One of my favourite Zen Stories tells the tale of two monks travelling together. As usual, they walked in deep silence. They came across a shallow spring on the way. A lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash was standing there, obviously worried about spoiling her clothes while crossing the stream. One of the monks lifted her in his arms and carried her over the stream.
His companion was shocked with his colleague’s act of sacrilege. Yet, he maintained his silence until the night when they halted to rest. Now he could no longer restrain himself. “We monks have sworn not to touch women,” he burst out, “Yet how could you carry her?” The first monk replied peacefully, “I left that girl on the other side of the stream. It is you who still carries her in your mind!”
So often we hold on to thoughts that are irrelevant in the larger scope of the situation. So often we carry emotions which are nothing but a burden that weighs heavy on us. So often we hold on so tight to past experiences that we fail to understand that those very experiences hold us in a tighter vice that chokes progressive thinking. It seizes our mind and clouds our perspective.
It is said so well by someone, “forget learning… learn forgetting”. We need to let go the unnecessary if we want to move on in life. For every harvested crop of experience, we need to be better at sifting the grain of understanding from the chaff of misapprehension and misinterpretation. Let’s learn to let go of the superfluous and hold on to the more significant aspects of life.
To BE BETTER at moving ahead in life…
let’s let go of irrelevant thought-strife!
- Pravin K. Sabnis
Monday, April 27, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
VIEW WITH A ZOOM
In less than ten minutes, the 1977 short film "Powers of Ten" depicts the relative scale of things in the Universe using factors of ten. The film, made by Ray and Charles Eames, is an adaptation of the 1957 book Cosmic View by Kees Boeke.
It begins with a view from one meter above (100) of a man resting on a blanket. The camera then slowly zooms out to a view ten meters above (101) to show that the man is at a picnic in a park. The camera further pans to a view of 100 meters (102) to show that the picnic is taking place on Chicago's lakefront. Further on we see on the way the views of Lake Michigan, our earth, our solar system, the Milky Way… the zoom continuing to a view of 1024 meters - the size of the observable universe.
The camera then zooms back to the man's hand and moves on to zoom into views of negative powers of ten -10−1 m (10 centimeters), and so forth. The zoom moves the range from the surface of the skin to the inside right up to the proton in a carbon atom at 10−16 meter. The film thus travels two extreme extents of our universe.
However, the lessons from the film go beyond the attempt to understand the universe… they guide us on how to be better at understanding our situation. We need to travel the journey between the larger-picture and the smaller-picture to see ourselves and our situation from a perspective that moves from a wide-angle outlook to a deeper insight. It is only such perspectives that will help us comprehend the larger vision and the minute intricacies of the situation that surrounds us.
To BE BETTER at understanding our situation…
let’s learn to zoom to the powers of ten’s vision!
- Pravin K. Sabnis
It begins with a view from one meter above (100) of a man resting on a blanket. The camera then slowly zooms out to a view ten meters above (101) to show that the man is at a picnic in a park. The camera further pans to a view of 100 meters (102) to show that the picnic is taking place on Chicago's lakefront. Further on we see on the way the views of Lake Michigan, our earth, our solar system, the Milky Way… the zoom continuing to a view of 1024 meters - the size of the observable universe.
The camera then zooms back to the man's hand and moves on to zoom into views of negative powers of ten -10−1 m (10 centimeters), and so forth. The zoom moves the range from the surface of the skin to the inside right up to the proton in a carbon atom at 10−16 meter. The film thus travels two extreme extents of our universe.
However, the lessons from the film go beyond the attempt to understand the universe… they guide us on how to be better at understanding our situation. We need to travel the journey between the larger-picture and the smaller-picture to see ourselves and our situation from a perspective that moves from a wide-angle outlook to a deeper insight. It is only such perspectives that will help us comprehend the larger vision and the minute intricacies of the situation that surrounds us.
To BE BETTER at understanding our situation…
let’s learn to zoom to the powers of ten’s vision!
- Pravin K. Sabnis
Monday, March 30, 2009
UNDERSTANDING
Last Thursday, poetry films were screened at the International Centre, Goa. In the discussion that followed a couple of youngsters candidly expressed their inability to understand all the films. So often, so many of us believe that we do not possess the ability to “understand” works of creativity like poetry, paintings, films, plays, etc. And hence we find a ‘disconnect’ with creative arts, music, dance, politics, technology… the list can go on and on!
But do we ‘understand’ everything we indulge in? Let’s take the case of our major national craze – cricket! Most of us would not ‘understand’ the difference between a googly and a chinaman or between swing and reverse swing. The spectators of cricket or so many other sports enjoy the game for various other reasons like the excitement of competitiveness, the face-off between brute strength and skilful grace, etc.
Before we ‘understand’, we have to ‘experience’. Edison once stated that the thought of understanding comes from the two simple words under and stand. Hence it is necessary to undergo new experiences with an open mind and ‘stand’ within that experience for a sufficient period so as understanding to occur. The more we ‘stand under’ a happening, we will be better at comprehending the facets of that experience.
We were all born to ‘understand’ but we are conditioned to believe that ‘understanding’ is a talent that is belongs to a select few. As babies we could appreciate colour, shapes, sound and movements because we would approach everything with an open mind and an inquisitive approach. After all, for each of the things we understand over the years… the lesson is simple: we learnt to crawl, before we could walk and run.
‘Understanding’ is not a consequence of inborn aptitude…
We need to BE BETTER at keeping an open attitude!
- Pravin K. Sabnis
But do we ‘understand’ everything we indulge in? Let’s take the case of our major national craze – cricket! Most of us would not ‘understand’ the difference between a googly and a chinaman or between swing and reverse swing. The spectators of cricket or so many other sports enjoy the game for various other reasons like the excitement of competitiveness, the face-off between brute strength and skilful grace, etc.
Before we ‘understand’, we have to ‘experience’. Edison once stated that the thought of understanding comes from the two simple words under and stand. Hence it is necessary to undergo new experiences with an open mind and ‘stand’ within that experience for a sufficient period so as understanding to occur. The more we ‘stand under’ a happening, we will be better at comprehending the facets of that experience.
We were all born to ‘understand’ but we are conditioned to believe that ‘understanding’ is a talent that is belongs to a select few. As babies we could appreciate colour, shapes, sound and movements because we would approach everything with an open mind and an inquisitive approach. After all, for each of the things we understand over the years… the lesson is simple: we learnt to crawl, before we could walk and run.
‘Understanding’ is not a consequence of inborn aptitude…
We need to BE BETTER at keeping an open attitude!
- Pravin K. Sabnis
Monday, March 23, 2009
THE UNCERTAINTY OF DEATH
Some stories that we read in our childhood seem meaningful much later in life. One such story told the predicament of a young man seized by an existential dilemma. He felt life was futile since death was not in his control. He believed that anything initiated by him could be in vain if death were to make its uninvited appearance. He wondered in the wisdom of living under the sword of uncertainty of death.
Eventually, the young man decided to commit suicide. As he walked to the cliff (he intended to jump off) his mind’s eye began looking back at his life. He revisited his various experiences from childhood to the present. He still had not reached the cliff, so his mind moved to the future. He began visualising the reactions of people to his death. His imagination projected a common response, “Look, he has killed himself!”
The young man realised that his demise would be of his own choice, by his own method and at his own selected time and place. He immediately realised that he had a possible control over his death. The thought exposed him to a wider consciousness that the glorious uncertainties of life were more empowering than the destabilising uncertainty of death. He turned back from his tracks and moved on to take head-on the challenges of life… and death!
So often, we give up on doing things we like to do just because we are convinced of the certainty of failure. Surely this is similar to giving up on life, just because death is a certainty. It is necessary for us to understand that we can be the ones who fail ourselves. It is this succumbing to failure that must make way for steady resolve. Let’s not worry too much about failure or death and the uncertainties that surround them. We must connect to our passion and purpose in life.
It is on this very day that Bhagat Singh died at the age of 23. Alexander died at the age of 32 years. Mozart died at the age of 35. Swami Vivekananda died at the age of 39. Let’s learn from the many examples of people who were able to live worthwhile lives, despite dying young. Bhagat Singh wrote, “Jeena hai tho marna seekho yaaro”. (to live we need to learn to die)
Do not surrender to death before its coming…
Let’s BE BETTER at empowering our living!
- Pravin K. Sabnis
Eventually, the young man decided to commit suicide. As he walked to the cliff (he intended to jump off) his mind’s eye began looking back at his life. He revisited his various experiences from childhood to the present. He still had not reached the cliff, so his mind moved to the future. He began visualising the reactions of people to his death. His imagination projected a common response, “Look, he has killed himself!”
The young man realised that his demise would be of his own choice, by his own method and at his own selected time and place. He immediately realised that he had a possible control over his death. The thought exposed him to a wider consciousness that the glorious uncertainties of life were more empowering than the destabilising uncertainty of death. He turned back from his tracks and moved on to take head-on the challenges of life… and death!
So often, we give up on doing things we like to do just because we are convinced of the certainty of failure. Surely this is similar to giving up on life, just because death is a certainty. It is necessary for us to understand that we can be the ones who fail ourselves. It is this succumbing to failure that must make way for steady resolve. Let’s not worry too much about failure or death and the uncertainties that surround them. We must connect to our passion and purpose in life.
It is on this very day that Bhagat Singh died at the age of 23. Alexander died at the age of 32 years. Mozart died at the age of 35. Swami Vivekananda died at the age of 39. Let’s learn from the many examples of people who were able to live worthwhile lives, despite dying young. Bhagat Singh wrote, “Jeena hai tho marna seekho yaaro”. (to live we need to learn to die)
Do not surrender to death before its coming…
Let’s BE BETTER at empowering our living!
- Pravin K. Sabnis
Monday, February 23, 2009
FORTE
The Marathi film, “Majhi Goshta” (My Story) was screened on last Friday at the International Centre, Goa. The film reveals the travails and the travel of a schizophrenic patient who gets timely help and guidance to discover his self-actualisation in music. The screening was followed by a discussion with acclaimed actor and psychiatrist, Dr Mohan Agashe.
During the discussion, a lady raised a very pertinent point… Films like Taare Zameen Par and Mhaji Goshta generally tend to show protagonists overcoming the handicaps of dyslexia and schizophrenia due to possessing talents like painting or music. She wondered whether this would convey rare exceptions as a rule and hence create a wrong impression in the minds of the audience.
In response to the query, Agashe chose to show another movie – a one-minute animation film made as part of a contest in Chennai. The movie showed a handicapped person being asked about his forte. The questioner was consistent in hurling his queries… Can you paint? Can you sing? Can you do something special? Each time the answer was a humble “no” till the person at the receiving end turned around and asked, “Can you (do any of the things you expect me to do)?”
Too often, we insist that our children, subordinates and others should be extraordinary personalities with gifted specialities. Looking around, we will notice that it is not the people with the best talents or techniques who make a huge difference, but it is the people with the right temperament. We need to be better (at inculcating in ourselves and encouraging in others) the real forte - the right attitude! And the right attitude is one that ensures a developmental approach rather than a judgemental one.
Do not fret and frown at the handicap of a lesser aptitude…
Genuine forte is to BE BETTER at empowering a noble attitude!
- Pravin
During the discussion, a lady raised a very pertinent point… Films like Taare Zameen Par and Mhaji Goshta generally tend to show protagonists overcoming the handicaps of dyslexia and schizophrenia due to possessing talents like painting or music. She wondered whether this would convey rare exceptions as a rule and hence create a wrong impression in the minds of the audience.
In response to the query, Agashe chose to show another movie – a one-minute animation film made as part of a contest in Chennai. The movie showed a handicapped person being asked about his forte. The questioner was consistent in hurling his queries… Can you paint? Can you sing? Can you do something special? Each time the answer was a humble “no” till the person at the receiving end turned around and asked, “Can you (do any of the things you expect me to do)?”
Too often, we insist that our children, subordinates and others should be extraordinary personalities with gifted specialities. Looking around, we will notice that it is not the people with the best talents or techniques who make a huge difference, but it is the people with the right temperament. We need to be better (at inculcating in ourselves and encouraging in others) the real forte - the right attitude! And the right attitude is one that ensures a developmental approach rather than a judgemental one.
Do not fret and frown at the handicap of a lesser aptitude…
Genuine forte is to BE BETTER at empowering a noble attitude!
- Pravin
Monday, February 9, 2009
A PATCH OF HUMOUR
A woman had a below-knee amputation as a result of having diabetes and smoking all of her life. When she was regaining consciousness in the Recovery Unit, her doctor-son smiled at her and said ‘Well mum, how does it feel to have one leg in the grave?’ She laughed out loud. Till the day she died, she told that story to her friends and each time, she laughed again.
The son, Dr. Patch Adams is an inspirational icon who has changed the despair of his patients with his cheerful clowning! Convinced of the powerful connection between environment and health, he employed many creative ways in using humour to bring hope and healing to his patients... including dressing up like a clown and decorating the patient’s bed with colourfull balloons. Along with friends, Patch founded a model "happy" hospital – the Gesundheit Institute – where the pain of patients is treated with a patch of humour.
Humour helps because smiling and laughing triggers the secretions of morphine-like chemicals known as endorphins. Endorphins strengthen the immune system (responsible for fighting disease and enhancing recovery), reduce pain, and relax the body. Humour also works because it distracts people from their worries and pain and it restores perspective. Humour doesn’t alter the situation, but it helps you to cope with the pain.
Surely, we can learn from the example of Dr. Patch Adams. Surely we can “be better” at facing every despair with a genuine display of care and humour. Surely we can spread cheer and hope by lifting the spirits of those who seem to have succumbed to the situation. And of course, we must start with our own selves by seeing the positives in every problem that seizes us!
To BE BETTER at taking every hindrance head-on
We must choose to sing the positive humour song…
- Pravin
The son, Dr. Patch Adams is an inspirational icon who has changed the despair of his patients with his cheerful clowning! Convinced of the powerful connection between environment and health, he employed many creative ways in using humour to bring hope and healing to his patients... including dressing up like a clown and decorating the patient’s bed with colourfull balloons. Along with friends, Patch founded a model "happy" hospital – the Gesundheit Institute – where the pain of patients is treated with a patch of humour.
Humour helps because smiling and laughing triggers the secretions of morphine-like chemicals known as endorphins. Endorphins strengthen the immune system (responsible for fighting disease and enhancing recovery), reduce pain, and relax the body. Humour also works because it distracts people from their worries and pain and it restores perspective. Humour doesn’t alter the situation, but it helps you to cope with the pain.
Surely, we can learn from the example of Dr. Patch Adams. Surely we can “be better” at facing every despair with a genuine display of care and humour. Surely we can spread cheer and hope by lifting the spirits of those who seem to have succumbed to the situation. And of course, we must start with our own selves by seeing the positives in every problem that seizes us!
To BE BETTER at taking every hindrance head-on
We must choose to sing the positive humour song…
- Pravin
Monday, February 2, 2009
RAGE CONTROL
An ancient Zen story tells the tale of a young man who easily succumbed to the emotion of anger. The aftermath of his uncontrollable fury would leave him regretting his words, actions and behaviour. He wished to control his unruly rage and went seeking solution from a renowned Zen Master.
On meeting the Master, he complained: "Master, I have an ungovernable temper. How can I cure it?" The Master calmly replied, "You have something very strange. Can I see what you have?" The young man was stunned with the bizarre request. He replied, “But Master, I am not angry, right now… hence I cannot show it to you."
The master persisted, "so when can you show it to me?" The young man responded,
"My anger arises unexpectedly. I cannot say when it might seize me again…” Immediately, the wise man proclaimed, "then surely, it must not be your own true nature. If it were, you could show it to me at any time."
To BE BETTER at overcoming and managing the emotion of anger, we must first accept responsibility and then take control of our thoughts and behaviour. So often we delude ourselves by believing that negative behavioural traits are habits that cannot be overwhelmed. But we need to remind ourselves, that restraining rage is just like controlling any other destructive habit. Like other habits, we have acquired it… and like other habits it can be unlearnt.
It is we who picked up rage as just another regressive habit…
To BE BETTER at being in control, it is we who must drop it!
- Pravin
On meeting the Master, he complained: "Master, I have an ungovernable temper. How can I cure it?" The Master calmly replied, "You have something very strange. Can I see what you have?" The young man was stunned with the bizarre request. He replied, “But Master, I am not angry, right now… hence I cannot show it to you."
The master persisted, "so when can you show it to me?" The young man responded,
"My anger arises unexpectedly. I cannot say when it might seize me again…” Immediately, the wise man proclaimed, "then surely, it must not be your own true nature. If it were, you could show it to me at any time."
To BE BETTER at overcoming and managing the emotion of anger, we must first accept responsibility and then take control of our thoughts and behaviour. So often we delude ourselves by believing that negative behavioural traits are habits that cannot be overwhelmed. But we need to remind ourselves, that restraining rage is just like controlling any other destructive habit. Like other habits, we have acquired it… and like other habits it can be unlearnt.
It is we who picked up rage as just another regressive habit…
To BE BETTER at being in control, it is we who must drop it!
- Pravin
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