Contact

Is it possible to fall in love with a book only after reading 5 pages of it. I think that is sign of a good book, be it in terms of concept or story or presentation/language anything. 


I have just started reading Contact by Carl Sagan, a famous physicist of 1950s. I am not person fascinated by ET kind of concept. I do not wonder whether there is life in other planets. I think that it is quite possible that there might be life in some form in some planet in one of those millions and millions of galaxies thrown across our universe. Most often I think that we might never recognize the life form as actual life. After-all we do not realize that our own planet Earth is alive (alive, even apart from the fact it supports life). To me this whole universe is like some kind of huge Ecological structure, it is a living breathing, feeling creature. 


Well, anyway back to the book. It is more about the  ET kind of stuff, but the way the book leads to it, is really amazing. The author shows an amazing child like wonder at things/beauty around us and takes us through the questions we would have asked as children (when we actually used our native intelligence, which we later forgot). He tell us his point of view of the universe through the eyes of smart girl (who grows up to strong intelligent woman).


It makes a very very interesting read. And I will update more once I finish it.
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I finished the book today. To tell frankly, had I not been forced to get up to attend to day today activities I would have finished the book on the day I started. I have never come across such an engrossing science book. I will not call this book a fiction. And the best thing about this book is, it deals with not just science, but theology (philosophy), human nature and just the wonder of this creation.


This book is a must read for 'those curious about science, religion' and for people who just like to wonder about the universe. There are so many things I would like to write about from that book. There was so many things I learnt from it. I think I will make a list of it and probably that will enable me to organize my thoughts, so that I can understand the book more.

Flower in the pathway

Normally, poetry and diary are my personal space. I don't usually share them with anyone, and as far as diary is concerned I think that is how it should always be. But I changed my stance for my poems once I meet a dear girl, who became a very good friend. We shared lot of interesting ideas and as we grew to understand each other better, I realized here is kindred spirit and felt that if she didn't understand my poems nobody ever will. So she was the first person to whom I dared to show my poems (dared because, my poems were my emotional expressions and I felt very vulnerable exposing myself like that to someone). And from then on my ideas for expressing my thoughts grew. A few years later, we both decided to write a blog together and then I started my own blog too. But still lot of times, I hesitate to share my thoughts directly in the blogger and therefore I tend to check, recheck and edit under the pretense of checking my grammar and spellings and wonder if I should keep certain portions, and most often I end up deleting. I think that  is unfair. But then that is me and I accept that nature of me!


During those long years that I spent exploring myself and feeling lost and confused I wrote a set of paragraphs phrased to resemble a poem. I called them 'Flower in the Pathway'. They dealt with my experience, with my views of God and through them I tried to express my relation with Him. It was one of few poems I showed my friend and she was fascinated by it. Her main contention was she was able to relate to my feelings or expressions perfectly to last single letter and we always sat and argued, discussed and explored those paragraphs and further beyond them. 


I guess that is one of the best part of sharing those entries with her. It let me grow beyond my points and see what other person saw in my words and that by itself was very new and rewarding experience. 


Recently, I lost the habit of writing, be it poetry or blog or even my own diaries. And felt it created a huge void in me. So I started writing to my friend again. She at once asked if I can share the flower in the pathway with her. Unfortunately I had lost them in all those shifts I made from one place to another for my job. 


The beautiful striking pink flower in the picture above is something I see carpeting the sides of the road in my area. Every spring (march-April), these flowers bloom in their glorious colors and turn the lush green pathways in to nice pink carpet. They make you look at them and I have always admired these flowers. Today, as I walked towards library, these flowers again caught my eyes and phrase 'Flower in the pathway' floated into my mind. I thought why not? I wrote those poems when I was emotionally exploring myself. Where am I now?? I guess not very far from where I left it then. So why not start writing again about the Flower in the Pathway. This time I plan to make them all sorts of writing: prose, poetry, blog ..whatever I can, be it even twitter post. I don't mind. But I think it is high time I started exploring myself again else I might lose what is left of me forever.

Physicist and God

Everyday I go to YouTube and start watching some random video. Most of the time it turns out to be some movie or song, very rarely gossips, news, serials and things like ted talk. Most of the time I tend to choose a link that looks interesting in the recommended section of YouTube home page. 

Today, one of the links that caught my eye was a link that said "Do physicist believe in God?" I have no idea whether this was serious experiment, so enough sample was there or not, but the question caught me. And most of the physicist (in the video) replied saying that they don't believe in God because there was no proof for his existence. There was one who talked about some God sneezing and the universe coming in to existence. He said that he did not believe in such things. This video made me think.

I consider myself a smart person, and there was a time in my life I seriously considered becoming a physicist (when I was around 11 or 12). So I started shaping my thinking accordingly, this statement made me wonder what kind of belief I have for God. 

Frankly I have wondered, about God's existence and have had detailed arguments and discussions with myself and with like minded friends and relatives. But then, I have always found it easier to believe that God exists and it makes it easier to concentrate when I give Him some form. But thinking about it from fables point of view. Fables about creation of universe. Fables that says universe was created by God sneezing, dancing, singing or whatever other stories, I can truly say that I do not believe in it.

But I do believe in the fact that some special force created this universe or n-number of other universe (if u believe in parallel universe), 'cos according to me, creation did not come in to existence one random bright sunny morning. There was some force (or were some forces) that triggered it. And I choose to believe that force as God. 

In my religion, we have form of worship, where you pray to formless God, that God is the energy existing in the universe. So such form of worship sees God in everything and anything. Even in the form-ed-Worship, there is Goddess called Shakthi, we call her the primeval force. We believe that force was responsible for creation of universe and that force (or some version of it ) will be cause for destruction too. 

That force is probably the reason for Big-Bang or it is the energy released when matter and anti-matter meet. It might be some unknown particle inside the atom that keeps it functioning or it be the dark matter. But whatever it is, it does exist and it has been the basic building block of the universe.

So, to me saying God does not exist is like saying the universe does not exist. I can not say that. Because I exist, which leads me to believe that universe does exist. We just haven't found the meeting point of religion and Science yet.

World cup fever - India vs Pak

Its just a match..!!

When it comes to India vs Pak, I have wanted to say this so many times, but unfortunately I have found that I am unable to even think that. Because you see, the moment the sentence starts forming in my head, my cricket fanatic part of brain takes over and starts screaming "bloody hell,bloody hell, bloody hell..!!! " Its not just any match. It is THE MATCH..!! The tension, hype, adrenaline and the constant prayer shape the mood of the match.

I have never been a superstitious person except when it comes to India - Pak match. I can remember the days when I have felt that if a particular ad comes before an over begins there will be a wicket fall. If a certain umpire comes, then India is bound to lose. And also the most famous superstition, of which my Grandfather was very vocal supporter, if Sachin hits a century, India will lose. Amidst all these paranoia, the constant chant of  "oh God!oh God!" goes on in my head. Frankly, I don't think I have prayed as much for my own exams or interviews as I have prayed for India's victory in these matches.

Even though I was sitting miles away from my home, today, watching the match, I again felt the same stirring of madness getting hold of me. I was feeling utterly dejected when the Indian innings got over but something was missing in the whole match or, was it me?!

Well, later I understood what it was... After the match got over, I wanted to review the scenes of the match, so I pulled out my laptop and did Google search for the pictures of the match. As I was going through them, I could see the passion, tension, strength and compose displayed by both the teams whole through the match. Finally when I reached the presentation ceremony pics, I realized what I was missing!

In all of India-Pak matches, there has always been a personal enmity display by both the team players. The matches were played as though they were not playing a game but are fighting for Independence. Today for the first time, I could see the match played for the sake of the sport rather than any other feeling. There was aggression, passion, fear/anxiety and all sorts of other emotions but for once there was no enmity or hatred in either of the team. For the first time, the two teams were playing for the joy of cricket, they were playing as two highly talented professional teams who admire and respect each others play, but are giving their heart and soul to the game they both love.

Thats when I could see that, this was indeed THE MATCH of Indian cricket.

PS: Of course, none of this stopped me from hoping/praying/wishing for a India victory..!! :)

Power of Mind and Prayer

It is a long discussed topic: Power of Mind, and prayer is an equally debated one too. Where phenomenons of unexplainable nature occur, either mind or God is quoted as the reason. There are the extreme cases of mind power like reincarnations wherein a 5year old kid remembers her husband and family from her previous birth. And others like dreams coming true years later. There have been lot of instances where our mind reaches out beyond the logical parameters, be it something simple as vague feelings (or gut instincts) or be it visions of future.

But what do these instances signify? Is our mind more than just a collection of neurons, blood vessels and glias? How does our mind manages to grasp glimpses of time not yet happening? Is brain a mass of flesh not bound by time and space and therefore can, if exercised, be made to look beyond these spacial boundaries? Even if all these questions are answered there comes the frustratingly new questions like what the heck is will power? Is it some sort of hidden strength that our brain/manages to build in us? True in times of duress we have our adrenaline kicking in but it is more than a bloody harmone or enzyme that makes me choose between what is right and what is easy!

I personally have had quiet a number of instances wherein I wished for something from the very bottom of my heart and have it happen. Be it something as simple as have someoen to help me carry my lugages over the staircase or something as big as wanting to go and stay in particular place for a certain period of time (and have no opportunity if that happening). Do I call it power of my mind or will power or is there something beyond understanding on work here? I would prefer to believe that the greater power is at work. That way I can always bring my troubles to someone's court and leave it lying there. I wouldnt have to carry it around. What say? :)

But in all sincerity, the power of mind and prayer cannot be understood. If we accept that mind does have such extraordinary kind of power then prayer is a means of disciplining the mind. It gives you certain codes to follow, gives an authority on whom ultimate trust can be placed and also (most importantly of all) it gives understanding on love and surrender. Prayer is tool with which the mind/brain is sharpened to achieve the power of mind, call it will power or Greater power, whatever it may be. And once harnessed this power has no boundary no limitation, neither in space nor in time. May be then Magic may not be so far away! :)

Home

There's a place called home, 
where a light's been left on
and a heart is waiting for my return.
There's a place called home
and it's where I belong.
I know someday a heart will come
to lead me home.

High School Musical..!!! :D

I know it looks crazy to find a post on High School Musical on blog of a 26  year old girl...er woman i mean..!! I mean its for teenagers below 16 so what am I doing watching that movie or writing a blog about it..!! But that's how I have always been. Watching stuff that I like most no matter what kind of audience it is for. And believe me it is interesting to watch even Dora, the Explorer only if I am sitting with my niece. As a child me & my sister together used to watch all the cartoons, not that there was much more interesting thing to watch either. I kind of grew up in family where TV was meant for may be information gathering or pure entertainment. It was not a time pass. Nope. Which means no mega serials or cinemas..!! Simple things like cartoons, musical shows, or probably the comedy sections. 


Well looks like I never grew out of that child mind...!!