Category: Spiritual

How can we erase bad memories?

Human experiences are a collation of good and bad incidences, events and experiences. Our experiences uniquely define us. It is absolutely understandable when we lose those blemishes and get that onslaught from those trepidations of life. Often, we our adverse experiences influence our current perception and create an unwanted filter that muddles our normal interaction.  Often, it leaves us in agony and that agony consumes a lot of our energies. How do we do that? Understanding, appreciating and respecting our individual experiences.

Understanding the blemishes

I often equate it with a utensil that comes out of a factory. When it is manufactured, just out in the open market, it is shining, glistening and unblemished. As this moves forward in life, it starts losing it glitter, often getting into skirmishes and sometimes indentations, small and big. Some of those completely deface the utensil but most often, we see lost glitter, some small indentations. That state defines the identity of the utensil. It is hard to bring the original shine or remove those indentations. Why?

Comparing is our two edged sword

Because we compare this state with that original just manufactured state. Comparing is our worst enemy, comparing with our original state, comparing with our peers, comparing with our siblings and comparing with our competitors. Somewhere, while comparing degrades ourselves. Ideally, comparison offers a benchmark that should provide an insight, however, we compare quantitatively and qualitatively with utter disregards to that insight.

Accepting the glory of our experiences

Let me give another example. What is so good about a soldier who never sustained any injuries? We feel proud about the injuries a soldier sustains while in the battle field. On the contrary, if a soldier protects himself from such injuries to maintain his cosmetic semblance to original handsome state, one would hardly be impressed with that.

Life’s journey is similar; we should feel proud about those moments and cherish those as our unique experiences. Those onslaughts are truly unique moments that define our life, our wisdom and our new self.

Recognizing and honoring the wisdom within

Let us imagine a life of a student graduating from college. He labored hard for the required period of time to gain that knowledge and wisdom. Those experiences have changed her/his perception and deeply defined his views. What if he comes to use his old repository of knowledge and think in the same old fashioned way? This is certainly not acceptable to anyone. Real life is similarly a school where we learn and accumulate our own set of experiences and gain knowledge that reflects, eventually as wisdom. We have to feel proud about our own experiences.

Coming back to the journey of soul through this material world, we can change our own perception of human experiences, we can stop comparing and if we try enjoying the new battle hardened state, understand that this is the true existence and appreciate the beauty, assimilate those strains of life, and cherish that as part of our cycle of karma, we should lessen or possibly remove and delete the pain from those estranged and tangled memories.

Yes, we change the perception of our battle hardened Karma.

That Tribal ‘Forward’ Instinct

Facebook, WhatsApp and other News Media have only consolidated our beleaguered self. We want to spread the news before anyone. Any sensational news, irrespective of its impact on the common man, or the society in general, are circulated without due diligence.

I have two interesting stories to share – first, a hoax that is spreading on cancer and the second one, a notion that our religion or faith is under threat or fire.

For those without any technical understanding on cancer, it is a disease that is a consequence of loss of control by the body mechanism over it’s ability to stop incessant multiplication and subsequent spread beyond the organ of origin. This spread correlates with the stages of cancer, which most of my non medical readers are aware. Transformation of a normal cell to cancer is one of the most complex mechanisms, and every organ has multiple pathways of deregulations and within each organ, subtle differences exists that make certain cancers more dreaded than others. However, suffice it to say that current scientific literature is devoid of any evidence that links Vitamin B17 (Amygdalin or Laetrile). It is DEFINITELY NOT DUE TO DEFICIENCY OF VITAMIN B17.

Amygdaline

You may visit one of the latest landmark work in this field by Bode and Dong, ‘Toxic phytochemicals and their potential risks for human cancer’ (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4289646/).

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Cancer is not a disease but a deficiency and manufactured by the drug industry

The hoax:

Cancer is not a disease but a deficiency of Vitamin B: It was a Sunday morning and as usual, a friend forwarded that. Of course his understanding on cancer is miniscule. However, worst, the same story was received from a retired professor from a medical school.

Sometimes, I fail to understand the logic. Some semi-experts who work on the fringe or periphery of the field, having some semblance of understanding about cancer, put up facts and fiction and circulate these stories. It is mainstream fashion to add little science and mix with much fiction (not tested hypothesis) and make a juicy story that will catch the imagination of the common man. I also fail to understand how these people think that all the researchers, all the medical practitioners and the entire paraprofessionals working in the field lack ethics and values. They ultimately try to prove that are the demystifier of the falsehood and the ultimate revealers of truth. By falsely claiming so, they not only malign and tarnish the ethos, values and hard work of all the people working in the field but end up widening the existing sense of trust deficit within the system.

The truth:

If you carefully see the picture below or review this with a doctor who has had fundamental learning (didactics) in pathology, I bet by consensus, you will find them disagreeing on the picture of cancer below. Anyone having seen cancer cells under a microscope will agree that the picture below has no resemblance to cancer cell. However, it has a closer resemblance, possibly to an imaginary octopus.

The link to that hoax – cancer is not a disease; it is a business. Cancer consists of only a deficiency of vitamin B17.

In our quest for knowledge, we are striving to understand, diagnose and manage the menace of cancer afflicting mankind. Much can be said about the progress that has achieved with cancer. However, we are humans and we are learning, every time we cross a barrier, we dismantle our earlier understanding and expand the horizons of our learning. Consequently, we see changing guidelines, part of the reason why we see differences in the practice from a decade and now.

Several links to the truth are innumerable, an important one here –

http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v10/n8/full/nm1087.html

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Our religion is under attack:

Though I cited an example of Muslim faith, Islam is not the only religion in the world that feels so. Recently, Hindus, Christians and other faith leaders are gradually immersing their ideology and believers to this proposition. So, let us understand these as phenomenon rather than a criticism for a particular religion.

It has become an in-thing to believe that one’s religion or ideology is under threat. If you presume, I am talking about Muslims, you need course correction. Believers, irrespective of religions feel their faith and ideology is under threat, or at least their so called guardians or believers want everyone, including those practicing, to believe so. The killing of a young woman in Virginia is a case in point.

Of course, this is another forward from a Muslim friend (but Muslims are not an exception) who shared news on how a Muslim girl, while leaving a Mosque after offering prayers, was killed as a consequence of a hate crime. Obviously, he wanted me to believe this happening. Being outside his religion, I could clearly see the bias and I pointed out that we should wait for the crime detection agencies to validate the cause. It can be any roadside ragamuffin who might have mugged/ attacked and it may not be a premeditated hate crime. The question was simple – a person bent on retribution will do a newsworthy act, not a roadside attack on a single person. To me, that was clearly an act of robbery rather than hate crime.

We have that tribal instinct deeply embedded within us that makes us spread rumors without validating those. It is that rudimentary instinct that does not think about responsible civic behavior. It has that uncanny childish attitude of keeping itself as the center of attraction. All these are at the cost of society, civil norms and years of systematic learning. While doing all these, we tend to forget the toll it takes on the society, the time consumed in discussing unrequired rumors, the trust deficit and the polarization that ensues.

The Hoax – The initial link from a news channel on the isolated hate crime

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/fairfax-loudoun-police-searching-for-missing-17-year-old-reported-to-have-been-assaulted/2017/06/18/02e379ac-5466-11e7-a204-ad706461fa4f_story.html

My obvious argument was to wait for the law agencies complete their investigation and prove the motive, then make an impression. Of course, such logical arguments are not liked or appreciated. As usual, this friend labeled me as ‘non-sympathetic’ towards his religion. In next 18 hours, the same newspaper published another news on the same incidence.

The truth – The story posted by same news channel 18 hours after the incidence

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/killing-of-muslim-teenager-not-being-investigated-as-a-hate-crime-police-say/2017/06/19/e7670f0a-54f0-11e7-ba90-f5875b7d1876_story.html?utm_term=.ac8cd960e97a

Let us think or validate before forwarding

We all have a responsibility to filter the information and think through the consequences of forwarding newsworthy items. Spreading sensational, unvalidated news without understanding the impact amounts to irresponsible civic behavior that may cast doubt on our character. It is closer to our tribal instincts and drowns all the civilized efforts and education we so much fashion ourselves with.

The above post was written on June 25, 2017. Adding another link on Feb 2, 2019. below.

Today is what matters most

Memory is deceiving, though meant for providing wisdom, it makes us remember yesterday. Let us put that past behind and take the nectar of wisdom with us in the future. Let us live today.

Good morning

It’s a beautiful Sunday morning out here, spring is on its way. Temperatures are just rising and plants are emerging from dormancy, birds are humming and flowers are blooming – making it an exact milieu for outdoor.

Today is what matters most

Today is a reflection of yesterday

Today is a future we build today

Today belongs to you, do that today

 

Live and enjoy today and leave the past behind, past is an existence of reality that paves way for today and that provides a vision and mission for tomorrow. Past is valuable, it’s our treasure trove, our source of wisdom, only if we know how to carve out our future optimistically and confidently.

Enjoy your day and…

Have a wonderful day!

Waiting For My Pontiff

At the morning mass on February 23, 2017, at Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis said, ‘If you are a Christian who exploits people, lead a double life or manages ‘dirty’ business, it is better not to call yourself a believer. But to be Catholic like that, it is better to be an atheist. He further added, it is that, Scandal’.

Though he said this as a sermon to Catholic Christians, we can safely extend this to all religions. Pope’s sermon at Casa Santa Marta sends a strong message for the believers. It would have amounted to blasphemy, at least with few religions. It is hard to find leaders, especially religious leaders, to espouse the cause of ‘Dharma’. Pope’s call for ‘true Dharma’ if not astounding, is truly impressive.

Amidst the deafening hustle and bustle of daily living, the deafening noise from politics, blind insensitivity from crass materialism,  spiritual priorities take significantly lesser precedence and almost completely get lost with the pace of life and competing priorities. Worst, when religious tools fall in the hands of petulant politicians or power brokers, or business, by subterfuge it takes a completely malignant form and reduces religion to disdain.

Amongst those practicing with some semblance of regularity, it gets reduced to artifacts like offering prayer, lighting candles, and reciting sermons/verses from revered texts or groping for identity, insisting on how our religious practices are superior to others. We hardly realize how deeply we are immersed with ourselves. An important aspect of religion is finally rising beyond us, as individuals or community and looking beyond and acting, with a humane perspective.

Embedded Values Inbuilt in our Moral Fabric

While most believe, moral fabric is evolutionary, I feel it is embedded within our survival and existing and defines our resilience. Those values are so deeply embedded within our moral fabric, that we yearn and ultimately derive the true meaning with solitude and reconciliation. In this crowded world with fast pace of life, we hardly get space to reconcile with our inner self with those deeply embedded  values  and religious tenets espoused by our religion – Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism etc. All religions, irrespective of the practices, offer a foundation and guiding principle for mankind to deal with the complexities of our evolution vis a vis our struggle to comprehend the existing of our living.

No Need for Proselytization or Tribal Conversion

While working as a fellow in Molecular Oncology at UT Southwestern, as a family, developed a deep bond with one of the senior colleague. Our bond was enduring and the retired professor often insisted, we should convert to her religion. My answer was simple – ‘even if I adopt your parents, my parents won’t cease to be my parents’. Proselytization is common to almost all faith. Some under the guise of emancipation, others are help and the worst, forceful conversion under threat, fear or losing modesty/esteem or social position. It is an ultimate reflection of lacking faith and trust the strength of religion. To the bigots, it is an offering to their Almighty. Will that truly help?

The struggle is searching for the real value within us and practicing those in our day to day life, changing garments won’t help, and definitely not the artifacts of practice. Especially, in today’s world, it has become immensely relevant to find the true meaning of religion within our own practice. And when we evolve as true believer, that glow will shine through our virtues and day to day practice. Possibly, those trying to impose the existing of their own religion may find this as a better practice.

A significant departure from the past

Pope’s sermon at Casa Santa Marta sends a strong message from a revered leadership. It would have amounted to blasphemy, at least with few religions! I doubt any spiritual leaders from my religion or others from Muslims, Jains, Buddhist, Jews or Sikhs would dare to say that. It is hard to find leaders, especially religious leaders, to espouse the cause of ‘Dharma’*. The pope’s call for ‘true Dharma’ is astounding and impressive. This is a very rare, and an important message for all believers, irrespective of the religion we follow. I have a lot to learn from Pope Francis, while I am awaiting my own Pontiff! May be that awakening will happen within.

(*Dharma, here refers to the ethos of religion and not to Hinduism).

Cited:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/progressivesecularhumanist/2017/02/pope-francis-better-atheist-hypocritical-catholic/pope-francis

http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/23/world/pope-atheists-again/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/02/23/pope-francis-praises-the-torah-and-suggests-its-better-to-be-an-atheist-than-a-bad-catholic/

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/02/130328-pope-francis-vatican-casa-santa-marta-apartment-rome-catholic/

 

 

All Parents (Especially mothers)

This is little long (pardon me for that), despite, I thought of sharing this.

Like many amongst us, our son is our only child and like all Indian parents do, our focus and efforts are all directed towards him. Except our professional choices (smiles), he has always been part of all aspects including decision making. I am sure, you all have similar lifestyle.

After returning home, we miss him in every corner and aspect. For this week, I was WFH for the remaining week and despite being a father, I should admit, I became recluse and was unable to focus. The sense of solitude was numbing me internally. However, I explained myself (and shared it earlier) that it is no different than his absence while he was on vacation or when I am working Mon – Thursday (from client site).

All mothers on this group, you certainly remember how you all felt when got married and left your parents. I believe, you all might have had almost similar feelings.

I recollected my days when I left my parents’ home at the same age for graduation. I had that sense of little anxiety but the feeling of independent and the professional opportunities were overwhelmingly exciting. I had a whole future ahead of me and many things to do so. I never realized I would be leaving my parents or be a guest at my home forever. I would never understand why my mother’s eyes were wet or father voice quavering. I always thought, I brought them the academic laurels and they must be happy about it. I never separated myself from my parents, brother or home. They were a constant part of my life, never separable. Parents, however, knew the truth that once I leave, I would hardly return home. I never realized their loneliness. I believe, all our kids are in the same phase.

Conversely, those parents whose kids did not qualify for best schools, are they truly happy? Kids have an exciting future ahead of them. Keeping them under our care after a certain stage may stunt their growth and actually, hinders their progress. We all have a reason to be proud that our kids had a vision and dared to take the efforts and the leap. Now, it is their turn.

These thoughts are very well reflected in “Siddharth” by Hess. It tells what “parental roon” i.e. paternal loan is. I am also sharing a story, you all will like. ‘Struggle is a friend’

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.

Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily.

But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened!

In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were allowed to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. Get off your cocoon and start to fly!!

Life is a full circle. And fulfillment of life lies in the completion of the circle.