Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

"The happiest man on earth would look into the mirror and see only himself, exactly how he is."

How often we do stand in front of a mirror and feel fascinated with our looks: the soulful eyes, the locks on the temple, the sweet mouth, the fullness of contours, and the grace of form and movement?

Or wish we were slimmer, taller, had longer hair, or whiter teeth? Some of us consider cosmetic surgery and indulge in a keyword search that we think will improve our self-perception if followed. We presume,’ Oh! I will be happier if I look more perfect.’ Nothing could be farther from truth.

It is true, we need to be physically fit to live life- have a threshold amount of health to be able to enjoy what life has to offer, but the bilateral symmetry which we obsess over is over-rated. Why is that some women who are the epitome of pulchritude have the messiest perceptions about themselves, are very difficult to be with and often suffer bouts of depressions? On the other hand, the-not-so-perfect looking individuals are happy, living life with a good sense of humor and focusing on what is really important.

What is it that they know? What is the secret mantra to success and happiness? I can’t speak for everyone, but I strongly believe it is the knowledge of the self- as it is. And an incredible thirst to know further. Everything we learn helps us expand our thinking into another dimension. Every experience and talent we earn is making us a more complete human being. And the thirst to know our inner selves through different forms of expressions should at least be equal to, if not greater than, our desire to be perfect in our physical appearance.

Are there directives about how we should go on that quest to find our completeness?

In Bhagwat Gita, Krishna says:
'Among women, I am fame (kirti), prosperity(sri), speech (vak), memory (smriti), intelligence (medha), endurance (dhriti) and forgiveness (kshama).'

I find it relevant even today and it gives me a good sense of what qualities I could work on to be more accomplished. And make that image in the mirror more like what I want it to be.

Chader pahar podcast

This site includes no advertising and generates no revenue. This podcast is under fair use of copyright (US law, Section 1.2.9 ).

Chader Pahar (Mountain of Moon) by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay.
CHAPTER 1

Click on the label 'podcast' or 'mp3' for more audio clips and 'video' for videos.

Expressions

Recently, I have noticed -a few have the misconception that it is very trendy to trash others without having any real authority to do so. They think it is lame to read, write, draw, take pictures, sing, cook, dance, walk, learn a language, and volunteer to work for a cause. In fact, anything that does not include pointing fingers towards other human beings and then scanning them under a microscope for flaws- is a complete waste of time.

Personally, I have never faced such issues, because I am surrounded by very positive people who encourage any form of creativity. But for the unfortunate few who are often told that they are not good enough or their work is not worthy of attention- my advice is -keep an open mind for constructive criticism (very few will invest the energy, really), but don't give up on your passion(s).

Also, it is alright to feel frustrated or disappointed with your composition sometimes. But the important thing is not to quit. It may take months or years before you can create a masterpiece- maybe never (the worst possible scenario), but it is a lot better than not having tried.

Brush strokes 2

My first acrylic Buddha. Made while watching, 'Idle hands' :D

Disturbia

Last week, I was very upset by the news of Steve Jobs’s death, now confirmed as respiratory arrest owing to complications from pancreatic cancer he was long battling. I had not known him personally or even as an employer, but his 2005 Stanford commencement speech had inspired me at a time when I most needed it, and for that I felt a certain kind of gratitude towards him.

I was also disturbed by the events at a cement factory in Cupertino where a man shot dead three of his colleagues and wounded several others when he opened fire in a staff meeting. He was a single parent with two kids. Someone who had authored a self-help book, reported for local news, and worked at the cement factory for 15 years. After widespread panic and one of Silicon Valley's most massive manhunts, he succumbed to his own shot in the head.

Two very different deaths. But the obsession of a certain segment of media with the gory details of the later event, instead of a healthy discussion on what is a social tragedy, was disturbing. Not as globally known or mourned as the death of a tech pioneer, but indicative of a disease that lurks in the society to spring on good,god-fearing (from interviews) people on a Wednesday morning at 4 am. Why did he lose his temper to such an extreme?

Recently I read somewhere about how poets and artists fear their passing would be 'quite unnoticed'. The Fall of Icarus by Brueghel, and Musee des Beaux Arts by Auden have spoken well of human indifference. The first time I saw the painting, I wondered why the perspective of the painting is such that the fall and the consequent death of Icarus is an insignificant aspect in it. Now, I understand and see the beauty of it.

The Fall of Icarus by Pieter Brueghel the Elder

Marriage

This picture has done quite some rounds with the punchline: A wife is a wife...no matter who the hell u are

So I decided to retaliate with the other aspect of marriage:

P.S. I can joke abt it because I have no such issues.. yet :P