Dec 6, 2010: Knowledge as Burden

Knowledge is destructive of something immensely valuable in you: it destroys your wonder. And it is through wonder that one becomes aware of godliness, not through knowledge. You need to feel awe at sunrise, the sky full of stars, the roaring ocean. If you cannot feel awe, you cannot feel godliness, because godliness is a mystery and it is available only to those whoa re capable of feeling awe, who are capable of being mystified.

Knowledge destroys wonder, destroys the capacity to feel awe. It makes you capable of explaining away everything. It takes away all poetry from life. The knowledgeable person is never surprised by anything because he can explain everything. But no explanation is true for they don't explain anything at all. The mystery remains. The mystery is infinite.

(Source: Except from 'Walking in Zen Sitting in Zen', www.osho.com)

July 19: Thought for the Day

"The only people without problems and adversity are six feet under the ground. To live is to face problems, pain and suffering. These things are vehicles for growth, expansion and lifelong learning. They are part of the human experience." -- From 'Daily Inspiration', by Robin Sharma.

July 16: The Little Things in Life

Friday afternoon was a time to test my emotions!

Joel had barely recovered from his hand injury when he wanted to go back to playing football in school. I suggested he start on Monday and give the injured hand more time to heal but he insisted he was in great shape and rolled his wrist as proof.

In the afternoon, Mareena calls to inform that Joel has a nasty fall while playing football and that he had a deep cut on his forehead. Disobedience pays? How should I react? What do I tell Joel when I meet him in school?

Shame & embarrassment was clearly etched on Joel's face, the nurse in the dispensary had done some first aid. Apparently a senior had shoved him while playing football and Joel had a bad fall. After few agonizing moments in the hospital and 6 stitches to his forehead Joel & I were back home but not before eating a cone of ice-cream each.

Initially, I was deeply affected and was keen on taking the senior student to task for his behavior but as time went by the realization that these are normal for a growing child took over my emotions. Friends who met us said the same thing 'such things are normal', 'he is a growing boy, it is natural', and that helped a long way. Later Joel's class teacher called to check and that was a great gesture too.

July 15: Size Doesn't Matter

Whoever said it does?

The courteous behavior shown by the driver from Honda Service Center who came to pick my car, his diligence to explain minute details of the servicing, his proactive call to inform possible areas that need modification after driving my car, all adds up to confirm that 'size' doesn't matter.

You may wonder why I say so!

A mere driver of a service center, what difference can he ever make? Isn't he supposed to be poor, helpless, less educated, etc. etc? But when I see such a person, neatly dressed, well mannered, polite and empathetic to my needs, I am forced to wonder what changed in a corporate world? Highly educated people with a 'couldn't-care-less' attitude and miles away from basic decencies!

Now you are forced to think, right! Does size really matter?

July 14: Thought for the Day

"There is nothing wrong with making mistakes. Mistakes are part of life and essential for growth. But there is something very wrong with making the same mistakes over and over again, day in and day out. This shows a complete lack of self-awareness, the very quality that separates humans from animals. Learn from your life and let your past serve you." -- From 'Daily Inspiration', by Robin Sharma.

July 13: Enjoying the Bus Ride

Having given my car for servicing, returning home in the evening by bus wasn't really planned. However, when Honda Service Center called to confirm a next day delivery, traveling by bus was the obvious choice.

Couple of months earlier, I had started traveling by bus 3 days a week with an objective of 'Go Green', however my guitar classes and the responsibility of dropping Joel to school in the morning meant I couldn't continue the option of traveling by the local bus. Few weeks that I did manage to travel, it was worthwhile from many perspectives: a) reduced travel cost by one tenth, b) gave me additional 2 hrs (exactly an hr travel one way) to collect my thoughts for the day and catch up with a lot of emails using my BlackBerry, c) gave me an opportunity to look out of the window and enjoy nature and last but not the least d) meet the objective of 'Go Green' and contributing to society in a small way.

Bus travel is a forgotten option among the upper middle-class or rich so I definitely appear a misfit among the passengers who normally look me up head-to-toe. School children, daily wagers, college going students and the middle class working community are my co-passengers.

With my home & office well connected by buses, I definitely look forward to going back to using the public transport and contribute to the cause of 'Go Green'.

July 13: Thought for the Day

"Things are never as bad as they seem. The situations that cause us sorrow are the same ones that introduce us to the strength, power and wisdom that we truly are." -- from 'Daily Inspiration', by Robin Sharma.