Sever Connections, Overcome Illusion

Deepak M Ranade, A Consultant Neurosurgeon wrote for the TOI Speaking Tree (November 30, Pune):

Consciousness cannot be fragmented. It can only alter its manifestation and seek expression in different forms. This alteration — energy being converted into mass — results in life forms and the universe. It appears that each form is separate and unique. The sense organs are specifically designed to further refurbish this illusion of separateness. As the process of segregation of consciousness further evolves, it creates an illusory spatio-temporal grid.

Breaking the symmetry or congruence of the nirakaar or unmanifest into a spectrum of forms and shapes is Creation. The frequency of this energy gets scattered within a band. At the highest end of this spectrum is zero entropy energy — pure awareness, God or satchitananda — and down the hierarchy, the entropy keeps increasing, resulting in a plethora of forms and figures which is Creation. Pure awareness gets distorted into a split awareness, generating a subject-object dichotomy and subsequently identity, ego.

At the subatomic level, the building block of all matter according to one theory is the string, which is actually energy vibrating at different frequencies.Entire Creation being illusory is that Creation is actually energy manifesting in different frequency bandwidths and each object represents a construct of a particular frequency. Sense organs then trick the brain into believing the separate existence of all that it sees, feels and hears. This master programme weaves the trichotomy of the seer, the seen and the process of seeing.

What my eye sees may just be a transduction of the signal in a preset pattern at a specified locus in the microprocessor called the brain. What my sense organs perceive may just be a function of their programme. Any visual image is actually an interpretation of the incident — light falling on the rods and cones in the retina. The brain thereafter is programmed to interpret these inputs. So the interpretation of any object would essentially be a derivative of this programme.

The interpretation of the incoming data from cognitive apparatus has inherent limitations. The brain receives all signals and through a complex relay system helps in interpreting them. This system itself may be subliminal and may produce incongruous conclusions. In the phantom limb phenomenon, wherein a person feels like scratching a non-existent (amputated) hand, the brain refuses to accept the nonexistence of the limb because the specific area in the brain that represents the hand remains functional. So it may just be possible that the hand which i am scratching is a construct of a brain pre-wired to believe its existence.

Could the consciousness apparatus become conscious of its own self? The only way it can perceive itself is by effacing itself completely, and merge into the vastness of universal consciousness. This would end the deceptive trilogy of the seer, the seen and the process of seeing. This assimilative technique is the only method for perception to perceive itself. The merger is a quantum leap and cannot be achieved by the reductionism approach, which is moored in the "observer and the observed" realm.

Yoga is aimed at disconnection. Yoga is defined as Chitta-vritti nirodh. Chitta is the cumulative awareness of all the sensory experiences and vritti is the intense desire for sensory gratification. This disconnection is in effect overcoming sensory deception.

Yves LaRock - Rise Up

'A Momentary Lapse of Reason' - Some interesting trivia

June 15, 1987 30 hired hands move 800 hospital beds onto the beach at Saunton Sands in North Devon for Storm Thorgerson to shoot what will be the cover of 'A Momentary Lapse of Reason'.

September 7, 1987 'A Momentary Lapse of Reason' album is released.

The sound of the alarm system at David Gilmour's studio Astoria was used at the start of 'One Slip'.

On September 9, 1987 Pink Floyd's first tour in 10 years began. 'MLOR' is Pink Floyd's longest running tour to date.

The tour featured the world's biggest outdoor stage, custom-built by Paul Staples. The proscenium alone was 85 foot high by 98 foot wide. Transportation required four steel systems on the road at any one time, and 45 trucks were used to move the steelwork and equipment.

For this tour, Brit Row merged their own facilities with those of their close associates, American-based Maryland Sound Inc. (MSI) whose proprietory PA stock formed the core of the touring system.

Buford Jones joined PF for the tour, his live mixing credits had included ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, and David Bowie.

Before the concert of January 29th 1988, a 12 meter long, inflatable pig, being used at a record company function 'broke free' from its mooring and slowly disappeared from sight, just as its fellow porker had done in 1977.

May 6, 1988 Pink Floyd's flying pig met an unfortunate end during the first Foxboro concert, when it was grabbed by the audience and torn to shreds. Fortunately, the band kept a spare inflatable on hand.

Before the shows in Rotterdam, Holland, on June 13-14, 1988, the crowds were entertained by two airplanes performing aerobatic stunts. Holland was the only country on the tour to allow this to happen.

June 16, 1988, Berlin, Germany- Pink Floyd played on the Western side of the Berlin Wall, 2000 East Germans congregated on the other side to listen. There were several arrests as the fans chanted for the wall to be torn down.

On July 28, 1988 to celebrate Rick Wright's birthday, the rest of the band joined by the entire crowd, sang Happy Birthday to Rick.

July 15, 1989 Venice, Italy was the most controversial concert of Pink Floyd's career. Despite local protest they were allowed to play a free concert from a barge in the lagoon opposite St. Mark's Square, from where an estimated 200,000 people watched. The concert was nearly cancelled on July 13th, when the City's Superintendent of Monuments claimed that the vibration could damage the buildings. To pacify critics Pink Floyd played at reduced volume. 100 million viewers in 23 countries (including the Soviet Union, Israel, Yugoslavia, and East Germany) saw the show on TV.

Credits:
http://www.pinkfloyd-co.com (After content permission)
http://radio.weblogs.com
http://www.pinkfloyd-guitar.com

Jiddu Krishnamurti, the messianic Buddha

As early as 1889 Helena Blavatsky, founder of the Theosophical Society, had told certain of her students that the purpose of Theosophy was to prepare humanity for the coming of the Lord Maitreya, the World Teacher for the Aquarian Age. After Blavatsky's death, Annie Besant and C.W. Leadbeater considered it their task to carry on this work, part of which was the preparation of a disciple who would serve as a vehicle for the Teacher when He came.

In 1909 at Adyar, India, Leadbeater discovered a boy, who had been born into an high-caste brahmin family, whose aura he judged to be completely free of selfishness. Annie Besant also met this boy and proclaimed him an incarnation of Maitreya, the messianic Buddha.

This boy was Jiddu Krishnamurti, who was then 13 years old. Adopted by Besant and Leadbeater, he received intensive training, then 10 years of schooling in England. People in many countries were informed of his future role.

At the age of 27, Krishnamurti had a personal vision which convinced him that the consciousness of Maitreya was beginning to overshadow him. Theosophists throughout the world had been waiting for this development. Annie Besant traveled (1926-27) in England and the United States with her protégé Jiddu Krishnamurti, whom she announced as the new Messiah.

In 1929, following this two-year tour Krishnamurti himself rejected these claims that he was to be regarded as a World Teacher, and dissolved the World Order of the Star, a religious organization he had founded in 1911. At this point it numbered 60,000 members, managed huge sums of money, and owned tracts of land throughout the world, many designated for Krishnamurti's future work. He was then 34 years old. Krishnamurti also renounced his association with the Theosophical Society, declaring: "I do not want followers. My only concern is to set men absolutely, unconditionally free." He spent the rest of his years teaching humanity how to achieve that freedom.

He retained some connection with the theosophical movement, however, and continued an active career of lecturing and writing. He finally settled in Ojai, Calif., where from 1969 he headed the Krishnamurti Foundation. His writings include Commentaries on Living (1956-60), Freedom from the Known (1969), The First and Last Freedom (1975), Life in Freedom (1986), and Think on These Things (1989).

Credits: age-of-the-sage.org

Evolution

Mind 1: howcome r u being so nice to me
nowdays u hardly trouble me

"evolution" ? :)

Mind 2: im always nice.. u dont realize it

evolution is stalled a bit

Mind 1: why?

Mind 2: dunno

im searchin why it is so

Mind 1: wait i have something u mite just like

What am I searching for,
Where am I going now,
Who am I deep inside,
I want to know somehow.

There is so much to learn,
Life has so much to give,
if I just plan my way,
I'd live a new life each day.

Looking at life through the eyes of love,
Truths of life reveal,
Suddenly it dawns on me...
...The answers are within

Mind 2: :) so true

thanks... thats really nice of u

Mind 1: actually a 4yr old kid taught me this... its a nursery rhyme

Mind 2: very nice, its so deep for a nursery rhyme
Mind 1: i know...

Flashes from Swami Vivekananda - 2

Religion, the great milch cow, has given many kicks, but never mind, it gives a great deal of milk.

Work purifies the heart and so leads to Vidya (wisdom).

What we call nature, fate, is simply God's will.

Japa is repeating the Holy Name; through this the devotee rises to the Infinite.

The path of devotion is natural and pleasant.

Choose the highest ideal and live your life up to that.

Experience is the only teacher.

Philosophy is not got by studying books.

The world is but a gymnasium in which we play; our life is an eternal holiday.

Asian Film Festival Revisited - 2

Kikar Ha Halomot (Desperado Square)
Directed & Written by Benny Torati
Cast: Joseph Shiloach, Yona Elian, Mohammed Bakri, Uri Gavriel, Nir Levy, Sharon Raginiano, Uri Klauzner, Ayelet Zurer
Language: Hebrew

I never knew Indian films do so well in Israel. Desperado Square is a unique tale about a love triangle. The story revolves around a theater, which was running packed some years back. The reason was not just that it'd play Hindi movies, but also romantic sagas like Raj Kapoor's Sangam.

Sangam had been a super hit in a small town of Israel where this theatre is located. But the film has a beautifying aspect to it. Characters surrounding the theater are in a similar situation as in the story of Sangam. An enchanting love story is eventually revealed.

Other scenes are very nicely created, the film takes the audience on many emotional levels with it's screenplay. Do watch it for amazing direction and performances.

League of Shadows VA

League of Shadows, one of the albums released this year by Noize Conspiracy Records.


A crazy package of tunes that will elevate you. The most killa artists featured here, exhibiting evolution. It's like war on a spiritual battlefield. Some of these tracks can be called 'serious morning music' as me and DJ Mukti used to nominate.

01. 7:57 Abomination – Revelations ∞ ∞

02. 8:14 Digital Talk – The Keeper ∞ ∞ ∞

03. 7:55 Delysid – League of Shadows ∞ ∞ ∞

04. 7:53 Seroxat – Dark Days ∞ ∞

05. 8:16 Phatmatix – Mind Manipulation ∞ ∞ ∞

06. 7:31 Azax Syndrom – Replica (Abomination Rmx) ∞ ∞ ∞

07. 7:19 Fungus Funk - Noise Waveform ∞ ∞ ∞

08. 6:52 Frozen Ghost vs. Hiyarant – Lockdown ∞ ∞ ∞

09. 7:34 Wicca – California Nightmare ∞ ∞ ∞

In this compilation all tracks are just great.

Asian Film Festival Revisited - 1

The Asian Film Festival was held in Pune from 1st to 8th November 2007. A confluence of the best from Asian cinema was experienced here. I saw films that don't entertain, but literally touch lives. Some exclusive films from Japan, China, Israel, Iran, Taiwan, Thailand, Srilanka, Korea, Bhutan, Philippines, Kyrgyzstan were screened.

With subjects scrutinizing depths of humanity, it was a great trip for those who know 'life' itself, ultimately is a movie.

I could watch only a few of them, but senior citizens from Pune, retired and chilling in life, flocked the multiplex with a competition within themselves as, 'How many can you watch in a day!?'. They were seen with nicely packed lunch boxes and thermoses full of tea.

Out of around 70 movies, I saw only some , but they've made a great impact. To tell you about a few:

Opening film:
Shaere Zobale-ha (Poet of The Wastes)
Director: Mohammad Ahmadi
Screenplay: Mohsin Makhmalbaf
Cast: Saber Abbar, Mohammad Eskandari, Leila Hatami, Farzin Mohades
Language: Persian

The story of a street worker, who is one of the 3000 employed by the government for cleaning streets and waste management. He was amongst Iran's 4 million jobless first, till he is selected for the job after answering Kepler's laws, clearing a physical test, and failing a very interesting political test:

interviewer : are you a leftist or a rightist?
Saber: sometimes I am a leftist and sometimes a rightist
interviewer: are you a leftist or a rightist?
Saber: well sir I can't really say, what is left today is right tomorrow and what is right today is left tomorrow and it becomes right again the day after. I guess I am none.
interviewer: well..you fail the test. we want someone who knows what he is, to be our street cleaner.

A very lucid story about this man Saber, who collects garbage and discovers life of the neighborhood.

The film is like directed in a way as if the director has a palette of colors and he wished to draw Saber's life on screen. Its so well-made that you'll think about it for hours after watching it.

One of the garbage bags is that of a celebrated poet, an old man who dumps his rough work(on his next book of poems) in the garbage bag everyday. Saber collects them and reads them. One day Saber does not find the poet's garbage bag and he calls out the poet

Saber: Mr. Poet, I don't see your garbage bag
Poet: I did keep it there an hour ago.
Saber: well sir, it is not there
Poet: I guess somebody took it
Saber: sir, you have to be careful, there are thieves around
Poet: but it is just a garbage bag
Saber: no sir, it is a garbage bag of a poet, there is dignity even in the garbage of a poet

The poet is impressed. Saber tells him he read all his poems and even recites one right there. The poet is really impressed.

Poet: why do you like poetry so much?
Saber: I like it so much that I want to be a poet. May be you can give me some lessons.
Poet: no, you have to do it yourself.
Saber: but sir I really don't know how.
Poet: don't rush it. I once tried to rush a cocoon into a butterfly. I warmed it up and all I got was a dead butterfly.

Then is a beautifully captured love story of Saber falling in love at first sight with a lonely, bankrupt Muslim girl. Saber finds torn pieces of letters written to her brother in US, about her visa getting rejected again and again.

He poses as a poet and sends her the poet's poems as if they were his own.

The film earned a well-deserved applause.