Do we really mean a "new year"?

Well, the last day of the year 2008 has arrived. And what do we do on this day. Generally we celebrate and party overnight to enjoy the new day of the new year. We all say that the last day of the year is now over, A new day has begun. But there are thousands of people for whom there is gloom and despair everyday. There is no celebration in their lives. I am not talking about some specific group of homo sapien. I am talking about the general people who think they are celebrating the new year's eve, but all the celebration is just superficial! Do we really mean the new year a "New Year"? What newness has any new year brought to people's lives? Apart from recessions and gloom! We get up every morning brush our teeth, do our routine work, go to office, half the life gets killed there, we carry home the half life back to spend some time with the family doing what? watching tv, dining, and sleeping. Now just re-read this para 100 times. I bet you will get bored when you complete it reading 40 times. Imagine doing it for n years X 365 days. Day in, day out. That's the life of the general public. I wonder what do they mean by new-ness? What new things have you done? NONE! Humans are not born just to get good education, good "job", good income, good spouse, cute li'll kids. The human beings in the society have served you so that you stand where you are. Be it in misery or joy. When shall you serve back the society. Till when shall you live only for your selfish needs? To serve is a divine quality. God serves humans but is not the servant of the humans! People talk about being successful in life. Do you claim success when you accomplish drinking a glass of water? No because you know you can easily do it! But what you do not know is your true potential. You have no idea what you can do? Here a guru makes you aware of your potential. So that you can achieve something beyond your limited knowledge. Remember, Your sole (soul) purpose is to give. When does the question of loss arise? When there is a give and take, and you get less when you give more! But when your sole duty is to give or serve you have nothing to lose! Moreover, you have come to this world empty handed and will go empty handed. Whatever you are going to get in this world is not yours. So why bother yourself so much on petty things in life and lose the bliss. We need to make this a habit to serve others. And when everyone on this planet serves others, you will live in abundance. This is how you must live. In Abundance! And for now, get some life, folks! And do not forget to enjoy the new year.

I'll be back!

This is the famous line from the movie The Terminator. A line delivered with panache and vengeance. This reminds me of a old roman empire story. There was a man, marcius, who used to spend considerable time of the day drinking wine and lazing around in the sun. One day, there came a hefty man. The drunkard and the hefty man got hooked up in some altercation and it led to a brawl. Eventually, the drunkard got beaten up very badly. The drunkard decided to return the blows back to the hefty man. He decided to give up drinking. He started exercising daily. He slowly regained his health. Within three years he built good body. He started participating in wrestling championships and won medals & accolades. He also started learning the habits of human mind. He realised how easy it is to make a mind lazy. To do something good the mind needs effort, but to do bad things mind does it effortlessly! Marcius decided to use this against his old enemy, the hefty man. The hefty man was now a little old but strong all the same. He did not want to fight directly with the hefty man. Hefty man was a treacherous person. He used all illegal means to defeat his opponents. So Marcius had thought of a plan. Marcius made a public announcement that the man of might will fight a lion in the arena. At the same time, Marcius used his contacts to hire some prostitutes for the hefty man. Marcius also got a gift, a bottle of wine. The hefty man had mucles but not the discipline. Brawns but no brains. When the hefty man was relishing his gift, and having sensory plesures, Maricus turned up at the hefty man's abode. Marcius was totally a new man now. Virile and strong. Mentally and Physically. The hefty man did not recognise the old opponent. Marcius started extolling the amazing feats of the hefty man. He praised his strength, his skills of fight. The hefty man then angrily asked Marcius, "I have never seen you, Why do you come with such pleseantaries and praise me. What do you want of me?" Marcius skillfully said, "Sir, There is a fight with a lion. The mightiest man in the town is offered to set match with this lion. If you win this match you will be the hero in the roman empire. No one will dare to fight with you, sir!" HEaring this the hefty man agreed for the fight. The next day the hefty man and the lion were in the arena. The fight lasted for two agonizing hours. The lion & hefty man were severly wounded. Both died due to loss of blood. This story we had in our 4th std. moral science. The moral is very simple. If you lead you life in discipline then you can fight even the mightiest enemy. You do not need muscles to fight. The strength is not in muscles, it is in the mind. The fight should not be initiated to propogate violence. Fight to "end" violence. This can be achieved only when there is peace in your heart. It hardly takes any courage to fight, but to say no to the fight one requires tremendous courage. Especially those who have the strength, arm, ammo to fight but avoids using it. Astalavista, baby!

Shelfari!?!

Hey! Did you notice a new widget on the blog? Its called shelfari. Shelfari is a webiste where you have an account. And in that account you cann add the books you've read, you wish to read, or you wish to buy. You can rate the books on the scale of one to five. This is a must visit website for the voracious readers like me. The list of books in the shelf of shelfari is just 2% of what I've read. To view my current bookshelf on shelfari go to http://www.shelfari.com/omkar890 Reading is a very good habit. I know that with the advent of Cell phones, laptops, internet; reading, per se, is being slowly dispensed with. But gals and guys, I tell you there is no other joy like reading. You go to gym to pump muscles and train you body. Reading is a rigorous workout for you brain. More you read more flexible you brian will be. So keep up the habit of reading! O.A.K.

Oohh! Is that so?

Once upon a time there was a sage who had achieved highest state of consciousness. He lived a simple life of a hermit high up in the hills. At the foot hills was a village. The would often go to the village to beg alms. What ever he would get on the day he would suffice it for a week. He was a complete celibate sage. A beautiful girl in that village was pregnant. Her angry parents demanded to know who was the father. At first resistant to confess, the anxious and embarrassed girl finally pointed to sage who lived in the hills. Everyone previously revered him for living such a pure life. When the outraged parents confronted sage with their daughter's accusation, he simply replied "Is that so?" When the child was born, the parents brought it to the sage, now was viewed as a pariah by the whole village. They demanded that he take care of the child since it was his responsibility. "Is that so?" sage said calmly as he accepted the child. For many months he took very good care of the child until the daughter could no longer withstand the lie she had told. She confessed that the real father was a young man in the village whom she had tried to protect. The parents immediately went to sage to see if he would return the baby. With profuse apologies they explained what had happened. "Is that so?" sage said as he handed them the child. What did you learn from the story? Do write comments O.A.K.

Non Attachment!

A great Monk named Kitano Gempo, abbot of Eihei temple died at the age of ninety two. He believed that one must practice non attachment while enjoying the marvels of life. At the age of 22, when he was wandering monk, he came across a tobacco merchant who gave him a pipe and tobacco to smoke. "How wonderful it feels to smoke tobacco!" The monk commented. The merchant gave his pipe and some tobacco to the monk and he left. The monk then felt, 'Such pleasent things will disturb my meditation. I must stop it before it goes too far!' He stopped smoking immediately Then at the age of 28, he started studying calligraphy and poetry. Other monks and priests praised his skills. The monk felt, 'If I do not stop writing poetry and calligraphy, I will be a good poet and calligraphy artist. I will not be able to meditate.' He stopped writing poetry and calligraphy. Moral: It is very easy to get attached to the objects or people in the world. Then we believe that the joy is in the object. When we meditate or lead a spiritual life, we face hardships. Then we feel that there is no joy in the world. True. There is no joy in this world. Absolutely nothing. Because YOU are the source of joy. Everything is changing, everything. Wake up and see the reality. Wake up before its too late. :) Jai Gurudev O.A.K. Note: The image is the copyright of Karma Digital Art. All Rights Reserved.

My childhood...

I recently received an email from my friend. After reading it, I started wondering how we have changed the way we live. I loved this mail so much that I decided to post it here. Following is the excerpt from the mail: How did one survive growing up in the 70's, 80's and 90's? We had no seat belts, no airbags and sitting in the back of a truck was a treat. Our baby prams had the most gorgeous lead based colors. No such thing as tamper proof bottle tops. Opening kitchen cupboards was a breeze as safety locks were unheard off. Cycling was like a breath of fresh air. No safety helmets, knee pads or elbow pads, with plenty of cardboards between spokes to make it sound like a motorbike. When thirsty we only drank tap water, bottled water was still a mystery. We kept busy collecting bits & pieces so we could build all sort of things and we were fearless on our bikes even when the brakes failed going downhill. We were showing off how tough we are, by how high we could climb trees & then jumping down…. It was great fun…. We could stay out to play for hours, as long as we got back before dark, in time for dinner… We walked to school, or sometimes we even rode our bike. We had no mobile phones, but we always managed to find each other…. How? No one knows… We rushed to help neighbors when they were in trouble, now we do not even know who stays in our neighborhood! We lost teeth, broke arms & legs, we got cuts and bruises and bloody noses, nobody complained as we had so much fun, it wasn't anybody's fault, only ours. We ate everything in sight, cakes, bread, chocolate, ice-cream, sweet sugary drinks, yet, we stayed skinny by fooling around. And if one of us was lucky to find a 1 litre coca cola bottle we all had a swag from it & guess what? Nobody picked up any germs. We did not have Play Stations, MP3, Nintendo's, I-Pods, Video games, 99 Cable TV channels, DVD's, Home Cinema, Mobile phones, Home Computers, Laptops, Chat-rooms, Internet, etc ... BUT, we had REAL FRIENDS and not the virtual friends or avatars!!!! The present generation may boast of the ultimate and real feel games, but we have played the real games in real environment and not in the virtual environment. We used to do summer job and earn pocket money to buy colas and ice candies. Now kids go to "Second life" or "Sim city" and earn virtual money to buy virtual merchandise. We called on friends to come out to play, never rang the doorbell, just went around the back… We loved being let loose in the big bad world…without bodyguards… We played with sticks and stones, played with the top and "vitti-dandu", doctors and nurses, hide and seek, soccer games, "Lagori" or the seven stones, over and over again… When we failed our exams we were given a second chance by simply repeating the same grade…without visiting psychiatrists, psychologists or counselors… Such were the days… We had freedom, success, disappointments and responsibilities. We lived it all. Most of all, we learned to respect others. Now I know why it is said "Old is Gold" Jai Gurudev O.A.K.

I share my skills

It was really worth traveling all the way to Salil Bhaiya's home at five in the morning. After the warm-ups, padmasadhana, short kriya, Salil spoke about YES!+ SING SING stands for Share, Inspire, Nurture and Grow. It was a beautiful session but I will be talking about it later. After listening the inspiring session, I felt like sharing something with you. Some of you might be knowing that I being a finance professional, I have a lot of work on MS Excel. In the firm where I worked for past 11 months, I learn't a lot about excel. I strived to achieve mastery over it. I am not claiming that I am the master, but have learn't even the VBA codes with which I can manipulate the way excel ordinarily functions! After leaving the job for the sake of completing my professional exam of CFA, I felt that I was slowly losing out on the Excel expertise. So first I undertook a project of making a calendar. This is a unique calendar. You select the month and the year. The cells below will show the dates in that month and it takes care of the leap year and 30/31 days in the month up to the year 2025. I felt nice that after a long time I took some challenging activity on excel. But that did not suffice. I still lacked sufficient practice on the Macros. It was until I stumbled across the Yahoo Answers. This is a place where people ask questions, experts answer those questions and curious ones can discover the resolved question and update their GK. It has a various sections. I recommend that you visit the site. It is answers.yahoo.com There I searched for the queries on Excel and macros. There were plenty of them. Unresolved! While answering the questions I had to practically solve the queries in the excel sheet. This helped me exercise the EQ (Excel Quotient... hehehe). I felt nice to hear the "Thanx a lot. You are Awesome" replies after their Q's were solved. Felt nice when I did not let my talents go waste. I am not writing this post with an intention to blow my trumpet about how good I am at excel. But I want each one of you to practice and hone your talents. The talents that you have are really a god's gift. If you do not take out time to polish your talents they rot. When you realize this it could be too late. I want everyone of you to find out your talent and practice it everyday! Jai Gurudev!

Have you joined the "99 Club"

This story is pretty much interesting. I love this story soooo much! Once upon a time, there lived a King who, despite his luxurious lifestyle, was neither happy nor content. One day, the King came upon a servant who was singing happily while he worked. This fascinated the King; why was he, the Supreme Ruler of the Land, unhappy and gloomy, while a lowly servant had so much joy. The King asked the servant "Why are you so happy?" The man replied "Your Majesty, I am nothing but a servant, but my family and I don't need too much - just a roof over our heads and warm food to fill our tummies." The king was not satisfied with that reply. Later in the day, he sought the advice of his most trusted advisor. After hearing the King's woes and the servant's story, the advisor said "Your Majesty, I believe that the servant has not been made part of The 99 Club." "The 99 Club? And what exactly is that?" the King inquired. The advisor replied, "Your Majesty, to truly know what The 99 Club is, place 99 Gold coins in a bag and leave it at this servant's doorstep." DONE ! When the servant saw the bag, he took it into his house. When he opened the bag, he let out a great shout of joy... So many gold coins! He began to count them. After several counts, he was at last convinced that there were only 99 coins. He wondered "What could've happened to that last gold coin? Surely, no one would leave 99 coins!" He looked everywhere he could, but that final coin was elusive. Finally, exhausted, he decided that he was going to have to work harder than ever to earn that gold coin and complete his collection. From that day, the servant's life was changed. He was overworked, horribly grumpy, and castigated his family for not helping him make that 100th gold coin. He stopped singing while he worked. Witnessing this drastic transformation, the King was puzzled. When he sought his adviser's help, the adviser said "Your Majesty, the servant has now officially joined The 99 Club." He continued " The 99 Club is a name given to those people who have enough to be happy but are never contented, because they're always yearning and striving for that extra 1 telling to themselves: "Let me get that one final thing and then I will be happy for life ." We tell this since we are kids. As a kid you say just let me pass 10th std. Then I'll be happy. The kid passes 10th and is in college. Then the kid goes on saying, let me pass college then I'll be happy. By the end of college, the kid now a grown-up says, let me get a good job then I'll be happy. Once there is a good job, desire to have a spouse wells up. Then you say let me get married then I'll be happy. Then you have to make the nest "complete" thinking you'll be happy after your kids arrive. Then the kids come into the picture. Then you dream about their future; their school, college, job/business, their marital life. Then you say after you retire you'll be happy. Then suddenly all of a sudden the angel of death visits you! We can be happy & contented with whatever we have in our lives or can keep grumbling and complaining for what we do not have, the choice is yours! The minute we're given something bigger and better, we want even more! We lose our sleep, our happiness, we hurt the people around us; all these as a price for our growing needs and desires. That's what joining The 99 Club is all about." Hope you will stay out of this club! Jai gurudev O.A.K.

How the master saves you...

There are times when you want things to happen in a certain way. In simple terms, there are expectations! But the master has better plans for you. They may be good for you, even though you may not prefer it. Yesterday, I planned to go to the YES!+ course in kalyan to volunteer (assist the teachers). Also I had promised my friend to take him to the course on my bike. My friend, Krishnan, who sings fabulously at satsangs suddenly calls me up to come for a satsang to play guitar. Hmmm... What will happen if I do not play guitar at satsang, when we have a singer like Krishnan? I thought. I continued with my plan to go to the course venue. Then Krishnan calls me up again and says desperately, "Dost, I really need you badly for satsang. You please bring your guitar." OOOKKK!! I am still not sure why I agreed to him and detoured towards satsang. I asked my friend, reluctantly, go to the course venue by train. Everyone at satsang enjoyed, except me. My mind was at the course. All of a sudden a wave of thought entered my mind. I was to ride my bike all the way from dombivli to kalyan for the course. Anything could have happened! What if my friend and I met with an accident. There is one thing I learn't from this incident. There are no such thing as co-incidences. Everything is planned by the divine. I was destined to be at the satsang. My friend was destined to attend the long kriya. But anyone can fall prey to bad events anytime (depending upon their karmas). Guruji knows very well how, when, where to save you from a befalling calamity! You just need to trust the divine and keep doing the good work! Jai Gurudev! O.A.K.

Finally, Its over...

Haaa.. This is what probably the experience of mukti! I am talking about my MBA exams which I finally completed for this semester. Have you observed your state of mind after the last day of exam. Hardly anyone may feel unenthusiastic at that time! You sometimes just do not know what to do. There is so much excitement!!! If one can feel so ecstatic after a simple matter like examination gets over how much ecstasy may be in getting complete salvation or Mukti! I wonder. O.A.K.

Shutter-bug

In the realm of photography, ever wondered what the terms like Controlling Exposure, Aperture Speed, Shutter Speed, F-Stops, Balancing Stops meant. To know more Click Here

Achieving the impossible??

"Hhhunhhhh..... That's impossible!" You might have heard this quote umpteen number of times in your life. Haven't you? Have you really questioned the impossibility? Especially when you start to do a good work there a zillion people all set to discourage you! They seem to pull you into the darkness of despair. What is the way out? Simple... Take a deep breath in... Connect to the divinity... and drop your worries knowing that divinity will take care. Now you may question how do we connect to divinity? Simplest way is to do an Art of Living Course. The harder way is to know that the creation is not different from the creator! and divinity is always ready to help you if your appeal is sincere. To tell you one example: There is a YES!+ course that would be starting from the 20th of November 2008 in Dombivli. 20th Nov is a very special date. Why??? The mahurath for marriage that ended in may, this year, has started from 20th till 29th of this month. And all the brides and grooms who were desperate to get married have booked every hall in town. Even the smallest hall built in Dombivli was booked for marriage. One hall proprietor ridiculed us by stating that our search would be futile as no one would offer us any hall and asked us to reconsider... changing the dates of the course. NO WAY I said in my mind. This course was already postponed as bawa was taking a big YES!+ in mumbai earlier this month and all the Dombivli teachers were busy assisting that course! We started with one hall we had in mind. Madhavashram Hall. We were told that hall was not availabe on sat. and sun. Rest of the days were available. So we had to look out for the "HOT" days (Sat. & Sun.) of marriage season. We (Ram and I) did not lose hope. Then suddenly a thought struck to my mind. I told ram why not check out schools and Mandir (Temple) halls. Most of them are not let out for marriage parties! But it was late in afternoon. We had to quieten the growling stomach. After lunch we started out on the "Hall-Hunt". Ram called one of our Basic course volunteer who gave us a list of few temple-halls. They were not halls in true sense. One was the Raghavendra swami vrindavan hall. We entered the temple and asked one person on the office counter about our requirement of the hall on saturday and sunday. He blindly said no. That the hall is not for any functions. We dejectedly came out of the temple. Then I told Ram that anyway we are not getting this temple hall, why not ask him once again that we are organizing a "dharmic" course which entails meditation and yoga! And we have come from art of living foundation! That did the trick! The old guy at the counter called a much younger fella named Guruprasad. Guruprasad seemed to know many of our teachers and also knew our master/guruji. He agreed to give us the hall provided there were no prior engagements with other party. By evening we got the confirmation that the hall was available for Sat. & Sun. We got the news of confirmation while walking on the road. We jumped, squealed, danced when we heared the good news! Wooww Now tell me what's impossible. It was once said by a saint, that if you deserve something, AND that "thing" does not exist in this universe... Then that "thing" will be specially created for you. Mark these words. They are true! That's why do not ask to god what you desire. Always ask what you deserve. Because you never know... What you deserve may be more than what you desire! Jai Gurudev! O.A.K.

Q & A with guruji

Q: Guruji, Please define happiness! A: (Smiles and then a little laugh) Why do you want the definition everything? You know by describing something simple only makes it more complex. Of course, There are various grades of happiness. When you smell a rose you become happy. When you experience the infinite you become happy. But the quality of happiness in both is different. Q: Guruji, So many people run after you. How do you feel? What do you do to make people run after you. A: I just stay ahead. And how i feel it is irrelevant. Basically, I do not do anything to make people run after me! Just do Seva, Sadhana, Satsang! (Smiles and winks) Q: Guruji, Please explain the difference between Fate and Destiny A: I think that the Fate and Destiny mean the same. Did you mean Fate and Free will? Hmmm.. Yes! Wise people will always see past as destiny, future as free will and live happily in the present moment. While Unwise people will see past as free will, future as destiny and worry about the present and lose everything. Q: Guruji, In our village there is so much problems, why don't you take any course free of cost. A: There are courses free of cost. But in your village the problem is of drinking. The people must be freed from this habit first. We must take care of them. You talk to (...) Q: How to make choices? A: See the choices are not between the good and the bad. Its only between the bad and the worse or the good and the better. Once you make the choice you just need to stick to it. Often people make a choice and then wish they had made the other choice! Jai Gurudev O.A.K.

Busy Streets of Bangalore

Fast moving life of Bangalore! I was standing on the divider path of the Byatrayanpura-Bellary Road while taking this pic.

A breath of life!

After an adventurous journey from Dombivli to Shirali and from shirali to Bangalore, I finally found the breath of life... An Internet connection. I must admit that I have become an Internet addict. But seriously, Internet provides such sophistication in life, that I find I absolutely indispensable! Another breath of life was the visit to shirali math. An ashram for chitrapur saraswat bhramins (CSB). Its the community I belong to! It is a very tiny community with just 22,000 CSB's spread all over the world. Yes! Only 22,000 people left in my community. Just like Parsi community, ours too is a very small and conservative community. Most of the chitrapurs, also addressed as "bhanaps" are well placed in the various fields, living in complete abundance of wealth. Around 2000 years back a clan of people used to live by the banks of river saraswati. Thats how our ancestors were named "saraswats". As the river started drying up the group started shifting towards south of india and settled mainly in the present day karwar and uttar kanara areas. The main language of saraswat bhramins is konkani. It is beautiful scriptless language. It initially had very close semblence to sanskrit. Even today the konkani vocablary uses some sanskrit words. Wisdom and scholarly trait runs in our blood. Our ancestors occupied highly coveted posts of treasurer and custodians, administrative ministries of the famous kings and queens. Even today, although there are very few CSBs left, most of the CSBs are holding high profile posts in various fields of study. SBs are also well know for their peaceful nature and Diplomatic & Political shrewdness. The diplomatic nature of the community has warded off many battles with mighty empires. I feel so proud to belong to the community that has always preserved the culture and tradition of the bhagwat dharma. Our community also has a lineage of swami or guruparampara. It is said that the parampara runs directly from the disciples of H.H. adi shankaracharya. And shirali is the place where the samadhi of all the gurus is kept. It is really beautiful place which reminds me of the Art of Living Ashram. When I saw it I felt it like a miniature AoL Ashram! It has got a lake, a yagnashala, goshala, a dining hall, meditation hall and the most important guruji's kutir. This math was built during the british days. Legend says that the East India Company had planned to build a huge camp in the surrounding area as it was a strategic location, hence had no intention to let our ancestors build the ashram. But one glance of our guru made the Queen take back her order! That's the might of divinity !!! The homa my family performed at the math was superb. Some of the pics are uploaded in the slide show! The most fortunate event was to see the "protector of our family" the Snake god, in shirali! It was said that Divine knowledge and wisdom was offered to our clan by the serpent of shiva called Ananta. Over the period their worship was neglected. And their stone statues were soon forgotten relics. But, this neglected attitude only invited the wrath of the snake lord. Soon the families started experiencing great difficulties. Then the swamiji asked us to start worshiping the snake idols again. This entailed some archeologial digging of the burried snake idols. But with the grace of the master it took only few weeks to find out snake dieties. And miraculously, the health, wealth and prosperity started welling up in our lives! The main temple of the serpent is found at Ananteshwara, Vitthal. This place is near Mangalore. We also had time to visit Honnavar Creek, Murudeshwar Shoreline & its famed Shiva temple & Idugunji Ganapati. Here is the slideshow of all the pics!Enjoy! Jai Gurudev! O.A.K.

Photography Blog

A new blog was started by me on the basics (& tricks) of photography. This site is available at http://tricksofpics.blogspot.com

Was it hard to find? You just had to click on View my complete profile in "About me" section. The resulting page would tell you some info about me, my interests and the blogs I manage.

That's how you find the new "undisclosed" blog.

Circuit: True Volunteer

Yesterday, I was watching "Munnabhai MBBS" on TV at dinner. In that movie the character of Circuit played by Arshad Warsi is really mind blowing. Looking at his dedication towards his "bhai" Munna, I felt that every volunteer in AoL should be like him.

In one scene it's shown that Munna is with all the Med. students in the dissection room. The Prof. is teaching students about dissection. But  the teacher is falked by the students and munna cannot see what's happening. Then the prof. rudicules him by asking him to get another body for himself to learn!

He immediately calls circuit and asks for a body. The reaction of circuit is worth noticing. Then Circuit says his famous line, "Ho jaayega bhai. Tension nahi lene ka bhai! Aapun hai na!!" (That will be taken care of, bro, take no tension. I'll take care of it) He quintessentially displays one golden sutra. Accept people(situation) as they(it) are(is)!

If every volunteer accepts the challenge the way circuit takes it, then the AoL work will be so superb. What do you say?

O.A.K

P.S. I have started a new blog on the tips & tricks of photography. Now a small puzzle. You need to find out the name of the blog I created for photography. After reaching that blog make sure you post the comments there. I am sure that a true photography enthusiast will find it out! 

Rabbi

Tere Bin from Dehli Heights Rabbi Shergill - More amazing videos are a click away Following is the lyrics of the song with the interpretation. I would love to sing this for guruji. tere bin sanu sohnia / besides you my love koi hor nahio labhna / i shan't find another jo dave ruh nu sakun / who'll give peace to my soul chukke jo nakhra mera / and indulge me ve main sare ghumm ke vekhia / i have gone and seen it all amrika , roos, malaysia / america, russia, malaysiana na kittey vi koi fark si / there wasn't any difference har kise di koi shart si / they all had some condition koi mangda mera si sama / some asked for my time koi hunda surat te fida / some were fascinated with my face koi mangda meri si vafa / some demanded my fidelity na koi mangda merian bala / none wanted my demons tere bin hor na kise /besides you no one else mangni merian bala / wanted my demons tere bin / besides you hor na kise / no one else karni dhup vich chhan / shall shade me in the sun ==Repeat Main song == jiven rukia si tun zara / (the) way you paused slightly nahion bhulna main sari umar / i shan't forget all my life jiven akhia si akhan chura / you said, looking away "rovenga sanu yad kar" / "you shall weep in my memory" hasia si main hasa ajeeb / i laughed a strange laugh (par) tu nahi si hasia / but you didn't dil vich tera jo raaz si / you had a secret in your heart mainu tu kyon ni dasia / why didn't you tell me tere bin / besides you sanu eh raz / none shall tell this kise hor nahion dasna / secret to me tere bin / besides you peerh da ilaaj / what druid kis vaid kolon labhna / has the cure to my ills milia si ajj mainu / i found today tera ik patra / a note of yours likhia si jis 'te / on which you had scribbeled tun shayr varey shah da / a varis shah couplet park ke si osnu / upon reading which hanjnu ik duliya / a teardrop fell akhan 'ch band si / what was locked in the eye seh raaz ajj khulia / was revealed today ki tere bin / that other than you eh mere hanjnu / these tears of mine kise hor / won't be kissed by nahio chumna / none else ki tere bin / that other than you eh mere hanjhu / these tears of mine mitti vich rulnha / will wither in the dust

Subh Deepawali

Wish you all Happy Diwali... Lately, many people from AoL are buying good point and shoot cams to take pics of beloved Dinesh&Bawa, Other Lovely Teachers & Revered Guruji. But many people, I feel, are not good at handling the camera settings. So I decided to write few articles on Camera settings, some of its mind-boggling technical fundas. Wouldn't that be nice if the pic you captured is better than your friends' just because you know something which other don't know ? !!! I wonder if there will be any takers for this one? Do let me know about by comments. O.A.K.

Where did all the money go ???

In the recent turmoil of the financial markets, the governments of the nation have made a startling discovery. Personally, I think, that the government just reacted to this fact quite a bit late! The I-bankers (Investment Bankers) are getting big perks and the central banker do all the work!! Multi-million dollar bonuses and ultra-lavish perks were the norm for the I-bankers untill global financial system was brought down to its knees. The Govt. and the central banks around the world have now pledged approx. $3.2 trillion in bank bailouts, guarantees and market cash injections to keep the liquidity at sustainable levels. The use of taxpayers money to clearup the mess left by the decades of bank partying has irked the public and sparked the political outrage. Britain, US, Germany, France, Switzerland, Australia have promised to curb the culture of excessive salaries. Ben Bernanke, The governer of US Federal Reserve is one of the influencial personalities in the financial kingdom as he heads the Fed's effort to take US out of the prevailing crisis. His total earning of $191,300 seems loose change when compared to $500 million earned by Richard Fuld in his last eight years of service in Lehman Brothers. Merrill Lynch's CEO, John Thain, got $15 million cash bonus on joining the firm last November and UBS chairman got 130 million francs in his 10 year term. Compare this to the annual salary of Bank of England governor Mervyn King's $700,000 and ECB president Jean-Clude Trichet's $100,000!! And where does all this money go?? Buying yatch, extra-lavish luxury, buying mansions and castles where only ghosts stay! The governments have come out with the plan to deter ultra-big payouts to the I-bankers. Australia plans to outlaw excessive bank pay from next month while German finance minister claimed that all the bank who needs bailout will have to maintain the package to the max limit of 500,000 euros per annum. Now how much will that matter in resurrecting the global economy... Lets wait and watch.

QnA with Bawa-Dinesh

On Saptami of Navratri (6th Oct) all the yes!+ battalion gathered in Mahavira In Vishalakshi Mantap. Bawa & Dinesh were to meet all the yes!+ people. It was a pleasure meet. This was very hilarious session. Q.   What's the difference between a Rishi and a Swami. A. Rishi has a "She" in it, while swami has only "ME". Infact a married swami is called Rishi! Q. Why does bhav come into guruji? A. The divinity is there in guruji. Most of the time, divinity Bhaav khata hai, navratri mein bhav dikhta hai! It is said that when guruji comes into bhav at that time all the negative emotions and karmas are washed that instant. If you are meditating at the moment guruji gets bhav, then you can witness a huge shift within you! Some QnA that happened on the YES!+ & UTSAV courses: Q. Why is it that participants are discouraged from saying "I don't know" during the course? A. By saying "I don't know" you enter your comfort zone. You put on weight by eating more and not excersizing. And you say "I don't know how my weight increased?" It shows that you don't want to know how you put on weight. There are however certain questions that are nature's mystery. Like laws of karma!

More will be added soon...

Jai gurudev. O.A.K.

Politickling #1

A kid goes to his father and asks, "Dad, Can you please exlpain me the state machinery?" Dad, with full enthusiasm explains, "You see, I work and bring home the money. So I am the Capitalist. Your mom takes the money I earn and decides where to spend and when to spend. So she is the Nation's Government. The maid works in the house, so she is the working class. You are the common citizen and your little bro is the future generation. Got it??"

That night the kid is woken up by his little brother's wail. The kid goes and sees that the baby had attended the nature's call in the bed. So the kid goes to his mommy. He finds her in deep sleep so goes to wake up the maid. The maid is also asleep with dad sleeping next to her!

The next day, dad asks the kid, "So little brat, did you understand the state machinery?" Kid answers, "Yes Dad, When the capitalist is exploiting the working class, the government is fast asleep. The future generation is crying for the basic need. It is the common citizen who has to bear the burden!!! "

I share my Birthday with...

My Birthdate: April 19th 1. Mukesh Ambani, Industrialist 2. Arshad Warsi, Indian Actor 3. Jason Gillespie, Australian Cricket player 4. Maria Sharapova, Russian Tennis Player 5. Kate Hudson, American Actress 6. Ashley Judd, American Actress 7. Rivaldo, Football player 8. Dickie Bird, Cricket Umpire 9. Susan Polgar, American Chess player

And today (October 19) is my mom's birthday. Exactly 6 months difference!!! Mommy shares her birthday with 1. Sunny deol (Mom studied in the same school where Deol kids studied, Jamnalal Narsee) 2. Pandurang Shastri Athavle 3. S Chandrashekar (Only Resident Indian) Physicist who won nobel prize!

Woww.. What a discovery!!!

Sneak Peek ! !

HeyFriends, Recently, I have been learning Photoshop CS3.  I made some experiment with the new "Thus Soke O.A.K." Header. Here it is! Do tell me if you like it. This is just a net practice. I promise that the new look will be mind blowing.  Jai Gurudev! O.A.K.

The Gardner in the mind.

A gardener sows the seed and waits... Waits for the seed to sprout. This will always happen provided there is enough water, proper soil, sufficient sunlight and air for the plant to grow. Can a gardener be impatient for the plant to grow ?? No! Every seed takes its own time to sprout. A coriander seed will sprout in a day or two. A coconut seed may take months! Gardener is aware of the requirement of every sapling he has sown. Same is the case with our mind. Every thought is a seed. The thought that comes in your mind right now will manifest sooner or later. This is called sankalpa. Every sankalpa like a seed manifest and takes its own time to manifest. Divinity know what is best for you and when to give you what you ask for, just like the gardener! Not only your actions effects your karmas, even your thought affects your karma! Sounds scary?? No need to worry. In fact this is a superb mechanism created by divinity! Let me ask you one question. Do you have a cell phone with you? I am sure that you did not have the cell phone 10 years back. But you might have always wished to have one. THAT is the seed of sankalpa. The cell phone that you are having with you right now is the manifestation of that sankalpa! Everything you do, everything you say, everything you think of is being recorded and is being manifested. That's why is said in narada bhakti sutra, Be aware of you actions, speech and feelings. Let me tell you a story; There was a little child, maybe 2 year old. It had learn't only one word "MAA" It would call everything MAA... Be it his dad or a wall clock or his toy. Once it happened that the child was playing in the kitchen near the fire. The kid lost the balance and was about to fall in the fire when the kid shouted "MAAAAAA....." His mom came running and saved the kid from falling into the fire. Then the kid realized that if he shouted MAA.., his mom would come running near him. So after sometime the kid shouted "MAA..." His mom did not appear! He shouted again, "MAAA..." A little louder this time. Again his mom didn't turn up. The kid went to his mom with a dismay on his face. Smilingly his mom said, "Son, You can't fool your mother! I know when you are in problem and when you are making mischief!" In the same way do not think that you can fool divinity or guruji. Guruji knows that you are doing every second. When you call for help is really genuine then divinity will come to your rescue without fail, no exceptions. But if you think you can fool the divinity, then you've had it!! This talk was given by a Maharaj from Rishikesh who invited by guruji for navratri. Jai Gurudev! O.A.K.

Bawa's Message

At every Navratri, Bawa & Dinesh meets the YES!+ Warriors. This time the agenda of the meet was to preserve mother nature. First and foremost thing to do is to stop eating people eating non veg food & promote vegetarianism. Bawa told us that a hotel in chandigarh (maybe pune, I m not sure) was converted into a Vegetarian hotel. It so happened that few people from YES!+ approached the hotel owner and asked him to stop making non-veg. dishes. He didn't listen. So the YES!+ group went to the hotel with 400+ people. They asked the hotel owner to give them veg food for all else they will just go away. The next day the hotel owner converted the hotel in to a veg. hotel! I also have an article about how non-veg diet has caused poverty, hunger and misery on this planet. It'll soon appear on this blog! Secondly, Start using cloth bags. We all know that plastics are non-bio-degradable. How far can we eschew plastic in our daily life. So instead of focusing our attention on banning plastics, start promoting cloth bags. Cloth bags are durable, can be washed and bio-degradable. When bawa was telling this I came up with an idea. There are so many villages where people want employment. If you can take an initiative to get the cloth bags stitched from those villagers you can get the cloth bags for as cheap as Rs.10/- per bag. You can also ask the shopkeepers to sell their products in these cloth bags. You can also get the logo of WAYE printed on it. A nice opportunity to become an entrepreneur! Next bawa told us to stop using Incandescent Light bulbs. If you are still using those bulbs then please start using CFL (Compact Flourescent Light) Bulbs. They save 80% energy. That means lower energy consumption. And lesser load-shedding! Lastly, Plant trees. Instead of just planting a tree and forgetting it, adopt a tree. Bawa has planted a tree and named it "Tarzan Batliwala" A research says that the amount of oxygen a human being intakes during its lifetime can be provided by just 16 trees. So for every person on this planet there should be at least 16 trees planted! There is a lot to talk about this plan. It will appear in the next post. Till then just ponder how you can contribute to the wellness of the society? And do not forget to take responsible action. Jai gurudev! O.A.K.

Back with a bang

This navratri at ashram was like a bang on the door. I mean, a loud bang that wakes you up from a deep slumber! Never in my life has it happened that five days of attending the Homas changed the way I lived my life. Many of my close friends will now unanimously agree that I have become more expressive since Navratri! Well, what magic does this Navratri behold?? Well, that's a mystery to be experienced!! The whole episode of experiencing the navratri at Bangalore ashram is like a bountiful blessing. I have some amazing experiences to share. The first experience started in the train. Our fellow passengers were a group from dharavi. While discussing our plans of hiring a rickshaw from the station, we were cautioned about the malicious intent of the rickshaw drivers! One from their group narrated how an ashram-ite was about to be robbed by the crooked-minded rick driver just when he saw guruji's photo in the ashramite's wallet and left him unscathed! We were about to change our plans when we hit upon a concrete idea. We planned to hire a tata sumo. When we reached Bangalore city Jn. we were famished. We came across a hotel where the prices seemed reasonable. We collected our food parcels and had food in the tata sumo which we hired. The sumo driver drove the vehicle so skillfully fast the we were at the gate of the ashram with in mere 50 min!! Then came the real challenge. Accomodation! Getting accomodation, during navratri, within the ashram premises is a daunting task. Soon our fears manifested. We were allocated "The Khoday's ". Khodays is around 4km far from the ashram area. Although there was shuttle service (Bus), it meant getting up early and be ready to catch the bus in the morning. Initially we were given Dormitary at khodays. It was a big hall with generous amount of ventilation(Read cold morning breeze). The bathrooms and toilets were 100 meters away from dorms. I just prayed that atleast we could be given rooms at khodays instead of dorms!!! Then a volunteer from ulhasnagar (Ashish) appeared. He collected our tags for the entry. We just hoped the we get upgraded. AND Lo Behold!!!! We were given rooms! Atleast we could spend nights in warmer rooms! The Pic below is the view of Khodays. ***************** Then came the most precious moment of my life... Meeting guruji personally. It was navami(ninth day) i.e. 8th Oct. We were, as usual, in masti mood. We were really desperate to meet guruji. Then a news wafted to us that guruji has left his kutir without his car. It meant HE was walking, meeting everyone! We (YES!+ Gang from dombivli and mulund) decided to maintain discipline. You might have heard guruji say umpteenth times... "Sit down. I will meet you all" We really did that, we sat on the path were guruji was to pass by without any commotion or chaos! We could see in distant our master was walking towards us. Where ever people made chaos guruji would move away quickly. In front of guruji were some security guards who were clearing the path. They saw our discipline and were really impressed and commented, " These kids have really maintained order" Guruji saw this and spent almost 5 min with us!!! We showed HIM Anatarag* pass. He took the pass and observed it for a minute. HE beamed and said, "Hey! you were the people who came at the Mumbai University na??" We all squealed with excitement. At mumbai university the crowd was so much that it was almost impossible to have a glimpse of guruji, but guruji knew that we were there to see HIM!!! HE later told us that we must always work in team and blessed us all by giving a "Taali" The moment he touched I felt like I was waiting for this moment for millions of lifetimes! ************** More experiences will soon be posted!! * Anantarang is a fun-filled musical event with songs, dance and blissful satsang with Krishnan Keshvan, Harshal Pulekar and Vishwas Bhaiyya. This event is organized by youth of YES!+ & WAYE. This event for which we sought blessings of guruji is on 25th of October 08, Saturday at Savitribai Phule Auditorium, Near BSNL Telephone Exchange, MIDC, Dombivli East 421202. The event will start 7:30 pm onwards. Donation amount for each pass is Rs.100/- This is going to be a very special event, so do come with all your friends! For enquiries and passes... [ Information withheld. Details will be soon published.] O.A.K.

An adventure awaits..

Finally, I will be witnessing the high energy of ashram during Navratri.. I am really excited about the journey, as this is my first time to ashram during navratri! I am sure that there will be lots to write on blog on the trip to ashram during navratri '08. This time I hope to post some pics too as I will be carrying my "old camera". Yes it is that old, "Load the roll" camera. Let's hope that the pics are clear enough.. Happy Navratri to all the readers and good luck!! Jai gurudev!

Goan Fisherman

A boat docked in a tiny Goan village. A tourist from Mumbai complimented the Goan fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them. 'Not very long,' answered the fisherman. 'But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?' asked the Mumbaite. The Goan fisherman explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family. The Mumbaite asked, 'But what do you do with the rest of your time?' 'I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, play guitar, sing a few songs... I have a full life.' The Mumbaite interrupted, 'I have an MBA from IIM-A, and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat.' 'And after that?' asked the Goan. 'With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Panjim, or even Mumbai. From there you can direct your huge new enterprise.' 'How long would that take?' asked the Goan. 'Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years,' replied the Mumbaite. 'And after that?' 'Afterwards? Well my Friend, That's when it gets really interesting,' chuckled the Mumbaite, 'When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!' 'Millions? Really? And after that?' asked the Goan. 'After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings doing what you like with your buddies.' 'With all due respect sir, but that's exactly what I am doing now. So what's the point wasting 25 years?' asked the Goan. And the moral of the story is? Know where you're going in life. You may already be there! Life in the present world is indeed a rat race, more like a Merry-go-round. Many who have good qualifications too do not know where they are going in life. They just move in circles. Do not waste your time. Its precious. -- O.A.K.

YES!+ ...Zindagi Milegi na Dobaara

Just heard the title track from ROCK ON. And i was in the composer mood. Then I had an idea of making some changes to the lyrics of the song. And ...Voila! A new YES!+ song was created!!! Sing it with the tune of "Rock On" Dil Kya Kehta Hai Mera Kya Main Bataoon Tum Ye Samjhoge Shayad Main Pagal Hoon YES!+ karke maine jo khusi paayi hai Tum Ye Samjhoge Shayad Main Pagal Hoon Dil Karta Hai Tv Tower Pe Main Chadd Jaoon Chilla Chilla Ke Main Ye Sabse Kehdoon YES!+… Hai Ye Waqt Ka Ishaara YES!+… Har Youth ko Pukaara YES!+….Yuhin Dekhta Hai Kya Tu YES!+….Zindagi Millegi Na Dobaara… Dil Karta Hai Sadkon Par Zor Se Gaoon Sab Apne Apne Ghar Ki Khidki Kholen Phir Main Aise Josheelay Intro-talk Sunaoon Mere Talks Ko Sunke Sab Ye Bolen YES!+… Hai Ye Waqt Ka Ishaara YES!+… Har Youth ko Pukaara YES!+….Yuhin Dekhta Hai Kya Tu YES!+….Zindagi Millegi Na Dobaara… Jaise Jeene Ko Dil Chahe Jee Waise Tu Meri To Hai Bas Ye Raaye Ki Jitne Jaldi ho sake YES!+ Karle Tu YES!+… Hai Ye Waqt Ka Ishaara YES!+… Har Youth ko Pukaara YES!+….Yuhin Dekhta Hai Kya Tu YES!+….Zindagi Millegi Na Dobaara… YES!+… Hai Ye Waqt Ka Ishaara YES!+… Har Youth ko Pukaara YES!+….Yuhin Dekhta Hai Kya Tu YES!+….Zindagi Millegi Na Dobaara… I thank Shank-Ehsaan-Loy for composing such cool music

Mr. Gate at Pearly Gate

Finally Mr. Gate dies and reaches Pearly gate. The angel glances Mr. Gates records and says, "You have done equal amount of good and bad work. So you can choose whether you want to be, in heaven or hell." Mr Gate thinks for a while and asks, "I want to check out both the places before deciding where I want to be in." The angel agrees and escorts him to heaven first. In the heaven, all people are wearing white robes. Doing the regular household chores. The same work that people do on earth at home. But every soul is living a very happy life. No Worries at all!!! Then the angel takes Mr. Gate to hell. Astonishingly, the scene here is different. There a beautiful beach surrounded by the most beautiful girls Mr. Gate had ever seen. He is enchanted by scene and could not believe his eyes. The hell seemed more luxurious than the heaven? So Mr. Gate finally elects to enter the hell. The angel asks for confirmation. Gleefully, Mr. Gate affirms. The moment he enters the hell, the scene changes. A monstrous fella holds Mr. Gate and puts him in a furnace. He screams and says, "This is cheating, this is not the scene you showed me? Where is the beach, Where are the girls? The angels replies coolly, "Well sir, That was the screen-saver!" -- O.A.K. Disclaimer: Mr. Gate is not Bill Gates of Microsoft. Mr. Gate is a Fictional character. Meant for light humour and not to malign anybodies image.

Who's Priya Kalbag?

...my dad stood with "magazine-with-cover" in his hands and asked me, "Who is this Priya?". "Why is it written Priya Kalbag?"... *** It was during the Bangalore ashram YES!+ adv. course. Bau told us that the wonderful magazine like rishimukh is facing losses due to "under-subscription". He requested (Ordered, you can say) every participant to subscribe for the rishimukh. Some participants jumped ahead to collect the subscriptions. (I doubt whether they have subscribed the mag.!) They rambled all the books available, tore out the papers in all possible 2 dimensional quadrilaterals and started scribbling the details of the participants for the subscription. My earlier subscription was about to end so I decided to subscribe one for myself. I wrote my real name "Omkar Kalbag" with my real Residential address and handed over Rs.200/- to the volunteer. Today I got the magazine delivered by the postman. Dad received it while I was at office. When I reached home my dad stood with "magazine-with-cover" in his hands and asked me, "Who is this Priya?". "Why is it written Priya Kalbag?" I took the magazine cover and saw that instead of my name, it was printed "Priya Kalbag". I was stunned for a moment! Did any girl play stupid prank on me. My dad is a little orthodox in such matters. Then I remembered that i had subscribed for magazine at YES!+ adv. Course. There was such a chaos among the volunteers while getting details, someone might have goofed up my details and made Priya belong to "Kalbag" family! My dad and me were rolling with laughter later. Jai Gurudev! -- O.A.K. Tree

Economics: A common sense subject

It was Sept 10th 2000, I was studying the most favorite subject among students; ECONOMICS. Exams were just around the corner. I had this book, "Managerial Economics" and spent an hour and a half studying that subject. That time I had not done YES!+ but still my face carried an expression as if I had just completed long kriya. Totally calm & serene. Nothing running in my mind... My head was blank like a recently formatted hard-disk! This subject used to make me introspect a lot. (now I know why I am spiritually inclined!). It used to make me think deeper about the existence of life, human beings and finally, economics. WHY in the earth did humans create ECONOMICS??? It after graduation (in Commerce) I joined Chartered Financial Analyst. CFA in short. Here again Economics came to haunt me! But this time I decided to confront the subject and settle the score once and for all. Fortunately, I found a professor of economics who shared similar interests. He too liked to shoo away the fear of economics from the students' heart. The very first introduction he gave about economics was by saying: "Economics is a common sense subject" Then I started a journey into the world of economics. I started seeing the same boring subject in a different perspective. It now appeared exciting and colorful. This subject really influences people's lives and the nation at large. And now that I have started blogging on variety of subjects, I thought, why not have a posts on economics that brings a paradigm shift in understanding of the subject in a beautiful way? Really this is one subject that anyone with common sense can understand. The subject of Economics is really quite mystical. Even after years of economics evolution people still ask the fundamental question; What to produce? How to produce? How much to produce? It is just like asking the ownself; Who am I? What is the purpose of my life? I really hope you are not asking yourself "why am i reading this?" Enjoy Economics! Enjoy Life!

What is the purpose of knife?

Long back I attended a session with Bawa. It was really hilarious session with deep knowledge! One participant who happened to be a volunteer from a long time asked bawa a question on being a better volunteer and doing better seva. Bawa suddenly asked the person: What is the purpose of knife? The participant hesitated for a while and then replied: To cut...food.. perhaps? Bawa gave his "cool dude" smile and nodded in disagreement. He said the purpose of knife is to be Sharp... just to be sharp. It is the job of the chef to cut. Guru is the chef and you are the instrument, knife, in other words. What to cut, when to cut, how to cut that guru will decide. Your purpose is just to be sharp. Tell me which chef will like to work with a blunt knife?? The moment you think you are the doer (or that my purpose is to cut...) you get tired due to the doership in you. Just know that you are just guru's instrument. Nothing else. Just be SHARP! Jai Gurudev

"Crash" Course

I am a die-hard supporter of Firefox, Worlds best internet browser. Few months back I downloaded the latest version from the Mozilla stable, Firefox 3. But from few week I have been experiencing browser crash. Firefox, per se, is a very strong & sturdy browser. So frequent crashes is simply not its nature! In case you are experiencing the same problems then do refer to the tips & tricks I have mentioned below. But please continue using Firefox 3. 1. That's the way the cookie crumbles: Cookies in the computing world are used for authenticating, session tracking (state maintenance), and maintaining specific information about users, such as site preferences or the contents of their electronic shopping carts. A cookie named aus2.mozilla.org is the culprit that causes frequent crashes in Firefox 3. Especially when the Firefox checks for the latest version the users get this message: "AUS: Update XML File Malformed (200)". To solve this problem just go to Tools (Obviously, in Firefox application ) >> Options. Click on the Privacy Tab. Click the button Show Cookies. Scroll down to the named(famed) cookie, aus2.mozilla.org and click once on it. Below there is a button named Remove cookie, Click it. Now close that dialog box, and in the same Privacy tab there is a button named, Exceptions. Here you can block the cookie. Just type, "aus2.mozilla.org" in the field and click Block. There you go, now your Firefox is safe from frequent crashes. The other reasons for the crash can be 2. Not using the latest version of the Firefox... That's Firefox 3.0.1, for newbies. You can also click on the Orange colored "Upgrade now" button, just next to this post, to get the latest Firefox. 3. Problematic or Outdated Extensions or Plugins: Some extensions have been reported as problem creators, like:

Firefox 3:

AVG SafeSearch, XPL LinkScanner, RealPlayer Browser Record Plugin (installed with RealPlayer), ThinkVantage Password Manager (see the Thinkpad forums), PicLens Free Download Manager. Personally, I use AVG Antivirus. AVG has this Link Scanner which scans the links generated from the search results on Google, Yahoo, MSN etc. This has caused Firefox 3 to crash many times. Just uninstall this extension! Note: Firefox does not provide ActiveX support and if you have an old ActiveX plugin installed, you may experience problems such as crashes. See ActiveX for more information. And for those using Windows platform, the VLC Media Player Plugin may conflict with the Windows Media Player plugin when playing WMP files. You will need to disable or remove the VLC Media Player Plugin to prevent this. 4. Malware: Virus & Spywares: A file named nsBrowserOpt.dll is notorious to cause enough trouble for Firefox 3 users. To eliminate this file, Exit Firefox. Then go to My Computer or Windows Explorer. Browse to the directory: C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\components. Delete the file nsBrowserOpt.dll. 5. Conflicts with... Google Desktop: Uninstall older version of GD and install the latest version. Downloading: If you are experiencing problems while downloading then the download history is got corrupted. To fix it first close the all Firefox application. Open the Firefox profiles folder. This folder is available here; C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\ folder (for Windows Vista users) or the C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\ folder (Windows XP/2000), which depends on your Windows user account name. Note that the Application Data Folder is mostly hidden. Alternative way is to go to Start>Run... Type %APPDATA% ("%" sign is necessary!) If the Profiles folder contains multiple folders, open the folder for the active profile. In the profile folder, find the downloads.rdf file and delete it. That should take care of the most common problems. And MOST IMPORTANTLY, when Firefox crashes it generates a crash report and starts the Mozilla Crash Report. Most Firefox users cancel it!. Do NOT make that mistake. More the reports reach Mozilla, the better it is for us. As we can get a bug free update of the Firefox next time. Enjoy Firefox. Promote Firefox. -- O.A.K. Tree Source: Mozilla

|| Ganpati bappa morya ||

For the first time in my life I participated in carrying the Ganesha Idol, attending the puja and the elating satsang in the evening. All the volunteers of Dombivli YES!+ team contributed the ideas and funds to start the YES!+ Ganeshotsav in Dombivli. This was our first Ganesh utsav. We had a battalion of exuberant guys and gals from the July 26th, 2008 YES!+ Course who volunteered for the exciting event. Hats off to Sagar, Sai, Nikita & Harshal who took all the initiative, responsibility and the truly deserving credit to make the event, super hit. On Ganesh Chaturthi, we got a pandit to worship the idol. He was an old stoic man, who guided our friend Ram in performing the puja. He explained the meaning of the ganesh puja. He said that once we install the idol of ganesha, we are in a way putting (Breathing, you can say) life into the idol. Then we offer the beloved lord with fruits, sweets, flowers and the most delicious.... MODAKs. Just the way the lord offers us with all the goddies (and some challenges) in our lives. We then do the Aarti. Divnity, in the form of sun and moon do the same aarti to us. During the visarjan or "Uninstallation" you can say, we take the life back from the idol and dip the idol into a well or a river. And we make a promise to meet Ganesha next year. ...Ganpati Bappa Morya... pudchya varshi lawkar yaa...

Gannesh utsav pics will soon be embedded in this post.

It is really amazing how humans have evoled a unique way of playing with nature. My master, H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, has described the meaning of pooja (worship) as "Jiska janm poornata se hota hai" meaning "That which is born out of fullness or abundance". You see, one cannot worship or celebrate when there is a lack. Worship or celebration happens when there is abundance. When you realize that you yourself are truly divine then the abundance dawns. And the life becomes a celebration. The guru's job is to make you realize the divinity within you. Jai Gurudev! P.S. I took out some time and tweaked some settings in the blog. The resulting effects are changes in the background pattern and the borders of the main body of the blog. Some more changes are on the way -- O.A.K. Tree

Change is inevitable!

I have been receiving lots of comments from readers, old and new. Thanks a lot! Responding to those comments, there are few points that I want to make clear...

1. I am learning CSS and XML in the little free time available. So you will be seeing a new look of the blog soon. But not before Diwali. But surely before November end.
2. Yes, This blog is a Hodge-podge, or a heterogeneous mix. It is meant to be so! I am a very dynamic person, and my interests are more dynamic. So this blog will keep rolling out posts which really impresses me.
3. That's where comments come in. Your comments will give me an idea as to what posts (on which subject) I should roll out. You've asked for articles on finance, so be it...

Keep reading and commenting. Your efforts will be rewarded... Hehehe!! Jai Gurudeva -- O.A.K. Tree

Fastest Guitar Player...

This guy is simply amazing. He has set the record of being the fastest guitar player in the world! The fastest is at 320bmp! Watch this incredible video... -- O.A.K. Tree

ANCHORing the Mind

Today, I was sitting in the office and listening to some music on-line, cherishing my memories of my childhood. I recollected that day, when I had been to on a boat for the first time in my life. It was in alibaug. My dad was visiting his closest friend, Pansare Uncle, at his native place in alibaug. They have a beautiful farmhouse and verdant vegetation spread beyond their courtyard. I believe, it was just after ganapati festival. We were flying kites and had loads of fun. Then Pansare uncle took us to a the nearby wharf.

Water at the wharf was amazingly placid that day. The breeze was gentle. Seagulls floating in the air. Pansare uncle introduced me to one of his friends, who owned a motorboat. I wished for a boat ride and my wish was granted instantly. I jumped in the boat and we (my dad, unc pansare and me) took a lovely ride in the sea. Then the boat owner started educating me about the mechanics of the boat. He told me how important the anchor is to a boat!

But today, I realised its metaphorical meaning when I apply it to my life.The anchor is of no use during the journey over the water. But the moment you dock on, you need to anchor the boat. Else the precious boat will be carried away by the tidal waves. When you apply this principle to your life, you will observe, your mind is just like that boat. Till the time we have a guru in life, we continue our journey of life in conquest. The moment we have a guru, conquest ends and quest starts. A quest to know the purpose of our life and the eternally unanswered question "I wonder WHO I AM?" To get the answers for such esoteric questions we need to dock our minds safely in the harbor called self. If our mind is the symbolic of a boat then, the self is the dock where you anchor on! This anchoring keeps the boat(read mind) steady.

You might have observed that when there is a low tide, the boat touches the ground & when there is a high-tide, the boat bouyantly floats on the water surface. Our mind too faces high and low tides. They are just the passing phases of life. When we are feeling very low, we need to go deep within and repose in ourself. This can happen only when we have anchored our mind to the self. Else the ebbing tide will carry the boat away from the dock! Often when we feel exuberant or on the top of the world, we let the high energy carry us away. We often overlook and take-for-granted certain aspects in life when we a bouyant with high energy. We need to contain this energy and rise up with that steadiness. Here again the anchor helps our mind to be steady.

As Sri Sri says, the whole day you be attached 100% to what ever you do but when you medidate or when you are with your self, you be detached 100%. Anchor your mind is being detached from the effects of tide!

Once you anchor your mind then it does not matter if its high tide or low tide, wether its a bright sunny day or there are fierce storms. You are Anchored!

Jai Gurudeva!


--
O.A.K. Tree

Beijing Olympic Mascots

Like the Five Olympic Rings from which they draw their color and inspiration, Fuwa will serve as the Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of friendship and peace -- and good wishes from China -- to children all over the world.

Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, Fuwa also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals -- the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow -- and the Olympic Flame.

Each of Fuwa has a rhyming two-syllable name -- a traditional way of expressing affection for children in China. Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope and Nini is the Swallow.

Fuwa also embody both the landscape and the dreams and aspirations of people from every part of the vast country of China. In their origins and their headpieces, you can see the five elements of nature -- the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky -- all stylistically rendered in ways that represent the deep traditional influences of Chinese folk art and ornamentation.

In China's traditional culture and art, the fish and water designs are symbols of prosperity and harvest. And so Beibei carries the blessing of prosperity. A fish is also a symbol of surplus in Chinese culture, another measure of a good year and a good life.The ornamental lines of the water-wave designs are taken from well-known Chinese paintings of the past. Among Fuwa, Beibei is known to be gentle and pure. Strong in water sports, she reflects the blue Olympic ring.

Jingjing makes children smile -- and that's why he brings the blessing of happiness wherever he goes. You can see his joy in the charming naivety of his dancing pose and the lovely wave of his black and white fur. As a national treasure and a protected species, pandas are adored by people everywhere. The lotus designs in Jingjing's headdress, which are inspired by the porcelain paintings of the Song Dynasty (A.D.960-1234), symbolize the lush forest and the harmonious relationship between man and nature. Jingjing was chosen to represent our desire to protect nature's gifts -- and to preserve the beauty of nature for all generations. Jingjing is charmingly naïve and optimistic. He is an athlete noted for strength who represents the black Olympic ring.

In the intimate circle of Fuwa, Huanhuan is the big brother. He is a child of fire, symbolizing the Olympic Flame and the passion of sport -- and passion is the blessing he bestows. Huanhuan stands in the center of Fuwa as the core embodiment of the Olympic spirit. And while he inspires all with the passion to run faster, jump higher and be stronger, he is also open and inviting. Wherever the light of Huanhuan shines, the inviting warmth of Beijing 2008 -- and the wishful blessings of the Chinese people -- can be felt. The fiery designs of his head ornament are drawn from the famed Dunhuang murals -- with just a touch of China's traditional lucky designs. Huanhuan is outgoing and enthusiastic. He excels at all the ball games and represents the red Olympic ring.

Like all antelopes, Yingying is fast and agile and can swiftly cover great stretches of land as he races across the earth. A symbol of the vastness of China's landscape, the antelope carries the blessing of health, the strength of body that comes from harmony with nature. Yingying's flying pose captures the essence of a species unique to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, one of the first animals put under protection in China. The selection of the Tibetan Antelope reflects Beijing commitment to a Green Olympics. His head ornament incorporates several decorative styles from the Qinghai-Tibet and Sinkiang cultures and the ethnic design traditions of Western China. Strong in track and field events, Yingying is a quick-witted and agile boy who represents the yellow Olympic ring.

Every spring and summer, the children of Beijing have flown beautiful kites on the currents of wind that blow through the capital. Among the kite designs, the golden-winged swallow is traditionally one of the most popular. Nini's figure is drawn from this grand tradition of flying designs. Her golden wings symbolize the infinite sky and spread good-luck as a blessing wherever she flies. Swallow is also pronounced "yan" in Chinese, and Yanjing is what Beijing was called as an ancient capital city. Among Fuwa, Nini is as innocent and joyful as a swallow. She is strong in gymnastics and represents the green Olympic ring.

When you put their names together -- Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni -- they say "Welcome to Beijing," offering a warm invitation that reflects the mission of Fuwa as young ambassadors for the Olympic Games.

Jai Gurudeva

--

O.A.K. Tree 

Source: A Chinese Newspaper

Swara-gyaan

How many combination can you get with just seven objects? If you hear the answer as 'zillions' then do not be surprised! That's what the seven swaras do. All the music that you hear is a combination of 7 swaras; सा (sā), रे (re), गा (ga), म (ma), प् (pa), ध (dha) and नि (ni). The word सरगम (sargam, in Europe its called "solfege") is derived from the first four swaras, sa re ga ma collectively called sargam! The notes of sargam are called शुद्ध (Shuddha or Naturals)Swaras. Between them are the कोमल (komal or flats)and the तीव्र (Tivra or sharps). They can be equaled to C, D, E, F, G, A, B of the western music. Just like E and B do not have Sharps and F & C do not have flats, Ga & Ni do not have tivra and Ma and Sa do not have komal swaras! What do these swaras mean? Each shuddha swara (i.e., Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni) is traditionally held to have originated in the sound of a different animal, and some have additional meanings of their own. Also, each swara is associated with one of the seven chakras of the body. Just as the swaras ascend through the saptak (Octave), so they are mapped onto the chakras in the body in ascending order. Komal notes are associated with the left side of each chakra; the left channel, Ida Nadi, is the side of emotion and intuition. Shuddha and tivra notes are associated with the right side; the right channel, Pingala Nadi, is the side of logic. Ragas, therefore, have more or less of an effect on a given chakra depending on the notes they contain. Swara influences the bio energy structure of the human organism performed by means of art.Through music, vocal, or dance one can induce resonant states in certain chakra of the listeners or viewers, or in certain meridian. In particular, these structures can be developed simply by letting into them the vibrations coming from the artist. Sa is derived from Shadja which means Sagar (Ocean) and the chakra associated with it is Muladhara. Re is derived from Rishabh (bull) and the corresponding chakra is Swadhisthana . Ga is taken from Gandhar which means Gagan (Infinite Sky) and the associated chakra is Manipura. Ma is the Madhyama or the Middle (Chakra: Anāhata) Pa is the Panchama or the Fifth Note (Chakra: Vishuddha). Dha takes its form from the word Dhaivata meaning Dharti (Earth) (Chakra: Agya). Ni is taken from Nishād which means an outcast/hunter (Chakra: Shahastrar). Combination of the Swaras can have Positive effect on the body mind and the consciousness. Listening to right music at right time can ameliorate the Sativic Gunas in oneself. What time is suited for which ragaa, I will come up with it, shortly. Till then enjoy listening to good music! Jai Gurudeva. -- O.A.K. Tree

Enter the Virtual Economy!

Just imagine a guy, expert in economics, getting paid lavishly for playing an MMORPG games! Weird, you may say. But not with Eyjolfur Gudmundsson. He is the Chief Economist with the CCP Games, the creator of a virtual world, Eve Online, a science fiction computer game run out of Iceland. What does he do there? He does what Y.V. Reddy does for India; manages and balances the economy of EVE. The monster of inflation bugs not only the real world but even the Virtual world. How you may ask. Take example of Linden Labs, the creator of Second Life. It uses the currency called Lindex with which you can trade any merchandise with-in the virtual world. Linden Labs have even pegged their currency with the US Dollars. As on Aug 08, 08 the rate was: 267.46 L$ per 1US $ . The Second Life has got a market place where you get all the information of the ongoing economic conditions of the Second Life World. Games like World of Warcraft, "Everquest, Lineage and Final Fantasy XI all have some unit of currency that is of value in its own virtual world. Generally these games have a "Faucet" from where you churn out point/currencies. This leads to increase in money supply with-in the virtual world. Now when there is more money supply, then more money chases fewer goods. This lowers the value of the currency. So what you could buy with 1 dollar now you need to shell out 2 dollars. Now that's inflation. Now how can the effect be negated. The only way to immunize the virtual world from over-heating of economy is to set "drainage". Now these drainage suck out the excess money from the virtual economy. It can be like more charges on ammo or skill-upgrades after a particular level. This higher charge will deter the "avatars" from wasting money mindlessly. This keeps the economy balanced. They are synonymous to the taxes of the real world. More you earn the more tax you pay. That's not all... well there are NPCs (Non Player Characters) who sell or buy from the virtual world to keep up the economy intact. So, If you find a guy who even after getting M.A. (Hons) in economics is interested in playing MMORPG then you be sure that the guy is gonna be some "Governor of some Virtual World Economy". But how can a world be free of more problems. There are something called COPYbots which was initially meant as a debugging tool with which you can export objects within Second Life to an XML file, which can then later be imported for use in the game. But now it is being used to "copy" the objects and own it without having to pay for it! From the whole drama written above, I am sure that Wachowski Bros' Matrix-like life is not far away. Right?? -- O.A.K. Tree

The King of Fairies

When I heard the ORIGINAL composition of "The King of Fairies" I was bewitched by the enchanting music. This is an Irish folk music. And there is a mystical Folklore behind this. But first the music. Here is the 'rock type' version of the same. It's performed by the group called Amadeus.