Let me just say this - My career sprang back to life from the dead today due to tremendous help by many people who were ready to listen and make corrections to what they felt didn't go right. There is always an element of luck in all these.
I was in my van returning to my house. The HR manager called and told about the new job and at the same time somebody in my van returning from Tirupati started distributing the famous "prasad". Yes, by the way Timmappa is our family diety.
This is one of many such things that have happened in my life.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Why Organizations/Humans Fail
Organizations/Humans create plans based on their view of what the world needs now and in future. This is entity's view of reality. It is based on certain assumptions regarding the various things that pervade this world.
As long as these assumptions about the world are good enough to create a theory about the world and predict future, organization/person keeps succeeding. At regular intervals there is a fundamental shift in people's perception such as what they want from the world, what they want to pursue in life, and how they want to live. Then many of the the assumptions that explained how the world functioned get invalidated.
Once the assumptions are wrong, any theory and action plan based on those assumptions is wrong. Companies don't question if the change has happened and if that needs changing the assumptions and creating a new plan. They because of earlier success try to do the same old things more efficiently instead of doing different things and eventually end up as failures.
As long as these assumptions about the world are good enough to create a theory about the world and predict future, organization/person keeps succeeding. At regular intervals there is a fundamental shift in people's perception such as what they want from the world, what they want to pursue in life, and how they want to live. Then many of the the assumptions that explained how the world functioned get invalidated.
Once the assumptions are wrong, any theory and action plan based on those assumptions is wrong. Companies don't question if the change has happened and if that needs changing the assumptions and creating a new plan. They because of earlier success try to do the same old things more efficiently instead of doing different things and eventually end up as failures.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Parents & Inspiration
As I grow older, my admiration for my mother keeps growing as I realize how hard it is to be as disciplined as she is, as selfless as she is, and as broad minded as she is.
My parents taught me to ask myself "Am I about to do what is right?" before I tried doing something. It simply made me and my sister to strive hard to live up to that ideal.
The best compliment that I got was when my manager who is a veteran of industry said that he wanted to meet my parents because he admired what I did day in and day out.
My parents taught me to ask myself "Am I about to do what is right?" before I tried doing something. It simply made me and my sister to strive hard to live up to that ideal.
The best compliment that I got was when my manager who is a veteran of industry said that he wanted to meet my parents because he admired what I did day in and day out.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
My thoughts about avoiding recruitment pitfalls.
What they teach and don't teach at IIM are the following. They tell "you need to create your own rules of thumb to live the life by" and their goal is to only expose you to the thinking you may want to have or to the lines of thinking that you may wish to pursue.
Now is there any possibility to prevent offices becoming resorts where people get paid for spending their time at the expense of people working hard to earn their daily bread?
Some thumb rules:
1. Test a person's integrity - if he/she fails this test don't hire.
2. Culturally people are very different. In every culture there are basic values. In India in modern time these are cheating, lying, and pursuit of money by any means. People who cheat and lie are strict no no. People who are ready to put in the work required to earn the money are the only part of the population that we can employ.
3. Never hire a person who has screwed up the his/her personal life.
4. Never hire a person who has not achieved a single significant thing in life till date.
5. Never hire a person who does not feel good about himself/herself or is at war with the external world.
6. If you have doubts during the probationary period just fire, because it will save lot of heart ache that the person and you are going to have in the days ahead.
7. Talk with references for each person you want to hire. More persons the better.
8. Don't hire if person is worried more about benefits even before taking up the job.
9. Don't tolerate any breach of rules. Warn sternly, give chance , indicate maximum chances available. If offence is repeated simply take the corrective and preventive action. Don't keep saying "I will shoot", "I will shoot" - just shoot. Sometimes fear is also a good motivator. For many of us in India who have become shameless, fear is also an effective motivator along with greed.
10. Never hire if person has entitlement mentality. Nothing is guaranteed in this life. We need to work hard to get these things. With entitlement mentality rewards come before the work. In nature it never happens so.
Alright I will keep writing more. I did not follow some of these thumb rules. So don't make the mistakes that I have made.
Now is there any possibility to prevent offices becoming resorts where people get paid for spending their time at the expense of people working hard to earn their daily bread?
Some thumb rules:
1. Test a person's integrity - if he/she fails this test don't hire.
2. Culturally people are very different. In every culture there are basic values. In India in modern time these are cheating, lying, and pursuit of money by any means. People who cheat and lie are strict no no. People who are ready to put in the work required to earn the money are the only part of the population that we can employ.
3. Never hire a person who has screwed up the his/her personal life.
4. Never hire a person who has not achieved a single significant thing in life till date.
5. Never hire a person who does not feel good about himself/herself or is at war with the external world.
6. If you have doubts during the probationary period just fire, because it will save lot of heart ache that the person and you are going to have in the days ahead.
7. Talk with references for each person you want to hire. More persons the better.
8. Don't hire if person is worried more about benefits even before taking up the job.
9. Don't tolerate any breach of rules. Warn sternly, give chance , indicate maximum chances available. If offence is repeated simply take the corrective and preventive action. Don't keep saying "I will shoot", "I will shoot" - just shoot. Sometimes fear is also a good motivator. For many of us in India who have become shameless, fear is also an effective motivator along with greed.
10. Never hire if person has entitlement mentality. Nothing is guaranteed in this life. We need to work hard to get these things. With entitlement mentality rewards come before the work. In nature it never happens so.
Alright I will keep writing more. I did not follow some of these thumb rules. So don't make the mistakes that I have made.
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Fanfan and Alexander
Representative of our need to hold on perpetually to something rather than cherishing the moment. As soon as we start striving to hold on to something especially in relationships - it becomes stifling / twisted. The realization that we can't hold on to something will let us cherish the moment without worrying about the loss that the tomorrow might bring. Hm, in a bout of philosophy I should not forget the surreal beauty of most French women. Some how so much harmony / beauty has a calming effect on the mind. It simply makes one feel joyous. On the account of beauty now I must add Spohie Marceau to the list of Monica Bellucci, Kate Winslet, Natalie Portman and my sister.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Donkeys and Horses and Ways of the world
Some how in many industries it appears that "number of years" put in matter more than what a person could do. This makes me think industries are mostly oblivious to the fact that with age a donkey/mule does not become a race horse. It just becomes a very old donkey/mule. So it is important to understand
a. whether it was originally a donkey or a horse
b. has it been used to fight wars or has it been used to lug the dirty linen
I believe this donkey becoming a horse mentality is very much true of the "knowledge work" industry.
a. whether it was originally a donkey or a horse
b. has it been used to fight wars or has it been used to lug the dirty linen
I believe this donkey becoming a horse mentality is very much true of the "knowledge work" industry.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Perfection
What can be considered perfect? Only 2 entities. Nothing and Everything. All other things lack something or have something, but are not perfect. Hence the secret is in being "NOTHING".
All answers to attain inner peace have been found, but are hard to realize and inculcate in to our lives. For me it is the distance between writing and living that is hard to bridge. World always wants one to become something however imperfect it may be :-).
All answers to attain inner peace have been found, but are hard to realize and inculcate in to our lives. For me it is the distance between writing and living that is hard to bridge. World always wants one to become something however imperfect it may be :-).
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Kung Fu Panda, Zen and My niece
Zen teaches us to live in the moment - being mindful of actions. I tried to practice it while I was eating. Tried to savour the food that I ate and involve myself fully in that action. Doesn't it seem a simple thing to do? but I think it is worth trying :-). I realized this is meditation 24*7.
My niece turned 2 years old recently. She is a precocious kid. She has learnt speaking, & watches quite many cartoon movies and keeps my brother-in-law and sister on their toes all the time. Whenever I visit their house - which is quite frequent, I get to see the cartoon movies like Mowgli, Tom and Jerry, Kung Fu Panda etc. This time I ended up seeing Kung Fu Panda. The essence of this film is "Believe in yourself, Be passionate about something, Do what you are passionate about / are happy doing / can be in meditation kind of state most of the time. Realize what one is trying to attain is being nothing - The secret ingredient is NOTHING". The same message comes across in "The Alchemist" - The boy when he tries to become wind realizes that he is not different from the entity that pervades this universe. The same message comes across through Hindu philosophy - know yourself. Which is again the essence of "The Matrix" and Neo :-).
As a note on excellence why Steve Jobs' has his place can be seen by watching Jungle Book - Part 2 created by Pixar and Kung Fu Panda created by DreamWorks :-). Think, think, think.
My niece turned 2 years old recently. She is a precocious kid. She has learnt speaking, & watches quite many cartoon movies and keeps my brother-in-law and sister on their toes all the time. Whenever I visit their house - which is quite frequent, I get to see the cartoon movies like Mowgli, Tom and Jerry, Kung Fu Panda etc. This time I ended up seeing Kung Fu Panda. The essence of this film is "Believe in yourself, Be passionate about something, Do what you are passionate about / are happy doing / can be in meditation kind of state most of the time. Realize what one is trying to attain is being nothing - The secret ingredient is NOTHING". The same message comes across in "The Alchemist" - The boy when he tries to become wind realizes that he is not different from the entity that pervades this universe. The same message comes across through Hindu philosophy - know yourself. Which is again the essence of "The Matrix" and Neo :-).
As a note on excellence why Steve Jobs' has his place can be seen by watching Jungle Book - Part 2 created by Pixar and Kung Fu Panda created by DreamWorks :-). Think, think, think.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Desire and Destiny
Do I control my life or is everything pre-dermined. I believe it is not an either/or answer. I think it is both. Destiny gives a set of range of values. My effort determines which value I end up with. So this sequence keeps repeating.
Can "I" determine where I get born? - No. Can I determine my set of genes? Can I determine which diseases I don't want to have? On many major things in life I don't have much influence. I can always choose to put in the effort to choose more desirable of the alternatives or just think everything is destiny and give up.
Accepting what is there and trying to make the best out of it is a better way to live a happy life.
Can "I" determine where I get born? - No. Can I determine my set of genes? Can I determine which diseases I don't want to have? On many major things in life I don't have much influence. I can always choose to put in the effort to choose more desirable of the alternatives or just think everything is destiny and give up.
Accepting what is there and trying to make the best out of it is a better way to live a happy life.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Ctrl+Z life
In some context we were discussing about experimental learning. Somehow the meaning of experimental learning seems to have become do something and see if that thing works. In this age of computers, and ctrl+z (undo); I see people hardly stopping to think. The sequence of actions seems to have become - do, then see, then undo, and keep redoing till we somehow convince ourselves that, whatever we have done is good (mostly we think it is the best :-)).
I see these people managing their life also in this do/undo sequence. Somehow we seem to have forgotten we need time to do anything, and as we keep doing the same thing, we lose more than one non renewable resource such as time, health, our reputation and so on. I also think most of us have forgotten that, most of the things in life that we do, can't be undone.
Why can't we take some time to think? Where has the wisdom of look before you leap gone? I believe in our quest for more, we have given up the quest for perfection.
I see these people managing their life also in this do/undo sequence. Somehow we seem to have forgotten we need time to do anything, and as we keep doing the same thing, we lose more than one non renewable resource such as time, health, our reputation and so on. I also think most of us have forgotten that, most of the things in life that we do, can't be undone.
Why can't we take some time to think? Where has the wisdom of look before you leap gone? I believe in our quest for more, we have given up the quest for perfection.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Desire
I was reading the "world book of mythology". The quest for "liberation" from the cycle of birth and rebirth is a recurring theme in Indian mythology. Ok, I am making lot of assumptions like the life and death is an eternal cycle (body dies but there is something within this body that does not die. That is true considering the fact that the atoms that make up the body don't get destroyed but merely get converted in to some other form of matter). The purpose of life is to find liberation from living again :-) etc. When we achive this it is called Mukti (liberation). The cause of rebirth is supposed to be our unfulfilled desires during our life. The thought that goes beyond this is Buddha's simple words that "the desire is the root cause of all misery" that we suffer in life.
My question is how to conquer desire or how to be desireless? This builds on my previous post. To become desireless you either have fulfilled all your desires or you don't have any desire. Each of these is really hard to do. However much we strive we may not achieve all the goals, as not everything is under our control. Hence the only possible way to become desireless may be is to be without desires.
Hm, if we became desireless - what about our fundamental animal instinct for self preservation? Do we need need to give that one up? My current though is whichever desire is causing misery to me I think I should give that up. That will keep leading me towards a state where I am happy all the time. I believe intrinsically all beings are happy.
My question is how to conquer desire or how to be desireless? This builds on my previous post. To become desireless you either have fulfilled all your desires or you don't have any desire. Each of these is really hard to do. However much we strive we may not achieve all the goals, as not everything is under our control. Hence the only possible way to become desireless may be is to be without desires.
Hm, if we became desireless - what about our fundamental animal instinct for self preservation? Do we need need to give that one up? My current though is whichever desire is causing misery to me I think I should give that up. That will keep leading me towards a state where I am happy all the time. I believe intrinsically all beings are happy.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Yin-Yang/ Shakti-Shiva
The principle says the absolute maximum of any entity or form is the beginning of its complementing entity or form. Utmost ruthlessness is the grounded in being right which in turn is rooted in being selfless. That is where the compassion begins. Similarly when two opponents are fighting and if they are skilled; even though the fight is most violent, it transforms itself in to the most harmonious exhibition of skill ie; a dance. I think you would see this the picturization of the fight between Hector and Achillies in the movie Troy.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Steve Jobs, Opportunity in Life and Disillusionment
I was feeling a little bit off color in the days in between. Read through biography of Steve Jobs. May be I got a glimpse of the other face of the man who has been a force in the computer industry. He, I believe understands clearly what his strength is. It is at the level of a genius and he uses it well. That some what covers up for his other short comings. It is easy to break Apple and him if somebody attacks using his weaknesses instead of trying to outdo him in the areas of his strength. I can write a theory on that. It does not give such a good feel. This definitely is not what I intended. On the positive side the thing that I realized is as long as we are good - it is never end of the road. Need to believe. Need to be passionate and need to strive.
Now "what is the opportunity to do right". Every time I feel low and think, why should I keep striving to excel - something says "Use your ability to create something in this world, even if you don't need anything and undersatnd everything is transient, there are many who could use the fruits of your work". I read an article about few girls scavenging for food in the garbage dump. So even if I don't need, I believe I need to persevere and build something the right way. I should always let go of the things that are in excess with me. Isn't the life an opportunity for us to do something selfless and something right once our basic needs are met?
A good government would have done this job well by taking money in the form of taxes and providing opportunities like education, food and healthcare to the needy, but our government has become a conglomerate of the greedy that sucks out the resources, and doesn't put them to the right use. It is more bothered about impairing the system more with subsidies, reservations and minority quotas. What an opportunity lost.
I started somewhere and ended somewhere, but let me end with a good story that made me realize the bad impact that I have been having till date due to my bad temper. It is here - http://www.indianchild.com/bad_temper.htm.
Now "what is the opportunity to do right". Every time I feel low and think, why should I keep striving to excel - something says "Use your ability to create something in this world, even if you don't need anything and undersatnd everything is transient, there are many who could use the fruits of your work". I read an article about few girls scavenging for food in the garbage dump. So even if I don't need, I believe I need to persevere and build something the right way. I should always let go of the things that are in excess with me. Isn't the life an opportunity for us to do something selfless and something right once our basic needs are met?
A good government would have done this job well by taking money in the form of taxes and providing opportunities like education, food and healthcare to the needy, but our government has become a conglomerate of the greedy that sucks out the resources, and doesn't put them to the right use. It is more bothered about impairing the system more with subsidies, reservations and minority quotas. What an opportunity lost.
I started somewhere and ended somewhere, but let me end with a good story that made me realize the bad impact that I have been having till date due to my bad temper. It is here - http://www.indianchild.com/bad_temper.htm.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
To Know God
Sacred space in Times of India on most of the days is thought provoking. Today there is an assertion from Kena Upanishad. "The ignorant think that the Brahma (the supreme entity) is known, but the wise know Brahma to be beyond knowledge." - What does it mean to know? Most of us understand, data --> Information --> with ability to interpret and reason --> knowledge --> and then wisdom.
Is the assertion true? Does anybody know how does the supreme look, behave, or its attributes? Is it bounded by the dimesions that human mind can comprehend? Or is it just the experience? As none of us know what is supreme is like, even if we find it in dimensions that we can comprehend, we will never know it as the supreme entity. So it is simply unknowable as Brahma. It may be known by some other name, but we will never realize that it is the Brahma or whatever you or I may call. Thus the supposition that Brahma is unknowable is right.
Is the assertion true? Does anybody know how does the supreme look, behave, or its attributes? Is it bounded by the dimesions that human mind can comprehend? Or is it just the experience? As none of us know what is supreme is like, even if we find it in dimensions that we can comprehend, we will never know it as the supreme entity. So it is simply unknowable as Brahma. It may be known by some other name, but we will never realize that it is the Brahma or whatever you or I may call. Thus the supposition that Brahma is unknowable is right.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Funny and Serious At the same time
I read an article in Businessweek. It is about how much we live in the world of vitamin "M".
Love and Bank Account
Cost of Love
Love and Bank Account
Cost of Love
Friday, March 07, 2008
ನನ್ನ ಮೊದಲನೆಯ ಕನ್ನಡ ಪುಟ
ತುಂಬಾ ದಿನಗಳಾದ ಮೇಲೆ kanndadalli ಬರೀತಾ ಇದ್ದೇನೆ. ಸಂತೋಷ ಆಗ್ತಾ ಇದೆ. ಇದೆಲ್ಲ ಸಾಧ್ಯ ಆಗ್ತಾ ಇರೋದು ಗಣಕ ಯಂತ್ರ ಮತ್ತು ಅದನ್ನು ಹೊಸ ಹೊಸ ರೀತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಉಪಯೋಗಿಸೋದನ್ನ ಸಾಧ್ಯ ಮಾಡೋ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ನ್ಯರ ಕೃಪೆಯಿಂದ. ಸಂಕೀರ್ಣವಾದ ಶಬ್ದಗಳನ್ನ ಕೂಡ ತೊಂದರೆ ಇಲ್ಲದೆ ಕನ್ನದಲ್ಲಿ ತರ್ಜುಮೆ ಮಾಡೋ ಇದರ ಶಕ್ತಿಗೆ ನಾನು ಮರಳು ಆಗ್ತ ಇದ್ದೇನೆ.
ಮಹಿಳಾ ದಿವಸದಂದು ನನಗೆ ಈ ಹೊಸ ವಿಷಯ ಸಾಧ್ಯವದದ್ದು , ಮಾತೃ ಭಾಷೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬರೀತಾ ಇದ್ದದ್ದು ತುಂಬ ಖುಷಿ. ನಾನು ನನ್ನ ಜೀವನವನ್ನ ಇಲ್ಲಿಯವರೆಗೆ ರೂಪಿಸೋದ್ರಲ್ಲಿ ನನ್ನ ಜೀವನದಲ್ಲಿ ಬಂದ ಮಹಿಳೆಯರು, ಹುದುಗಿಯರು ಇವರ ಪಾತ್ರವನ್ನ ಯೋಚಿಸ್ತಾ ಇದ್ದೆ. ಅನಿಸಿದ್ದು ಏನೆಂದರೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿಯವರೆಗಿನ "achievements" ಎಲ್ಲದಕ್ಕೂ ಕಾರಣ ಅಥವಾ ಗುರಿ ಕೊಟ್ಟದ್ದು ಅವರೇ ಅಂತ. ನನ್ನ ಆಯಿಯ ಸ್ಥೈರ್ಯ, ನನ್ನ ತಂಗಿಯ ಸಹನಶೀಲತೆ, ನನಗೆ ಕಳಿಸಿದ ಅಧ್ಯಾಪಕಿಯರ ಪ್ರೋತ್ಸಾಹನೆ, ಮೊದಲು ಕೆಲಸಕ್ಕೆ ಸೇರಿದಾಗಿನ ಬಾಸ್ ನ ಭರವಸೆ, ಉಳಿದವದರ ನಿಸ್ವಾರ್ಥ ಪ್ರೀತಿ ಎಲ್ಲಾನೂ ನನ್ನ ಈ ವರೆಗಿನ ಜೀವನವನ್ನ ತುಂಬಿವೆ. ಇವರೆಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ನನ್ನ ಮನಹ್ಪೂರ್ವಕ ಅಭಾರಗಳನ್ನ ತಿಳಿಸಬೇಕು.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Being Human
There was a strange thing that I viewed on TV. There was a guy named Raghav Bahl who was interviewing the finance minister of India - P. Chidambaram after the budget for 2008-2009. The temerity of this Mr. Raghav Bahl unfazed me. He was obnoxious to say the least. Why have we started becoming more of animals in the way we behave than humans. His behavior contrasted so much with the 2 stories that I read from the two of our great epics - Ramayana and Mahabharata. After mortally wounding Ravana, Rama knowing that Ravana is one of the greatest statesmen and a scholar, goes to him and stands at Ravana's feet with folded hands & requests Ravana for his knowledge. Similarly in Mahabharata Arjuna and Duryodhana end up at Krishna's place to ask for his help in the great war that is about to ensue. Duryodhana sits on a chair that is near the head of the Krishna and Arjuna stands near Krishna's feet. Arjuna gets the chance to present his request before that of Krishna. Why have we started forgetting "Vidya vinayena shobhate"?
Why small time thugs and terrorits get more attention in our news channels than people like Baba Amte - who really made difference in the lives of the people?
Only explanation is the human civilization as such has had its peak in being "human". Now the only way is to deteriorate.
Why small time thugs and terrorits get more attention in our news channels than people like Baba Amte - who really made difference in the lives of the people?
Only explanation is the human civilization as such has had its peak in being "human". Now the only way is to deteriorate.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Ag_On_ConversationsAndQuestions
The question is the one that most of us at some point in time in our lives try to answer. "Does the path to a destination matter? or only the destination?"
So my current thought is "Destination matters, but journey is about the path. Destination is just a point. So path matters most, but path must ensure that we reach the destination. It depends on the individual what he/she chooses. The choice of one does not preclude the other.
Paths and destinations are not constant. They keep changing. These can be constantly redefined; the person needs to stay true to himself/herself. So the answer is paths and destinations matter, but not as much as being a certain individual that I want to be."
Why? It is the individual who has the discretion and sovereign will to choose the path and the destinations. Individual if aware can always change the path and the destination these based on the experiences that he/she has during the journey.
Why person needs to stay true to himself/herself - The basic premise is the person that I am talking about is a human being with conscience that guides his/her actions and tells what is right and what is wrong based on established ethical / moral values and derives a sense of well being by choosing the actions as per his/her conscience.
So my current thought is "Destination matters, but journey is about the path. Destination is just a point. So path matters most, but path must ensure that we reach the destination. It depends on the individual what he/she chooses. The choice of one does not preclude the other.
Paths and destinations are not constant. They keep changing. These can be constantly redefined; the person needs to stay true to himself/herself. So the answer is paths and destinations matter, but not as much as being a certain individual that I want to be."
Why? It is the individual who has the discretion and sovereign will to choose the path and the destinations. Individual if aware can always change the path and the destination these based on the experiences that he/she has during the journey.
Why person needs to stay true to himself/herself - The basic premise is the person that I am talking about is a human being with conscience that guides his/her actions and tells what is right and what is wrong based on established ethical / moral values and derives a sense of well being by choosing the actions as per his/her conscience.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Ag_On_UnansweredQuestions
I keep reading and I keep thinking. I contemplate to find answers to questions that have intrigued me for many years now. The following are some of those questions.
1. If we exist in universe, in what does the universe exist? In what does the thing that contains the universe exist? Is infinity a reality?
2. Is whatever the system that we exist in deterministic or probabilistic? "God does not play dice with the universe" - How valid is this statement? What are the proofs of validity of this statement?
The implications of answers to these questions are significant. If I say the universe is probabilistic and as part of such a system, even if humans have pre determined purpose all outcomes of their actions are actually determined by probability. Hence there is no specific goal humans can ever strive to achieve. They need to be content with trying and be happy with whatever they achieve in the surrounding environment. Thus effectively there is no purpose for human life except performing some actions.
This is pretty much the known reality. Humans make choices and they live with those choices. Thus there is no destiny but only choice. This seems very contrary to my view in thoughts from the Alchemist, but the more I ponder, more I lean towards this probabilistic view.
1. If we exist in universe, in what does the universe exist? In what does the thing that contains the universe exist? Is infinity a reality?
2. Is whatever the system that we exist in deterministic or probabilistic? "God does not play dice with the universe" - How valid is this statement? What are the proofs of validity of this statement?
The implications of answers to these questions are significant. If I say the universe is probabilistic and as part of such a system, even if humans have pre determined purpose all outcomes of their actions are actually determined by probability. Hence there is no specific goal humans can ever strive to achieve. They need to be content with trying and be happy with whatever they achieve in the surrounding environment. Thus effectively there is no purpose for human life except performing some actions.
This is pretty much the known reality. Humans make choices and they live with those choices. Thus there is no destiny but only choice. This seems very contrary to my view in thoughts from the Alchemist, but the more I ponder, more I lean towards this probabilistic view.
Monday, September 10, 2007
The Alchemist - what I learnt and my views
The book is sublime and fills one with hope and yearning to find ones destiny. I have read this multiple times and each time gives some new insight. It is very simple and lucid and yet profound in its throughts. Only few places in the book I feel like author is writing something that he hasn’t experienced by himself. Only in these places, I feel the lack of coherence, but in others the harmony in the writing is like that of water flowing through a calm river.
I am dividing the writing in to 2 parts. The part one essentially focuses on what are the key messges embedded in the story told in the book. In the second part, I shall describe how the story of my life resembles the story. I will write about what I have learnt in my life and what I am yet to practice after learning.
The story is about a boy named Santiago who boldy goes about realizing his dreams and his destiny. The boy starts off as a person who wanted to fulfil the wishes of his parents by becoming a priest. Once he realizes his yearning to see the world he gets his father to agree to let him go in search of his dream. He becomes shepherd. Then he listens to his dreams and heads to Egypt in search of treasure buried near the pyramids. Along this journey to realize his destiny to find the buried treasure learns about the oneness that manifests itself in multitude of forms, finds his true love, learns about letting go, and learns to listen to his heart. He in the process learns to become one with the universe and yet retain his individuality.
The central message hence is about the unity behind all diversity, about letting go of my fears and doing what gives me happiness. If I am able to do that I would along the way find perfection also.
PART I
There are insights about how to live life and why to live life. The insights about “how to live life” I call as existential insights and “why to live life” as philosophical/spiritual insights.
The existential insights, I will simply list. I will ponder over the philosophical/spiritual insights so that my thoughts and my learning are clearly conveyed.
Existential:
1. Avoid the avoidable problems in life – however much time or resources you have. (Ensuring that no sheep runs out of the enclosure by barricading the entrance, even if you know that all sheep are sleeping near you).
2. Everything has a time and a place. I am so jaded by my preconceived notions that I hesitate to use the book as a pillow, but the boy just does that. So I need to see everything with a fresh perspective and see the utility value
3. I need to seek help when I don’t understand something. Once the help is there, I still need to make my decision (going to Gypsy and then going to Pyramids in search of treasure).
4. Whenever I am getting in to a new environment I need to have given some thought about what the environment would hold for me. I should not be naïve, but be aware and realistic. It would do me good to be aware of the local customs and lingo in a new environment.I need to be aware that attention to details matters. (Santiago would have done well to learn Arabic so that he could have understood what the tea shop owner had to say)
5. In new environment, I need to make my decisions about whom to trust with more discretion. I should not just go by outer appearance or words. (Don’t judge the book by cover).
6. I should not get carried away. I should always check about the correctness of what is being told to me in a new place. (As soon as the thief says it would take only a day to the Pyramids, the boy believes).
7. One opportunity leads to the other and I should seize these opportunities to move towards my goal. I need to know how to use each opportunity along the way to reah towards my goal (Crystal shop experience).
8. The key to reaching the goal is moving towards the goal, but not how fast I move.
9. I can learn by observing and pondering over the nature. If I am open and ready to accept what comes my way, I will make progress. I need to be open to different views. I need to be ready to learn from all.
10. The essence is in doing the things to realize the dreams rather than gaining knowledge about how to realize the dreams. Only action or movement takes me towards realizing my goal.
Philosophical:
1. All the things are connected. What I sow is what I reap holds pretty much true in this world.
2. I need to learn that I am not the centre of the wolrd. Whether I am teaching the sheep or are the sheep teaching something to me is not very clear. It is essentially mutual. I am able to see the world as a better place once I subjugate my ego and my greed.
3. I am driven by hope – I don’t know why I am alive, I don’t know what is my destiny or purpose. Even at existential level I hope that I achieve better material comfort tomorrow than today. I hope and hope for things to become reality, things to be mine and so on and that’s what keeps me alive. Hope is very euphemistic word for people who are not facing adverse situation. If I am facing adverse situations – hope of having what I desire helps me exist.
4. I begin to complain about things which have helped me to be what I am today as soon as they lose their utility value. I forget that the same entities had helped in my times of distress. I do it for my parents, my friends and with many other things. I have to stop to think about whether whatever I am saying, feeling, or doing about something is right. (The boy feels the jacket is too heavy during the afternoon).
5. I need to learn to let go of people of things and learn to genuinely feel happy in them being happy. I need to learn that each individual has a dream and that is most important for them. I need to understand how I can be of help to them even when I am trying to realize my dream. (Santiago’s father lets Santiago become a shepherd).
6. When I find something interesting (merchant’s daughter) along the path of my journey I need to ask myself was that what I was looking for? Would it lgive me the happiness or inner peace that I was looking for?
7. Only when I learn to not let the thought of preserving what I already have hinder me, I will start to make progress in gaining something new. This is also the only way to realize my destiny or make progress. I have to move forward from the place where I am starting to walk. I can’t just desire to be in a new place without letting go of my previous place.
8. I am not indespensible. I am held back only because I want it to be so.
9. I need to be immersed in the world and at the same time not ignore what I want to do for my own happiness (Seeing the wonders of the world, but not losing track of the drops of oil that I am carrying in a spoon that I am holding).
10. Once I know that my intuition is usually right I need to trust it more to make decisions rather than trying to reason why it is right.
11. In time of loss on the path to achieving a goal it is always important to consider how close I have to achieving the goal rather than how far I am from the goal. I need to be constantly aware of the purpose I started with.
12. If I observe carefully everything is an omen. I need to be able to choose what is right at that moment and never be afraid of the consequence.
13. I have to learn to live in the moment rather than hurrying thorugh the moment. (Why can’t we go to the Oasis now – because now it is the time to sleep).
14. Once I am able to unlock the message hidden in most simple things like grain of sand I will be able to comprehend whatever is considered the most complex.
15. I can attain perfection by pursuing what I love. In the same process I shall get connected with the world around me with better awareness.
16. I need to appreacite the differences among people. Each has his/her own way of doing the things. I need not be perturbed by it. I just need to ensure that I progress in the right direction using the way I have chosen.
17. Love is about having faith and trust. It is about setting free the thing you love most. It is about believing enough in yourself to be able to let go of the thing that you want. “Love is distinct from possession”. I need to aware of true and transient nature of material things. That will help me overcome the very innate desire to hold on to the things.
18. To understand something I need to watch its surroundings. The people who live in vast surroundings are usually ready to share whatever they have; similarly the people who live in small spaces are always touchy about sharing the things.
19. I have to trust myself first to understand the world better. I have to ensure that there is coherence in my thinking. The calmness that then pervades within me helps me understand the things that are around me better. To reach to this calmness I need to overcome my fears.
20. There is some unknown guiding force that is always taking me towards my goal as long as I want to reach the goal. I am the one who has to have the desire to reach the goal and do whatever right thing is necessary to reach that goal.
PART II
Destiny has played a big part in whatever I am today. The small example how destiny operates was when out of 14 people selected from college campus by Wipro and GE teams I was fortunate/unfortunate enough to be put in GE healthcare. That was never in my control, but being in GE helped me do what I always wanted to do; which is having impact on products in global scale and learning to lead people on bigger scale. There are many other incidents in my life which have made me realize that there is something beyond my control that also contributes to the result of my actions.
This journey guided by destiny, has made me introspect on the real meaning of existence. I always end up trying to put on a mask so that people around me like me rather than trying to be what I am and doing what I like to do. In this process I end up losing what is important to me.
I wonder whether life is entirely determined by ones destiny or by ones willingness to move in certain direction. I believe as long as I don’t realize that I am also a part of the whole or “the one entity”, I will feel this difference. Once I realize that I am part of the whole and I am no different from it, I know what my path is. Then there is no difference between my will and what I call destiny. In that scenario both are one and the same. I will realize my purpose then. I am part of something larger and I need to accept that reality to be in harmonious existence
The questions for which I have no answers:
1. If the world has a reason to exist (deterministic) then everythin within the world also must have a reason to exist and definite role to play, otherwise there is no role for anybody. Does the world have a reason to exist? Do I have a reason to exist? Why do I need to pursue happiness?
My current thought:
Existence has no meaning as such. The only way to find happiness during this sojourn is to focus on attaining perfection in what Ilove to do rather than trying to compete against somebody else in something that I don’t love to do in search of external possessions or glory. I need to understand these are side effects of my actions rather than the goal. I need to understand myself and puruse what I want with full intensity and dedication.
I am dividing the writing in to 2 parts. The part one essentially focuses on what are the key messges embedded in the story told in the book. In the second part, I shall describe how the story of my life resembles the story. I will write about what I have learnt in my life and what I am yet to practice after learning.
The story is about a boy named Santiago who boldy goes about realizing his dreams and his destiny. The boy starts off as a person who wanted to fulfil the wishes of his parents by becoming a priest. Once he realizes his yearning to see the world he gets his father to agree to let him go in search of his dream. He becomes shepherd. Then he listens to his dreams and heads to Egypt in search of treasure buried near the pyramids. Along this journey to realize his destiny to find the buried treasure learns about the oneness that manifests itself in multitude of forms, finds his true love, learns about letting go, and learns to listen to his heart. He in the process learns to become one with the universe and yet retain his individuality.
The central message hence is about the unity behind all diversity, about letting go of my fears and doing what gives me happiness. If I am able to do that I would along the way find perfection also.
PART I
There are insights about how to live life and why to live life. The insights about “how to live life” I call as existential insights and “why to live life” as philosophical/spiritual insights.
The existential insights, I will simply list. I will ponder over the philosophical/spiritual insights so that my thoughts and my learning are clearly conveyed.
Existential:
1. Avoid the avoidable problems in life – however much time or resources you have. (Ensuring that no sheep runs out of the enclosure by barricading the entrance, even if you know that all sheep are sleeping near you).
2. Everything has a time and a place. I am so jaded by my preconceived notions that I hesitate to use the book as a pillow, but the boy just does that. So I need to see everything with a fresh perspective and see the utility value
3. I need to seek help when I don’t understand something. Once the help is there, I still need to make my decision (going to Gypsy and then going to Pyramids in search of treasure).
4. Whenever I am getting in to a new environment I need to have given some thought about what the environment would hold for me. I should not be naïve, but be aware and realistic. It would do me good to be aware of the local customs and lingo in a new environment.I need to be aware that attention to details matters. (Santiago would have done well to learn Arabic so that he could have understood what the tea shop owner had to say)
5. In new environment, I need to make my decisions about whom to trust with more discretion. I should not just go by outer appearance or words. (Don’t judge the book by cover).
6. I should not get carried away. I should always check about the correctness of what is being told to me in a new place. (As soon as the thief says it would take only a day to the Pyramids, the boy believes).
7. One opportunity leads to the other and I should seize these opportunities to move towards my goal. I need to know how to use each opportunity along the way to reah towards my goal (Crystal shop experience).
8. The key to reaching the goal is moving towards the goal, but not how fast I move.
9. I can learn by observing and pondering over the nature. If I am open and ready to accept what comes my way, I will make progress. I need to be open to different views. I need to be ready to learn from all.
10. The essence is in doing the things to realize the dreams rather than gaining knowledge about how to realize the dreams. Only action or movement takes me towards realizing my goal.
Philosophical:
1. All the things are connected. What I sow is what I reap holds pretty much true in this world.
2. I need to learn that I am not the centre of the wolrd. Whether I am teaching the sheep or are the sheep teaching something to me is not very clear. It is essentially mutual. I am able to see the world as a better place once I subjugate my ego and my greed.
3. I am driven by hope – I don’t know why I am alive, I don’t know what is my destiny or purpose. Even at existential level I hope that I achieve better material comfort tomorrow than today. I hope and hope for things to become reality, things to be mine and so on and that’s what keeps me alive. Hope is very euphemistic word for people who are not facing adverse situation. If I am facing adverse situations – hope of having what I desire helps me exist.
4. I begin to complain about things which have helped me to be what I am today as soon as they lose their utility value. I forget that the same entities had helped in my times of distress. I do it for my parents, my friends and with many other things. I have to stop to think about whether whatever I am saying, feeling, or doing about something is right. (The boy feels the jacket is too heavy during the afternoon).
5. I need to learn to let go of people of things and learn to genuinely feel happy in them being happy. I need to learn that each individual has a dream and that is most important for them. I need to understand how I can be of help to them even when I am trying to realize my dream. (Santiago’s father lets Santiago become a shepherd).
6. When I find something interesting (merchant’s daughter) along the path of my journey I need to ask myself was that what I was looking for? Would it lgive me the happiness or inner peace that I was looking for?
7. Only when I learn to not let the thought of preserving what I already have hinder me, I will start to make progress in gaining something new. This is also the only way to realize my destiny or make progress. I have to move forward from the place where I am starting to walk. I can’t just desire to be in a new place without letting go of my previous place.
8. I am not indespensible. I am held back only because I want it to be so.
9. I need to be immersed in the world and at the same time not ignore what I want to do for my own happiness (Seeing the wonders of the world, but not losing track of the drops of oil that I am carrying in a spoon that I am holding).
10. Once I know that my intuition is usually right I need to trust it more to make decisions rather than trying to reason why it is right.
11. In time of loss on the path to achieving a goal it is always important to consider how close I have to achieving the goal rather than how far I am from the goal. I need to be constantly aware of the purpose I started with.
12. If I observe carefully everything is an omen. I need to be able to choose what is right at that moment and never be afraid of the consequence.
13. I have to learn to live in the moment rather than hurrying thorugh the moment. (Why can’t we go to the Oasis now – because now it is the time to sleep).
14. Once I am able to unlock the message hidden in most simple things like grain of sand I will be able to comprehend whatever is considered the most complex.
15. I can attain perfection by pursuing what I love. In the same process I shall get connected with the world around me with better awareness.
16. I need to appreacite the differences among people. Each has his/her own way of doing the things. I need not be perturbed by it. I just need to ensure that I progress in the right direction using the way I have chosen.
17. Love is about having faith and trust. It is about setting free the thing you love most. It is about believing enough in yourself to be able to let go of the thing that you want. “Love is distinct from possession”. I need to aware of true and transient nature of material things. That will help me overcome the very innate desire to hold on to the things.
18. To understand something I need to watch its surroundings. The people who live in vast surroundings are usually ready to share whatever they have; similarly the people who live in small spaces are always touchy about sharing the things.
19. I have to trust myself first to understand the world better. I have to ensure that there is coherence in my thinking. The calmness that then pervades within me helps me understand the things that are around me better. To reach to this calmness I need to overcome my fears.
20. There is some unknown guiding force that is always taking me towards my goal as long as I want to reach the goal. I am the one who has to have the desire to reach the goal and do whatever right thing is necessary to reach that goal.
PART II
Destiny has played a big part in whatever I am today. The small example how destiny operates was when out of 14 people selected from college campus by Wipro and GE teams I was fortunate/unfortunate enough to be put in GE healthcare. That was never in my control, but being in GE helped me do what I always wanted to do; which is having impact on products in global scale and learning to lead people on bigger scale. There are many other incidents in my life which have made me realize that there is something beyond my control that also contributes to the result of my actions.
This journey guided by destiny, has made me introspect on the real meaning of existence. I always end up trying to put on a mask so that people around me like me rather than trying to be what I am and doing what I like to do. In this process I end up losing what is important to me.
I wonder whether life is entirely determined by ones destiny or by ones willingness to move in certain direction. I believe as long as I don’t realize that I am also a part of the whole or “the one entity”, I will feel this difference. Once I realize that I am part of the whole and I am no different from it, I know what my path is. Then there is no difference between my will and what I call destiny. In that scenario both are one and the same. I will realize my purpose then. I am part of something larger and I need to accept that reality to be in harmonious existence
The questions for which I have no answers:
1. If the world has a reason to exist (deterministic) then everythin within the world also must have a reason to exist and definite role to play, otherwise there is no role for anybody. Does the world have a reason to exist? Do I have a reason to exist? Why do I need to pursue happiness?
My current thought:
Existence has no meaning as such. The only way to find happiness during this sojourn is to focus on attaining perfection in what Ilove to do rather than trying to compete against somebody else in something that I don’t love to do in search of external possessions or glory. I need to understand these are side effects of my actions rather than the goal. I need to understand myself and puruse what I want with full intensity and dedication.
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