SUNDAY, AUGUST 10, 2014 (PAGE-3)

SACRED SPACE NATURE Quest for Immortality Animal Festivals Maneka Sanjay Gandhi gery, rice sweets called modakas, grass the whole day and in the evening wor- and red flowers are offered. The idol is ship cows and then hear the story of B K Karkra Similarly, a computer mimics the human brain. It has a C.P.U. Last time I wrote about the so called anointed with red unguent or sandal Bahula before eating. Bahula was the Man has been in relentless search of immortality since the times corresponding to the processing power of the brain and RAM festivals in India which are simply excus- paste. Vedic hymns are chanted. On the child of the wish fulfilling cow Kamd- immemorial. Permanence, however, is the jealously guarded pre- for memory. Computer gets inputs through its keyboard, imag- es for killing. But for every travesty of an 11th day, the image is taken through the henu. Lord Shri wanted to test serve of God. No one has ever been permitted even a peep into ing and voice modulations, while brain gets these through the animal based festival, we have good streets in a procession, accompanied her commitment to him so he came in ones as well. Fairly good ones, because this Divine portal. Not only the physical being, but even the mem- sensory organs. Computer displays the results on its monitor, with dance and song, to be immersed in the form of a hungry lion and asked to even though the animal is central to the a river or the sea symbolizing a ritual eat her. Bahula promised the lion that ories have a limited shelf life--- common man can ordinarily hope whereas brain does it through speech, sketches, bodily expres- festival, our worship is largely symbolic see-off of the Lord in his journey towards she would come back tobe eaten up to live in memory only till his grandchildren are around. Ever sions and actions etc. The computing ability of the supercom- now. his abode in Kailash while taking away once she fed her calf. Bahula went increasing longevity is very much within the realm of reality, but puters has already touched around 1% that of brain. The Ahoi Ashtami is a fast observed with him the misfortunes of all man. home, fed her calf and then came back immortality is certainly beyond anybody`s reach. Even all the man- The scientists from various disciplines are currently on the job by mothers for the well-being of their Cow festivals abound. to the lion who then revealed himself as sons during the month ofKarthik (Octo- made Gods and prophets would live only till our earth does not dis- of networking computer with human brain, so as to be able to down- , theharvest festival of Tamil Krishna. ber –November). Nadu is incomplete without the pres- load and upload data from one to the other. The effort is thus at dig- Jayanti is celebrated to appear into some cosmic black hole. Only the God who has who The story of Ahoi Ashtami relates to ence of cows. The third day of Pongal commemorate the birth ofHanuman, the has made man and all else would always be there. Besides Him, itizing the brain and replicating consciousness. At the moment sci- a woman with seven sons. She went to is allocated to cows. It is called the Mat- monkey god, on the full moon day dur- 'atman' (soul) is also believed to be indestructible, because it is an ence has very little purchase on the idea. Yet, the pace at which the forest to bring soil and her imple- tu Pongal. Cows are adorned with kum ing the month ofChaitra. Devotees visit inalienable part of '' (God). the computers are evolving and the tremendous progress made in ment fell on an animal den and killed a kum and their horns are painted. temples and applysindoorto their fore- cub. Over the next year, her sevensons Both seers and scientists have been after the cosmic secrets the intricate areas like the genetics gives the hope that, sooner or Women from every family feed them heads from Hanuman's idol as Hanuman died and she felt it was a result of what sweets. for ages. They have tried to unravel the mysteries of life and uni- later, consciousness would also get decoded. himself was of that colour. On this day happened with the cub. As atonement The day before is Govardhan spiritual discourses are started at dawn verse in their own preferred ways. The intricacies of what lies with- We are told that the Cole Polytechnique Federale de Lusanne for her sin, she offered prayers to the or the festival of cow dung. On this in the Hanuman temples. In Tamil Nadu in us are no less wondrous than the mysteries of the cosmos. If of Switzerland (EPFL) has already started making efforts to repli- goddess Ashtami and Kerala, Hanuman Bhagawati by and when our scientists are able to cate a neocortical column of brain on an IBM Jayanti is celebrated in sketching the solve the question of consciousness-- computer. If this works, a number of such sim- the month of Margazhi face of the cub. (Dec-Jan). InOdisha, - they hope to do so by the end of this ulated cylindrical columns would be linked She eventually century--- it would certainly be a big together to understand the working of what is got back all her- Hanuman Jayanti is cel- ebrated on the first day leap forward for man to chase his illu- known as the 'grey matter' in the brain. Once sonsby the power of her of Vaisakha (April 14or sion of permanence further. this is successfully done, the mysteries of 15) as New Year for Consciousness is something what consciousness would start getting unraveled. prayer and ever since it allOriyas. The officiat- the refer to as 'atamn' or Aubrey de Gray is of the view that a becomes a ritu- ing priest bathes the soul. This is what makes you feel that person who is to live 150 years may have al to worship idol and offers special you are you. Nobody else can be 'you'. already been born and the one who may the goddess prayers to the gods. Then the entire body is Besides, we are human because we live for 1000 years is in the coming in the every year. smeared with sindoor think--- 'cogito, ergo sum'. Deciphering next twenty years. In his lecture before the Mothers fast and pray for and oil. The story goes British Royal Academy of Science, he said of consciousness would, therefore, lay their children. that when was bare a good part of the mystery sur- that all this would be brought about The picture applying sindoor to her rounding life. After all, this is the quin- through 'gene therapies, stem cell thera- of Ahoi Mata is hair, Hanuman asked tessence of our being--- the seat of pies, immune stimulation and a range of painted on a wall her why. She replied self-awareness, social-sense, emo- other medical techniques'. Progressive and a bowl of that by applying sin- door, she ensured a longevity of life may, therefore, be well water is placed tion, memory, reasoning ability and near it. A red long life for her hus- even personality. Body is just a casing within the grasp of man. thread is wrapped band, . Hanuman for consciousness and mind really is Ian Pearson, the head of the futurology around the bowl of water and the edges are day, cow dung is the deity who is offered then smeared his entire body with sin- the place where man lives. If the con- unit of the British Telecommunications, is smeared with turmeric powder. The story vegetables and money. door, in an effort to ensure Rama's tents the brain could be preserved and hopeful that by 2050, computer technology of Ahoi Mata is read out. All thewomen sit On Shivaratri, women pay their immortality. Hence Hanuman's idol is down to listen to the story. The fast ends in taken care of separately, body would would have advanced to a stage where it respects to 's bull before daubed with sindoor. People offer the evening when the moon appears. going to the God. sweets and fruit, especially bananas, to go disposable. would be possible to download the contents The snake is worshippedin small Bachchabaras is a ritual observed in the god and to monkeys all over. Men Our first curiosity with regard to in a person`s cranium on to a supercomput- temples called Kavus in Kerala. The North India in the Bhadrapad month – also fast from morning till evening in consciousness would naturally be to know exactly where in our er. Once this happens, it would also be possible to upload this dig- temple of Nagaraja at Mannarashala is this year it isAugust 22nd. The ritual is Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Tents are body it is lodged. Our heart is just a pump and liver, a purification ital copy in another brain. Initially these simulations may be crude one of the important snake temples in observed for the wellbeing of children. erected in front of Hanuman temples facility--- though we are often made to feel, as if these organs and hazy, but these would get satisfactorily refined with time. The Kerala. Couples without children hang A cow and calf are worshipped. The cow where people congregate to listen to small cradles in trees near the temple. have something to do with the pulsations of our inner self, partic- process would also get less laborious and may eventually come is given ghee, rice, milk and delicacies recitations of the Hanuman Chalisa. On snake festivals, floor drawings called made from millet. Millets is also given in Kurma Jayanti on Vaishakh Purnima within the reach of common man. It is not difficult to understand the ularly the sensation of love. In the 17th century, a French philoso- `Kalams’, with coloured powders and charity to the poor. –May 14ththis year- celebrates the birth pher, Reni Descartes thought that this life-force lay in the pineal staggering implications of this development, related as it is to the cowdungare made ofserpent gods. A Gopashtami is celebrated in the of the tortoise, the second incarnation gland of the brain. However, the view now is that it lies some- overall 'beingness' or personality of a person. priest consecrates the drawings, fol- month (October - November). of Lord . Pujas are done on this where in the complex circuitry of the neurons called the spindle Ray Kutzwell, in fact, goes to the length of asserting in his lowed by dance and music and a recita- On this day Krishna lifted the Govard- day in Vishnu temples. tion. cells. Whatever be the truth about these findings, one thing is book, 'The Age of Spiritual Machines' that the current generation han hill to save the people of Braj from Hayagriva, the horse, is also consid- Elephants unfortunately have not the rage of . People clean the could be the last one to experience terminal death. The biologi- ered anavatarofVishnu. His festival is on quite clear that consciousness has its home in brain. It is a kind done very well in elephant festivals. cowsheds and bathe the cows and cal puzzle of death is thus waiting to be solved. Our mortality is the day of the full moon in August (Sra- of software that gets processed in our brain which itself could be They are worshipped in every temple in calves. They are given special food, va?a-Paur?ami) and on Mahanavami, Kerala but treated really badly. The ele- construed as hardware. The two are thus integral to each other. presently tied to the durability of our hardware i.e. brain. Death decorated and worshipped. Gopashta- the ninth day of the Navaratrifestival. phant festivals have degenerated into If science is to proceed further from here, it would have to first occurs when this system crashes, just because it is not yet pos- mi is similar to Govatsa fes- Sri Matsya Narayana Temple in Kar- farces where they are made to walk sible to save its contents (consciousness). If, sometimes in the tival celebrated in in the nataka is dedicated to Sri Matsya locate the exact spot in brain which deals with this mystical phe- miles in the heat, kept standing while future, it becomes possible to port the mind-file on to some back- month of Pousha. During the festival Narayana Swamy.Matsyais the fish nomenon. The next stage would be to decode the information on loud devotional music is played and dec- acow and a calf are worshipped. these nerve cells and download this on some super capacity com- up device, the human battle against mortality would end in a sig- orated with heavy howdahs and incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The festival Celibacy is observed and the worship- of Matsya Jayanti is celebrated on the puters. The whole thing could be viewed this way: A baby is born nificant victory to man. The prospect is, undoubtedly, fraught both smeared with colour. Many of them go per sleeps on the bare floor. Cows are third day of the waxing moon of the with a blank memory (His memory disc may well be carrying bag- with promises and perils that are impossible to predict immedi- mad during this torture. fed and the worshipper lives on milk Chaturthi, mainly in Maha- Chaitra month (March- April)) every gage from his past life also, but that is not retrievable in the ordi- ately. Just imagine, finding yourself in another body and seeing and uses no salt. Goshpada tritiya Vra- year. rashtra, celebrates the birth ofLord ta is celebrated in the month of nary course). Right from the first breath, the child begins receiving your own body laid in front of you! Ancient Indians had recognized the Ganesha, the elephant headed God. It Bhadrapada. Cows are worshipped. animals’ right to co-exist with man and messages from his surroundings through his sensory organs. Thus, Science is simultaneously trying its hand at creation of artificial is observed during theHindu monthof Oil, salt and all cooked food is prohib- therefore they were loved, nurtured and a plethora of sights, smells, sounds, flavours and feelings make life and also in the area of the Past Life Regression Therapy. (The Bhadra (August -September) and lasts ited. worshipped. In the , their way to his memory and start getting accumulated there. In PLRT works on the basis that the experiences of past life lie embed- for 10 days. A clay model of Lord Gane- Bahula Chaturthi is also celebrated Krishna compares the world to a single course of time, the processing power of the brain also comes in to ded in a corner of a man`s brain incognito. These could be recalled sha is placed on raised platforms in in the month of Bhadrapad. Mothers homes or in decorated outdoor tents. banyan tree with unlimited branches in play and he starts reacting to events in line with what lies embed- to remedy his psychological ailments of this life, following him from keep a fast for their sons.Actually this is The priest, clad in red silk dhoti and a festival to celebrate promise keeping. which all the species of animals, ded in his brain i.e. his experiences. his past life). However, even if man achieves some breakthrough shawl, invokes life into the idol amidst No milk is drunk on this day. The cow humans and gods wander. We forget Consciousness can thus be considered as just another senso- in the field of digitization and preservation of consciousness, immor- the chanting of mantras. Coconut, jag- keeps it all for her calf. The women fast only at our own peril. ry organ or the sixth sense. Anything perceived through this sixth tality would still not be there in his grasp--- what if this earth itself sense means that the brain has already worked on the issue in the gets sucked in a cosmic black hole one day or the digital copies of light of the data stored therein and arrived at a solution, but the consciousness get infected with some virus? Man may continue to LIFESTYLE necessary calculations done by it have completely faded from its push his frontiers of knowledge, but God is not going to lose even memory screen. This leaves us with a feeling that things are going a bit of His greatness. After all, even brain is not our own creation- to happen in a certain way, but we really do not know why. -- it is also a gift from God. Turning obstacles into opportunities CAREER COUNSELLING Ashok Sharma Life is a mixture of joys and sorrows.Every person, rich and poor, old and young, is confronted by troubles and obstacles at one stage or the other during the peri- Respond, do not react od of his life.As we face problems such as failure in Gauri Chhabra you lose your access to resources in your overall goals and objectives it will be examination or business, loss of job, unemployment, clutch situations. For example, a high- easier to respond. serious illness etc, we have a tendency to feel that it How many times have you tried to stop potential manager walks into a senior Put the situation in context. Always is the worst possible thing that could have happened to us and we are doomed for ever.Consequently, our yourself rom reacting to an unpleasant sit- manager's office and can't speak in coher- consider the context - what is happening stress levels go very high and we fail to find a way uation and it just flowed out? The venom, ent sentences although he knows the and how the next step will best serve you, out.We become so tense and nervous that we forget the anger, the tears? And more important- material. Or a seasoned executive bab- the organization and everyone involved. ly, how many times did you regret later that where there is a problem, there is a bles at the board meeting when she is Blend logic and emotion. The best solution.Instead of focussing our attention on the prob- that you had not done so? known for her clear thinking. Or the man- decisions are both informed by facts and How many times were you successful lem and viewing it as a challange and blessing in dis- ager who just saved the company has infused with emotion. The goal isn't to guise, our mind is riddled with thoughts such as 'what in controlling your emotions? Before you been asked to present what he did and deny your emotions, but to balance those go on a guilt trip and start ticking yourself shall I do now'or'I don't know what to do and how to flounders through the presentation. All immediate emotional responses with get out of this situation'.It is time that we need to for doing it too often, let me tell you, you these are examples of a performance thoughts and facts to fill in the blanks. This change our attitude towards the problem and develop are not in it alone… hijack. is the essence of responding. the feeling that 'I can do it' and I'll do it'.It is better to We're of the same tribe.We want the Let me give you another example. Ask yourself the key reaction ques- think over the problem in a cool and relaxed manner same things. "Rohit" is a client of ours who works for a tion. The key question is: Am I reacting? and tackle the problem as a challange in the light of Can you shift your emotional state at prestigious worldwide consulting group. Simply asking yourself that question can our existing resources, circumstances and abilities will? Can you shift your team members' too? He had been promoted to a role that ground you and give you a quick mental History bears testimony to the fact that many great bravely.In this dual world, where there is life, there is Most of us can't-when we get emotion- involved far more presenting to and per- break to perhaps choose differently. people have achieved greatness and eminence inspite death;problems and solutions coexist.Even a story ally triggered we're toast. Our train has left suading key clients, and, suddenly he was Recognize choices. Often reacting of their physical and other disabilities.Charles Lamb, cannot be beautiful and interesting if there is only love the proverbial station and we're on it. freezing, stumbling, and losing clients. comes when you don't know or think you who is known as 'king of essayists' spent the days of and no conflict.If there is only protagonist and no vil- We're stuck. This high performer had become a liabil- do. Between the urge and the action, falls his early in utter penury.Hellen Keller was blind, yet lain in a film, few people will watch it and it certainly We're stressed. ity. What was happening to Rohit? a moment of choice. We have a choice she found life beautiful and enjoyable.John Milton can't be categrized as a great film.'Our sweetest composed his best works when he had lost his eye However, just because you are We all have been conditioned to act in whether to lash out, to slap a band-aid on thoughts are those which tell us of our saddest tales', sight.Albert Einstein was considered as a subnormal stressed should not make you lose your a manner that at one time in our lives was that hurt feeling, to act in a way that will so says P.B.Shelley, the great poet.So problems and child in his childhood and his teacher said that being cool and start reacting to every stimulus vital for survival. In Rohit's case, his con- level, to drown our sorrows. obstacles shall always come our way till we are alive a slow learner,he could learn little.Charles Darwin, but it is our attitude and response towards a problem, that life has to offer you. You have to tame ditioning was to be as invisible as possi- Or we have a choice whether to take who wrote 'Origin of the Species', was, infact, handi- which determines how much impact they will have on your mind and your senses. ble; he'd been wired in childhood to avoid a step back, to feel the emotion (but not For instance, you are bugged by the ris- capped and he admitted that had he not been handi- our life. a parent with a rage problem. Invisibility become overwhelmed by it), to think to capped, his abilities couldnot have been come to the In order to find solution to the problem and over- ing telephone bills and you call your Admin was equivalent to safety for young Rohit. ourselves "I notice I'm feeling hurt", and officer and say: "I've been looking at our fore.Christy Brown, who suffered from cerebral palsy come the obstacles, we must ponder over the prob- The current-day trigger of high visibility in be able to decide: "What do I really want and declared incurably imbecile by the doctors, learnt teleconference bill and I think we could save lem in a relaxed and cool manner and find out ways front of important clients was now activat- to do about this?" to write with his left hand and wrote his famous auto- 30% or more .We need to analyze confer- and means to turn this problem into a challange in ing this trigger and kept plunging him into When we take the second option, we biography 'My Left Foot' which was a huge success ence services and cloud possibilities the light of our inner and outer resources.We need his reactive state Critter State, where he have a chance to respond. We have a and which has been translated into many languages to take this challange as an opportunity to better our- because I'm concerned we're overspend- had learned to shrink from the world in chance to express our emotions in a way of the world.Based on this book, a film was made, selves and enhance our capacity.If such a transfor- ing by least Rs 10,000 per month and I'm- order to survive. His reactive state was that feels satisfying to us and clearly com- which won five Oscars. mation takes place in our mind, something miracu- thinking through the best process to iden- running the show to ensure his survival- municates how we feel to the other per- The life history of Abraham Lincoln, the famous lous will happen and this newly acquired feeling will tify a qualified but more cost-effective serv- and his response state was shut down. president of America, is too well known to require any act as a catalyst to transfer our problem into a bless- ice." son or people in the interaction. We have I am using Rohit's case here to illus- mention here.These and many other legends have ing. See the underlined words and phras- a chance to act with authenticity and trate what can happen when neural wiring integrity, and ultimately to act in a way that demonstrated that obstacles and unfavourable circum- Our confidence and energy level increases and we es? These are where you communicate are in a position to pool all our mental and spiritual starts running amok. All behaviors and we can feel good about later. stances stand nowhere and if a person is the master from-and the Admin Officer cannot even energy to find out the solution.It must be remembered behavior patterns had some kind of of indomitable willpower, he can overcome all these hear you. You have cut him off from the When we choose reaction over that as long as there is life, there will be problems.We intended positive outcome at the time they second sentence itself. responding, when we give in to that impediments and achieve success.Had these persons cannot change the events of our life we can certainly Instead if you choose not to react but were created; they were useful in some instinctive urge to scratch that itch, we faced no problems and obstacles, perhaps, they would change our perspective and attitude in order to con- respond you would say: "I want to speak way to help the individual get the positive lose that chance and we lose control. never have achieved so much name and fame in their trol our circumstances instead of being controlled by with you about our goal to not just double outcome they sought. The trouble is that When we react, we're acting out parts respective spheres them.We should accept life as it comes and also the revenue this year but also increase prof- as we grow and change somebehavior of us that are buried, that don't feel heard Obstacles and problems are an integral part of our fact that it is made up of good times but also struggles itability I have some cost-cutting options patterns no longer serve us. They either and have unmet needs. These parts need life and we should accept them as opportunities and and adversity.We must not just keep brooding over the take them as challanges.Where there is a rose, there I'd like to propose .Are you interested? need to be updated for the well-being of to surface at some point, but in order to ful- problem and pass sleepless nights, invite medical is always a thorn.The obstacles need to be viewed as problems and frustration but consider problems as Outcome: Your rapport and trust with our current selves, or, in Rohit's case, they ly process them, we need to give them the positive motivators to help us build up our capcity and opportunities to reinvent ourselves and face them sto- the admin has skyrocketed. need to be released entirely. chance to emerge in a calm, supported So, you need to respond rather than environment, not burst out uncontrolled. tackle them successfully so that we become stronger ically and bravely.It will help in bringing out what is Often times our reactive compulsive and quicker to encounter another obstacle if a new one react. Here is how to: After all, between stimulus and best in us and enhance our capacity to face them in a state wins over the state of chosen comes our way.Obstacles, in fact, provide us an oppor- better way in future. Think big picture. When you think response… is LIFE response and that results in performance tunity to make use of our latent and dormant abilities (The writer is serving as lecturer in English, Govt.Hr.Sec.School, about how this specific situation fits into hijack. Performance hijacks happen when For queries contact gauri_nagpal @yahoo.com and thus enhance our capacity to face the problem Barolla ( Udhampur )