Santhosh's ramblings

Reading these proverbs today, I found myself disagreeing with the author - not because I imagine myself wiser than the Teacher, but because the final lines leave me unsettled. I agree to disagree, respectfully and honestly. “There is a right time for everything on earth: A right time for birth and another for death, A right time to plant and another to reap, A right time to kill and another to heal, A right time to destroy and another to construct, A right time to cry and another to laugh, A right time to lament and another to cheer, A right time to make love and another to abstain, A right time to embrace and another to part, A right time to search and another to count your losses, A right time to hold on and another to let go, A right time to rip out and another to mend, A right time to shut up and another to speak up, A right time to love and another to hate, A right time to wage war and another to make peace.” I agree with almost all of it - except the lines  “a right time to l...

These days, I am reminded almost daily of a disease we learnt about. It has five components— “ Stones, Bones, Groans, Moans, and Psychic Overtones". Of the five, three seem to be my daily companions these days: “groans, moans, and psychic overtones”, especially after travel.   (For those who are interested in knowing more about the disease, you can consult Dr Google—Hyperparathyroidism.) I am sure I do not have it. But I can imagine some friends already googling it, almost certain that they have it.    But the question is - why is the triad of “groans, moans, and psychic overtones” increasing these days? I try to ignore it, and I succeed most days, but on some days, it keeps at it until I pay attention. It has an “ASD” - attention-seeking disorder - it wants my full attention. It took some time to realise that it was the cry of my body, screaming loudly and telling me to take things a bit slow. (There is a bit of hyperbole here, but what is a blog without that )   Bu...

We had a short trip to the high ranges but had to return early because of a family member’s demise. Though it lasted just around 24 hours, something in that brief time refreshed our souls. Yes, there were friends who opened their home to us, and that certainly added to the experience.  But the mountains, the forests, the cardamom plantations, the myriad birds, and the smell of wet soil had a calming effect on the soul. Even in high‑rises, and polluted cities, people create small terrace and balcony gardens, seeking that indescribable comfort only living plants seem to offer. I wonder why nature refreshes us so deeply.  While we were there, we received the message of a family member’s passing — young in age too. The thought that came to my mind was this: all it takes is one moment to return to the earth from which we originally come. Is it this original connection to nature and creation that refreshes our souls? One of the mystic writers calls trees and mountains our brothers a...

I have been reading books on technology these days. One recent reading was particularly interesting. It explored new developments and how they are influencing the world at large. A summary is given here: “The blind can now see by bionic eyes. The paralyzed can walk by Neuro stimulation. While no one has yet multiplied loaves and fishes to feed the hungry, we can now grow fish from stem cells to accomplish the same miracle of provision.  Certainly, the terminology has changed. The grandiosity of ‘omnipresence’ and ‘omniscience’ has been replaced by the prosaic ‘Zoom’ and ‘Google’ - but the underlying superpowers are the same. Technology now performs what once belonged to myth. We summon cars, conjure meals, and speak across continents as casually as across a room.  Creation, healing, communication, and even nature itself bend to human imagination. If this isn’t magic, what is? ( And affirming the theme  that humans are as gods ).  And yet, for all this wonde...

I watched a children’s movie last week –  Swapped (Netflix) . (Yes, I still watch children’s movies; the child in me lifts its head and its desires now and then. I wish it did so more often, but most of the time it stays suppressed.). This blog is a movie review too.  (I am not advertising Netflix). The story goes like this: The Pookoo live by one rule: hide today, alive tomorrow. For ages, these chipmunk‑like creatures thrived on their quiet island in the middle of the valley river. Predators were rare, piplet seeds were abundant, and life was predictable. But Ollie was different. Curious and eager to explore, he ventured beyond the island and introduced himself to a Javan - a bird. Though the Javan couldn’t understand him, Ollie taught it how to open piplet pods. Unfortunately, Ivy, the bird, summoned its entire flock. Soon, Javans swarmed the island, devouring every seed. The Pookoo were forced underground, scraping by on leftovers as winter approached. Ollie blamed hi...

Let me start with a disclaimer – The thoughts and characters in this piece arise from imagination and experience. If they seem to echo anyone in real life, that resemblance is unintended.   I am confused a lot these days. Nothing special about it; I usually am. But it is more than just confusion – a  Disorienting Dilemma . Two decades ago, when I was travelling frequently, I would visit every bookshop I could, especially at railway stations and airports. I used to see more books on atheism, trying to disprove religions as a myth. Today, I see more books on religion. Not spirituality, but more about religion and religiosity and history of the same.  In my middle age, I was almost certain that the world was becoming more secular and irreligious; today, there seems to be a renaissance of religiosity. But is there a renaissance of spirituality? I am not too sure. Just to clarify – Religiosity is about belonging to a tradition, while spirituality is about personally seeking th...