Reaching There

All of us have a lot of questions that seem to popup on a regular basis in the curious minds. Do I have a purpose in my life? Where do I come from and where am I going? What is life and death? I believe it's perfectly "sane" to think about these questions seriously and do research to make the answers more clearer as we progress in life (or as we come a day closer to an eventual death). I recently saw a video of a debate between Richard Dawkins and Rowan Williams the Archbishop of Canterbury. The topic of the debate seemed a very appropriate topic to listen about from two learned minds - Human Beings & Ultimate Origin. I wasn't expecting any answers to my questions but the curious nose leads to various directions and sometimes I let it lead me (yeah, guilty). The debate on Human Beings included the theory of Natural Selection propounded by Charles Darwin more than hundred & fifty years ago. The idea of tree of life that began in a primordial sou...

I started delving with the ideas of atheism and spiritualism lately. It all started with a comment that religious faith is blind with ignorance towards scientific methodology of evidence or mathematical proof. You can read more about the post here .  Which lead to further contemplation on the topic, which seemed to have permanently ingrained itself in my mind. However I realized there was a fundamental difference between Western atheism,   Abrahamic   religions and   Vedic   spiritualism. I'll only go into atheism and my spiritualism. Western atheism arises from the debate between creation versus evolution. Modern scientists refuted the claims such as Earth was at the center of the universe or the universe is a few thousand years old. Over the course of Western history it was proven the infinite magnitude of universe (even multiverse). Thus evolved the modern science, which included stalwarts like Sir Issac Newton, Nicolaus Copernicus  and other open m...

I'm stripping layers of my skin; when I write. It's a wonderful feeling within; when I write. I'm holding nothing back and there's no fear. All of me is out there for you; loud and clear. I'm surprised how much I had to say; to You. Words like steps on water; just going through! I'm completely naked; stripped of all ego now? On the gates of time, ready to take the last bow?

There is a chasm of fundamental difference between atheism and religion as defined by the humankind.  When I say atheists I refer to all the men of science who need a mathematical or logical proof of life beyond our life. These are the self-proclaimed men of proof that believe that factual evidence leads to lesser evils; evidence leads to intelligent human beings behaving rationally and morality is an outcome of human evolution, from hunters to builders, rather than a faculty that draws power from a moral code of conduct defined by greater consciousness. The supernaturalistic beliefs lead to irrationality and religious zeal ultimately ending in bigotry. That's their problem with religion and hence the atheistic call for freedom from such beliefs that are non-scientific. Religion in today's (since recorded human history) world has been reduced to belief in miracles and pestering requests for materialism from a supernatural being. The fundamental philosophy points th...

On a recent visit to The Daily Show by Jon Stewart, evolutionary biologist, Richard Dawkins, described faith as belief without evidence (and not positive). It's easy to label religion or spiritualism with a tag word of fanaticism due to the current events the world is embroiled in. It is also very easy to assign the tag of stubbornness because of the so called conservatives who would misinterpret every scripture to spread spiteful propaganda. Unfortunately this is the state of world we live in the modern society.  However, I find these arguments thrown in various forms of media all too easily; almost readily available like a No Income/No Asset mortgages in the world prior to economic crisis of 2008. A rather extended analogy but that's how easy it is to blame religion or spiritualism in today's world. Moving from one to another; the elephant of mulishness is real (in reality elephants are quite smart animals and have been here before the biped mammals learnt to hunt) ...

Most of us are all too familiar with the daily grind of a workplace. All the workplaces are alike although the culture may differ slightly.  We know the pain of going through excruciating meetings that manage to belabour a simple thing to gigantic proportions of absurdity (similar to this sentence, I must say)! "Meetings are poisonous"; they kill productivity. Oddly enough (or is it?) Outlook cannot show a 15 minute meeting, it works in a step size of 30 minutes.  Sorry, 15 minutes = 30 minutes, huh? This would be my mantra; try to make meetings as short as possible. To make it simple; I liked the book and the SMS-like advices it gave.  I don't have much to write so I'll let some of the highlights from the book to speak for itself. As you would deduce, these are the things I liked in the book. Learn to say no - it's a rare trait to learn! One of my favorites - teaching sincerely goes a long way to earn a loyal customer  My ...

Discovery Channel - Reality TV TLC - Reality TV History Channel - Reality TV I'm not much of television person and the list of shows on these channels isn't going to particularly interest me either. It's so funny that reality television is so far from reality and in past few years this junk has grown faster than fast food (please read junk food) chains. I never really understood the purpose of reality TV. Is it providing an insight into the everyday life of people? I don't know if having tens of cameras following you is leaving any room for originality. Also don't forget the pressure of producers that want to achieve a set viewer rating. The commercialization is evident in pop-culture, Sheldon Cooper (from The Big Bang Theory) says, "He owns Fox and they canceled Firefly"; when he is creating a list of traitors. So everything is about what people want and any shred of "what people need" is not a commercially viable option. I am s...

A thought comes dashing in from nothingness, I catch it, I feel it and I throw it back to nether. It comes back again, it's more evolved this time. It tries to make a bond and explore us further. I say hi! It tries to go away but I hold it tight. I want to talk to you; as I slowly try to tether. It keeps bouncing all around; stay with me! I beckon at first; then I shout, "come hither". It's broken now, but eyes open and astound. I say don't worry; "all your pieces I'll gather". It's a simple idea that came to me when I had finished watching Cate Blanchett's interview . She talks about dance as when "language is dispensed and distilled down to a gesture". In a way I feel thinking is dancing with thought(s). An idea knocks at the door, you let it come in and you form a relationship with it.  You hold hands, dance together and probably end up taking it with you to a private corner of your mind. It co...

I want to write a love song for you. More cheesy than the pizza we had. I know I stole all the mushrooms. You said you were cool about that. I don't want to sit on the other side! It's more fun to steal from your hand. I will take you for a long ride on bike. A few inches closer with every bump. So while reading this just remember me. I'm waiting for the next time we will eat. I plan to steal a littler more than we planned. Holding your hand walking down the street. I wish I could write like Matt Nathanson. He is a great writer. This short poem that came riding into my mind  while going through Matt Nathanson songs. Someone will understand it. The night is young, but we are younger. Time is on our side. Kill the lights. Matt Nathanson (Kill the lights from  Last of the Great Pretenders)

Scene 1 FADE IN INT: TWO FRIENDS SITTING IN A CAR, WAITING FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT TO GO GREEN.  A How can you stay silent (all the time)? B Hmm, An acute case of neurosis, or perhaps some kind of autism spectrum disorder, or you know what it could be that I lack necessary social skills? A Don't kid me. I'm really serious about this! B It could be any of these or most likely none. I'm not crazy, although my mother never had me tested. A bit of Sheldon Cooper here (laughs). A Come on! I'm worried about you, man! B It's just the way I am. I've been programmed to not to talk a lot! The word programmed didn't help my case much, did it? A You gotta tell me more. B The best possible way I can describe myself is, I am lost! It's a strange word, on one hand it implies being doomed but it can also mean I'm lost in some profound thoughts. So which one is it? Um, well it depends on the time of day. A...

In a project sometimes the planning becomes too complicated leading to a blurry picture of the end result and a disenchanted team. To make it simple....it sucks, it sucks like a wet dry wax (I would never forget this quote from Mr. Mark Ruffalo). It really sucks! A whole lot of projects have failed in the past - one of the primary reasons is growing complexity. Or is it growing complexity or lack of efforts to increase simplicity? Are simplicity and complexity correlated or as a physicist would say the two properties are inversely proportional. I too have been guilty of making things too complicated....really...duh! In my personal life I clutter a lot of emotions that overwhelm in the most dire times of my life. Those are the times "picking my brain" really helps. It's the time when you throw out the complexities one by one. I don't have a practical methodology that can help you to make it simple. I can only say when times are tough; just take a step back an...

My head's a stereo I can't turn off.  You said I should learn to sing along. My sentiments exactly when I listen to any Matt Nathanson song. I have been a fan ever since I listened to "I Saw" about four years back. I can say he is my all-time favourite singer and songwriter. He has this genius-like ability to bring together unrelated words into a coherent string of poetic melody and that oozes raw energy from each and every word. From "Farewell, December" I felt alive, for the first time in my life. I held you tight, and the crowd sang Auld Lang Syne. As a writer I love the "raw" energy that comes out of something that's done without inhibitions and boundaries. In his Facebook page Matt Nathanson says something that we should keep in mind every time we dare ( or dream ) to create. music deserves more than that. it deserves honesty, at all costs. it deserves our uninhibited, weird selves. So next time an inspirations makes i...

While waiting for my friends Inside The Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago a thought came racing to my mind. I was awestruck by the rawness of it.  It was a simple question - do I believe in God or do I believe in the existence of God? If I believed in God I would consider myself the luckiest person alive.  However if I just believed in the existence of God I would be always filled with a doubt. I'm trying to move from the believe in existence to unwavering belief. Where are you? Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right. Abraham Lincoln  Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_god.html#C7J2sqUyEBgTraGS.99 

AT THE END by Pushkar Bajpai SCENE 1 FADE IN INT: A BUSTLING OFFICE IN A HIGH-RISE. PEOPLE STARING AT THEIR COMPUTER MONITORS. A YOUNG MAN INCLINING BACK ON HIS CHAIR WITH HIS HANDS RESTING ON HIS CHIN. ANOTHER MAN STANDING BESIDES HIM WITH HIS LEGS SHAKING NERVOUSLY. MAN (slightly perturbed): The deadline is in just another hour! YOUNG MAN (calm and relaxed): Oye! It's fine. I kinda work better under pressure. I know about the deadline, just chill...this will be the best report..I tell you (smiles). FADE OUT SCENE 2 FADE IN INT: A ROOM CLUTTERED WITH BOOKS AND USED CLOTHES LYING AROUND. A YOUNG MAN LYING LAZILY ON A BED STARING AT THE CEILING. A NONCHALANT LOOK ON HIS FACE. FADE IN YOUNG MAN (wondering and talking to himself) What time is it? ....oh my God! I need to get up and have my breakfast. (phone rings) Hey, I'll be there in another 1 hour...I promise (he jumps up to get ready). FADE OUT SCENE 3 FADE I...

A lot of theories of everything - that is the state of science in these modern times. There is a classical theory of physics describing the motion of macroscopic objects like you, me and the millions of cars buzzing around us.  And there is a quantum theory that cuts the atoms into pieces million million (for exact measurement check out here ) times smaller until it starts behaving like strings in a space where more than four dimensions are compressed in their wavy dance! There are a few theories out there that are trying to explain the creation of universe. Ever since Edwin Hubble observed that universe is expanding the scientists, physicists, astronomers and almost everybody else is talking about the Big Bang . There is almost a theory of everything. A theory goes that our universe is like a soap bubble in a bath of soap bubbles - a multiverse . The number of universes in a multiverse are infinite. Is the multiverse itself infinite? In this infinite universe ...

I'm not a Physicist. However the wondrous nature of the universe entices me rather than the complexity and uncertainty of the mathematics that is used to describe the rules that govern the universe we live in. Apologies to my mathematician friends but I don't "feel" the equations yet. Christian Huygens attributed certain characteristics of light, like change of speed in different medium and refraction, to the wave-like behaviour of light. Sir Issac Newton firmly believed in the particle-like nature of light based on his observations on the phenomenon of reflection & refraction. Maxwell, Planck and Einstein later provided sufficient mathematical, empirical and theoretical evidence to convince the scientific to sing the song of wave-particle duality. It's a strange behaviour to say the least, something that behaves in two different ways simultaneously; kinda like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde of R. L. Stevenson. It's a cumbersome process to come up...

I am fascinated by the idea of aliens. I do believe in the line from the movie Contact - if we're all alone in this universe, it sure seems like an awful waste of space . On a humorous side note, even Steven Spielberg believes in aliens ; didn't surprise me at all! The idea of alien seems to bifurcate the otherwise open-minded scientific community into 'Hmm-not-so-sure' and 'We-should-keep-looking'. The proof of life is evident in conditions labeled hazardous by homo sapiens' norms. In fact, Biology has a word for organisms that survive in extreme conditions - extremophile. Microbes were found thriving in extreme conditions of Mariana Trench , 11 kilometers deep and a pressure of over 1000 times we human beings face on surface. "Life finds a way", said Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum's character in the movie Jurassic Park). Despite being afflicted with cardinal sins and many more; us humans are capable of reaching highest of achievements. ...