporate huddle of ~10,000 people was New Orleans, that had been badly ravaged by Hurricane Katrina a few years back. Howard and his team used the opportunity to undertake a massive volunteering effort to help the city and the residents to come back to heals. Keeping in context that this was done at one of the worst time of Starbucks history, the occasion proved to be a great galvanizing factor for employees to stand up for a greater cause. This relief effort reinforced among the participants the values that Starbucks stood up for and inspired them to go over and beyond to focus on customers and do the right things that mattered.

Onward was a great immersion for me at Starbucks. Would highly recommend the book for anyone hoping to get a closer look at what inspirational leadership is all about.


So that's it folks, 4 books in 2017. I will take it as a start for getting back to the reading track. Super inspired by my friend Anush Raman  who has clocked much higher last year with some amazing collection of books. Hoping to get going with more books in 2018 and keep learning more. Until then...Good bye.

പുസ്തക അവലോകനം- വേരുകള്‍

തിയതി:  17/ 01 / 2012
പുസ്ത്കം : വേരുകള്‍
രചന: ശ്രീ മലയാറ്റൂര്‍ രാമകൃഷ്ണന്‍

ട്രെയിനിലുള്ള ദിവസേന യാത്ര പുസ്തകങ്ങളുടെ ലോകത്തേക്ക് വീണ്ടും പ്രവേശിക്കാനുള്ള ഒരു സുവര്‍ണ്ണ അവസരമായി. കഴിഞ്ഞ ഒരാഴ്ചയില്‍ ശ്രീ മലയാറ്റൂര്‍ രാമകൃഷ്ണന്ടെ "വേരുകള്‍" വായിക്കാനുള്ള അവസരം ഉണ്ടായി. പുസ്തകതിന്ടെ അവസാന താള്‍ മറിച്ചപ്പോള്‍ അനിര്‍വചനീയമായ ഒരു അനുഭുതിയാണ് ഉണ്ടായത്. വളരെ കാലമായി "വേരുകള്‍" വായിക്കണമെന്ന ചിന്ത മനസ്സിന്ടെ അടിത്തട്ടില്‍ ക്ലാവ് പിടിച്ചു കിടക്കുകയായിരുന്നു.ഈ നോവലിന്ടെ ഒരു അധ്യായം പാഠപുസ്തകത്തില്‍ വായിച്ചതായി ഇപ്പോള്‍ ഓര്‍കുന്നു. മലയാള  സാഹിത്യത്തിന്ടെ മധുരമാര്‍ന്ന ഗൃഹാതുരുത്വം മനസ്സില്‍ ഏറ്റുവാങ്ങാന്‍ കഴിഞ്ഞതില്‍ നിര്‍വൃതിയടയുന്നു.

"വേരുകളിലൂടെ" ശ്രീ രാമകൃഷ്ണന്‍ നമ്മെ നമ്മുടെ അമുല്യമായ പൈതൃകത്തെ ഓര്‍മപ്പെടുത്തുന്നു. കാലം പുരോഗമിക്കുന്തോറും ആധുനികതയുടെ മായാവലയത്തില്‍ കുടുതല്‍ ഞ്ഞരുങ്ങിപ്പിടയുന്ന മനുഷ്യമനസ്സിനെ, ഒരു ഭൌതികമായ യാത്രയില്‍ കൊണ്ടുപോകുകയും, അതിലുടെ ജീവിതത്തിന്ടെ യാഥാര്‍ത്ഥ്യങ്ങളിലേക്ക് കണ്‍ തുറപ്പിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു ശ്രീ രാമകൃഷ്ണന്‍.

പണ്ടു കാലത്ത് തഞ്ചാവൂര്‍ , കാഞ്ചീപുരം മുതലായ സ്ഥലങ്ങളില്‍ നിന്നും കേരളത്തിലെത്തി, അവിടുത്തെ സംസ്കാരത്തോടു കൂടി ഇഴുകിച്ചേര്‍ന്ന "പട്ടന്മാര്‍" എന്ന് വിളിക്കപെടുന്ന ബ്രാഹ്മണരുടെ ഒരു കുടുംബകഥയാണ് നോവലിലൂടെ പ്രദിപാധിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത്‌. കഥാനായകന്‍ "രഘു" തിരുവനന്തപുരത്ത് സെക്രെട്ടരിയട്ടില്‍ വലിയനിലയില്‍ ഉദ്യോഗം നോക്കിപോരുന്നു. അദേഹത്തിന്ടെ ഭാര്യയും മക്കളും പരിഷ്കാരതിന്ടെ കളിപ്പാവകളായി നടമാടുന്നു. പട്ടണത്തില്‍ ഒരു വലിയ വീടുവയ്ക്കണമെന്ന ഉദ്യമത്തില്‍ രഘു നാട്ടിലെ തറവാട് വില്‍ക്കുവാന്‍ തീരുമാനിക്കുന്നു. നാട്ടിലെത്തിയ രഘുവിന്  തന്ടെ ബാല്യകാലത്തെയും യവ്വനകാലത്തെയും സ്മരണകള്‍ ഓരോന്നായി ഓര്‍മയിലെത്തുന്നു.ഇപ്പോഴത്തെ ഉന്നതിയില്‍ അച്ഛന്‍/സഹോദരി മുതലായവര്‍ അവരുടെ ജീവിതംതന്നെ അര്‍പ്പിച്ചു എന്ന അവബോധം അയാളില്‍ മാനസാന്തരം വരുത്തുകയും തുടര്‍ന്ന് നാട്ടിലുള്ള വേരുകള്‍ ഊര്‍ജസ്വലപ്പെടുത്താനുള്ള അന്തിമതീരുമാനം കൈകൊള്ളുന്നതുമാണ് കഥാസാരം.

രാഘുവിന്ടെ കഥ നമ്മുടെ പുതുതലമുറക്ക ് ഒരു ചോദ്യചിഹ്നമാണ്.
" നാടോടുമ്പോള്‍ നടുവേ ഓടുക" എന്ന സിദ്ധാന്തത്തിലൂടെ  നന്മ നിറഞ്ഞ പൈതൃകത്തെ നമ്മള്‍ വിസ്മരിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു. നമ്മള്‍ ഓരോരുത്തരും ആരാണ് എന്ന അവബോധം നമ്മുടെ പൈതൃകത്തില്‍ നിന്നാണ് ഉല്ഭവിക്കുന്നത്ത്. ആ പൈതൃകത്തെ വേരോടെ കടപുഴക്കിയെറിഞ്ഞ് കേവലം നശ്വരമായ സുഖങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് പിറകെ പലായനം ചെയ്യുന്നത് ആത്മഹത്യയ്ക്ക് തുല്യമാണ്. ആധുനികതയുടെ സ്പന്ദനത്തിന് എത്രതന്നെ വേഗതയേറിയാലും, നമ്മള്‍ കടന്നു പോയ വഴികളേയും, ആ വഴികളിലെ കല്ലും മുള്ളും തങ്ങളുടെ ചോരയിലൂടെയും,വിയര്‍പ്പിലൂടെയും അലിയിപ്പിച്ച ആത്മാക്കളെയും എന്നും സ്മരിക്കണമെന്ന വിലവത്തായ സന്ദേശമാണ് ഈ അദ്ധ്ഭുതരചന നല്കുന്നത്‌. ഈ സന്ദേശം തന്നെയാണ് നമ്മള്‍ വരും തലമുറയ്ക്ക് പകര്‍ന്നു നല്‍കേണ്ട അമുല്യ നിധി.

Things Fall Apart-Chinua Achebe

It’s been a very long time since I picked up a physical book, sat tight and let myself get immersed in a compelling narrative. Thanks to WhatsApp and daily feeds of news digests, there has been this nagging feeling that my attention span for quality reading had nosedived to unfathomable nadir. In one of such random browsing, I stumbled upon TimeMagazine All Time 100 novels and was immediately excited with the prospect of finding my lost way back to some active reading. Picked up a random book in this list from King County Library that has an enviable collection and boy, what a read it turned out to be…

“Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe presents an engrossing read of the life of the tribal “Okonkwo” from Ibo Village in Nigeria. The narrative is covered in two segments-The former painting a vivid picture of the culture and beliefs of Ibo tribe and the latter delving into how this tribe embroils in an identity conflict with the arrival of Christianity that challenges the very core of their beliefs. The story of Okonkwo is narrated brilliantly in this backdrop that makes it a fascinating read. Okonkowo who is a strongman in his village is a zealous protagonist who embodies valor, industrious nature and a never say die attitude. Okonkowo faces several hurdles in his life and overcomes them successfully while staying grounded in his defining virtues. The rest of the story delves into what destiny had in store for Okonkowo when everything he believes in is gradually eroded with an alternate faith that provides a fresh narrative to the definition of God.

I loved this book for the simple style of writing that helps reader become one among the customs and traditions of Ibo tribe. Chinua Achebe paints a vivid picture of the unwritten rules that the tribe follows in their day to day affairs such as cultivation, marriage, social gatherings, festivities and death. There are interesting episodes on “egwugwu”-a masked representative of the ancestral spirits which delivers justice and  ”Agbala”-the holy spirit represented by the priestess. Ibo tribes also believes in “Chi”-one’s personal god that brings luck. The saying goes in Ibo tribe that if a man says “yes” to his life his “Chi” also says “yes”-meaning the luck favors one who works really hard. One of the most remarkable elements that was fascinating to uncover was the similarities between the beliefs of Ibo tribe and that of in Hinduism. “Egwugwu” reminded me of “velichappadu” -who is an incarnated spirit of god prophesing the future for the devotees. Chelio -one of the priestess who carried a child on her shoulders and walked the entire night to meet “Agbala” in a cave had an uncanny resemblance to “Bikram and Betal”.

The highlight of the book is the conversation between Akunna-one of the village elders and Mr. Brown the head of the Christian missionary on their respective beliefs. Mr. Brown talks about the one and only supreme god in Christianity who created the heaven and earth. Akunna equates this god to “Chukwu”-who according to the Ibo tribe created world and all other gods. These minor gods - carved in wood are the messengers of Chukwu and are worshipped by the tribe.(The unmistakable parallel in Hinduism being the devatas who control the forces of nature such as “Indra”-the god of sky,”Varuna”-the god of water,”Agni”-the god of fire etc. who are invoked during rituals and roll up to the “supreme godhead”).The tribe approach “Chukwu”-the supreme god through these minor gods(one of them being a sacred Python who according to them is the emanation of the god of water-akin to Adishesha in Hindu mythology)just like a great man is approach through his deputies. This dialogue between Akunna and Mr. Brown is a beautiful illustration of how the different religions converge in terms of a common underlying theme despite being seemingly different.

“Things Fall Apart” is a brilliant portrayal of how a riveting story on the internal conflict of a human being could be woven in the backdrop of a society’s fundamental transformation. Achebe is cited as “one of the 1000 makers of 20^th century” by London Sunday times for his outstanding contribution to African Literature. The sheer magic of Achebe’s imagination in “Things Fall Apart” is a tall testimony for this acknowledgement.

Vedic Boost

The Vedic Scriptures mention that there are 4 ways to attain self realization:

 

1.Bhakathi yoga- Worship of god and all beings.

2.Karma Yoga-Action-Service to all

3.Njana yoga- Knowledge, wisdom and introspection

4.RajaYoga-Meditation

 

I once listened an interesting parallel of the above 4 forms. The speaker compared it to making boost.

 

To make boost you need milk, sugar and boost powder

 

1.The milk in the boost is equivalent to Bhakthi Yoga.Milk is the most foundational element to boost.You can even drink milk on its own without adding any other ingredients.Similarly the Bhakthi yoga is the most elementary form of attaining god.One needs to have respect to all forms of beings with the understanding that every living/non living objects are manifestation of god.

 

2.If you add sugar to the milk,it becomes even more tastier and palatable. The sugar in this mixture is equivalent to KarmaYoga.In addition to worshipping all living/non living beings,if a person also extends the philosophy so as serve all the creations by means of karma yoga,the inherent quality in the person is much more enriched and sweetened.

 

3.As the next step,you add boost powder to this mixture of milk and sugar.The objective of boost powder is to provide additional vitamins and nutrients and increase the mental acumen and energy levels.The boost powder is equivalent to Njana yoga.In addition to worship and service,if the person seeks knowledge from books as well as his/others experience,he becomes much more sharper and wiser.

 

4.As the final step,even if you have made the boost with milk,sugar and boost powder,one must know how to drink it.The art of drinking the boost is equivalent to Raja Yoga/meditation.In other words,meditation helps one sail the ocean of "samsara" without getting attached.This is same as the concept of detatched attachment wherein you do your worldly duties but are internally detatched from material aspects.This is also akin to the example of lotus in a pond which doesn't get wet.

 

If all the 4 components above are in the right propotion,it helps one lead a balanced and contented life.

 

Journey Through the Vedic Vintage

Vedas are the embodiments of knowledge which is believed to have been passed on from gods themselves.They are classified into four types based on the mode of "adyayanam"(practice).These are Rig Veda,Yajurveda,Samaveda and Atharvana Veda.Each of these branches of vedas is an ocean in itself.

  

Of the four,Yajurveda is the most commonly practised one and is further classified into

Rooftops of Tehran(Book Review)

Book:Rooftops of Tehran
Author:Mahbod Seraji
Read: Dec 2011

Rooftops of Tehran is a beautiful illustration of how true love blossoms and survives under extremely adverse circumstances.Author Mahbod Seraji has set the story in the rustic streets of Tehran(Iran) in the era of 1970’s when she was ruled ruled by the autocratic Shah.The freedom of speech and expression was severely crushed with Iron hands in this era.In this backdrop,a complex love story is intricately weaved between the 17 year old protagonist Pasha and his neighbor Zari.The story takes us through the unimaginable

Closing cycles

Closing cycles

Nuclear-Dam fusion

UPA  has been at the eye of storm over the one past year.It has been one issue after another…2G Scam,CWG scam,Adarsh Scam,controversial CVC appointment,terrorism,midnight swoop on Baba Ramdev,Anna Hazare’s  anticorruption crusade,, Price rise,controversy over FDI in Retail,economic slowdown…ok…I have stopped counting now.Call it the cosmic maya….the mother of all the tornadoes has been reserved towards the end. The Centre is fast advancing toward the nucleus of a Chakravyuha from which retracting might become an humungous affair.Ironically this controversy also presents UPA with a brilliant opportunity

Indian Economy in Catch 22

The developments in Indian Economy over the last couple of months presents interesting analysis. The currency fluctuation, sustained inflation and consequently higher interest rates have given rise to a jigsaw puzzle which the Finance Ministry and RBI are trying to tackle through various instruments available at their disposal.

The key factors namely currency valuation,inflation, liquidity,industrial  output and economic growth form tightly coupled aspects of the same puzzle.Let us start by looking at the basics.What constitutes

Self Realization

There are those moments in your life when you feel utterly pathetic and useless..You wake up,go through the motion and hit the bed only to realise that you are more hollow than you were when the day began..You can literally see life slipping through like a handful of sand seeping through the fingers when they are folded..The life is folding on you and your energy and zest is seeping through inch by inch...moment by moment...You are diving into the nadir of deep despondency and utter emptiness..You can feel it like a creature being sucked in by the quick sand..Its engulfing you and you are sinking in...It draws in you inch by inch day by day...The ultimate tragedy is the fact that you are letting it happen...YOU ARE LETTING IT HAPPEN TO YOU....Yet..deep inside your sinister mind,

Firaaq-Noble in intention but ineffective in Portyal

Firaaq a movie based on the aftermath of the Godhra incidents showcases characters whos life has been affected in a multitude of ways.An upper middle class mixed couple,a muslim boy,a hindu wife who lives in the pang of guilt,a muslim auto driver and a hindustani singer are portayed to demonstrate various emotions that runs through people post incidents and the way they react and recuperate from it.True to the credit of the movie,it has been successful in interlacing a range of emotions

Meeting with My God

It was 9th March 2008, one of the most memorable days in my life...I had volunteered in this restaurant named AnnaLaxmi (@ Chinatown,Singapore) to serve food.This place is one of a kinda joints that you would come across..It works on a very innovative and rather surprising concept.Any customer who walks in is treated as a member of the family..He can have as much food as he likes and pay what ever amount that he prefers..Even if he doesn't pay anything ,thats ok...!!!!!The idea behind the concept is that customer had a need which was satisfied..Now the value of the satisfaction derived out of that service

Ressurection

Life is such a magical thing..The very essence of it lies in the enjoying those precious moments of true joy,enduring those harships and backing yourself when you come to a state where there is no tommarrow.....It is a journey to be transgressed alone wherein your surroundings should just a backdrop which shud cause no perceptable difference in your quest for destiny...

Alas that is hardly the case and this again is the true bueaty of life..The acquiantances we make enroute,close relatives whom we consider our own,and those counted few

Zimbly terriffic!!!!!!!!!

This was a really cool stuff that i found....Make sure u have your speakers on before clicking...

You are the best

Nice naaa?????Now replace mine with yours in the link and nsoi....

Mind a Mystery.....

Just yesterday on my routine journey to office an interesting thought struck my mind..yes the very mind which in itself was the point of focus..I was wondering how difficult it is to think exactly what you want.....Mind the most capricious creations of all would wander exactly in the opposite direction when u want to think about something...Then a strange thought occured..what if u had the ability to think only what you wanted..would it be be good /bad????Would you categorize the ability of such a person as narrowmindedness(Narrow used here in the literal sense...) or would you call him focussed???Would it be a limitation of mind

Cartoon Tamasha!!!!

Mountain out of molehill...That is precisely what is happening with impending cartoon controversy...Apparently a danish news paper has published a controversial cartoon portraying Prophet Mohammad in a negative way..Tempers are flaying... buidings are burning and protests are being staged all around..The danish embassy has been set ablaze by miscreants in Syria..protests are being staged in lebenon and other muslim nations...The issue all together has a new dimention

Sledging is good!!!!!

Well well..

Did i say that..Yes i mean it..U got to sledge more often..!!!!...Nops obviously i am not talking of the verbal sledging here..but sledging the in mountains of Europe in cold winter.....::))))

It was Jan 31st 2006....Client had been planning to take out all the employees working in IKEA project for a skiing session for quiet some time but the inclement weather was playing the spoilsport..But today things were better...The temperature was just 0 degrees which was actually less as per the Austrian winter standards...So we were all set for the skiing session...

I was feeling all excited on the same as my only acquaintance with skiing was the watching the athletes going zig-zag in style touching the pole in quick succession on the idiot box...At 4.00 pm we wore the tight suitings specially given for the purpose of skeeing and boarded the bus..The destination was Semmering--a small hill station in the outskirts of Vienna

Ek_Ajnabi_Ki_Soch

I found this write up by coincidence.Don't know who the author is or when it was written,but no doubt everyword penned down has come from the heart......

JOKER BALI
*************

Today i saw choker bali.What a movie!!!!My husband says there is no jist in the movie.I did not want to argue with him but a kind of old age dwelling is the feeling after the movie.I feel like dressing like that,decorating like that in that age.How nice my children would be in a previlaged home life with the kind of identity.Now no precreated identities.You should create your own identities.You should create your own destiny.Competation "more" oppurtunities "less".I seldom see people wearing sarees in a kind of grace that women had those days."The beauty of saree".
Now saree is worn as another kind of traditional attire.No centiments attached

Europe_Trip_2005

24th March,2005

All of us were in full spirit and were all gerared up for the four days of excitement.We started from office by around 3.00 pm after completion of drop 3 delivery for the april release.From there we took the conventional No 1 bus to Gardet station and switched on the train to T centralen.

At T Centralen we were supposed to take the bus to Skavasta Airport from where we were to take Ryan Air Flight to Brussels.Ryan Air was one of the cheap flights that was available to get around Europe.All these flights had their own aerodromes very much in the outskirts of the city as a part of cost cutting measure.The aeodrome foir Ryan Air was located at a place called Skavasta and we had to get there from the main city.Surprisingly on the day we were starting there was a drastic change in temperature:The day before that measured -4 deg celcius and that day the temp saw a drastic jump to +12 deg celcius.The summer was gradually getting started in stockhoim but such a change was frankly not expected.

The bus jouney to Skavasta was not a very eventful one.There was heavy traffic enroute and it took us almost 2.5 hours to get there.On waching the airport,we checked in our bagages and underwent the security procedured which were not very strict at all.After grabbing a couple of sandwhiches