ambainny

Moving piece by Uma Krishnaswami on wanting to be the Karta in her father's death ceremony. V. Krishna Swami, 1925-2010. Go in peace. At 7:20 pm on January 26, I lost my father, or perhaps he found his way. He slipped away while my mother and I held his hand, stroked his forehead, and talked to him, all the way to the end. I'm blessed that he held on until I got to his bedside. I'm blessed that he was a part of my life. He leaves a hole in my heart that nothing will ever quite fill. I think Appa would approve, in his own quiet way, of my decision and my mother's--that I, his only child, should perform the last ceremonial rituals for him that a son would have carried out, if he'd had one. It was not an easy choice. I realize that for many, including some in our extended family, it was a shocking choice. I didn't aim to shock, only to do what seemed obviously, to me anyway, my job and mine alone. I will not describe the ceremony itself. That emotional space is not...

To be reminded can be a motivating slap in the face for amnesiacs during a too-long flight in a young bubble. --Anonymous As You Like It — Excerpt JAQUES: All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms. Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel And shining morning face, creeping like a snail Unwillingly to school. And then the lover, Sighing like a furnace, with a woeful ballad Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier, Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard, Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice, In fair round belly with good capon lined, With eyes severe and beard of formal cut, Full of wise saws and modern instances; And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts Into the l...

"About 9 months ago, after you went to big school, we realised that your personality was suffering. You’d slowly gone into a shell, stopped speaking or begun to speak only gibberish, had given up holding a pencil, had spells of violence and then of absolute silence. There were plenty of other problems that I shall not blog about, that we needed to take up with the administration, but the main thing was to get you out of there. So we moved you back to your old nursery school from the terrible, terrible school we’d put you in. About 20 days later, I was called to meet your teachers. It gave me the heebie jeebies – what could be wrong? The teachers gently broke it to me that you might have a learning disability. And communication problems too. And they said the scary words – Special Ed teacher." Read the complete letter at madmomma.blogspot.com it brought tears to my eyes..

Aamir Khan, A.R. Rehman Saif Ali Khan, Rekha Zohra Sehgal, Resul Pokutty

http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/cornel_west_calls_out_barack_obama_20100124/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Truthdig+Truthdig%3A+Drilling+Beneath+the+Headlines Thanks Amrita for the link!

"Once you have the View, although the delusory perceptions of samsara may arise in your mind, you will be like the sky; when a rainbow appears in front of it, it's not particularly flattered, and when the clouds appear, it's not particularly disappointed either. There is a deep sense of contentment. You chuckle from inside as you see the façade of samsara and nirvana; the View will keep you constantly amused, with a little inner smile bubbling away all the time. - Dilgo Kyentse Rinpoche"

SAS Newsletter : "From the point of view of spiritual realisation, time has no concrete reality; all depends on the sincerity and intensity of the aspiration, on the steadiness of the effort. Some can do in a few weeks and even days what takes years for others. Moreover, as the mind and the vital, the chief factors of progress, are not submitted to the same rules of decay as the material body, the age factor loses all its importance when we speak of spiritual and intellectual growth; there is no time limit nor age limit for the mental progress which can go on steadily for hundreds of years. Secondly, failure is not the sign of incapacity - far from that. Repeated failures come always to those who have something exceptional to do; it is only those who are satisfied with a commonplace and ordinary realisation who succeed easily in what they attempt to do. The natures of a special value have always to face many ordeals. And thirdly, when I say to take refuge in the Divine's Love,...

I CAN Do It! - Inspirational Teacher Story, Teacher Inspiration : "I CAN Do It! You are very special, and I want you to know, I loved being your teacher; and it's hard to see you go. Though our time together this year, has come quickly to an end, I will remember you forever, my dear second grade friend. As you continue your journey, you will learn and grow, Please carry these words I give to you, wherever you may go: Always do your best, no matter how hard it seems. And if you do, I promise, you will reach your dreams. Remember to tell yourself, 'I CAN do it', because I know you can; Think of all you've learned since school first began. Reading, Writing and Math; I know weren't always fun, But I am so proud of you for all that you have done. You will continue learning as you move from grade to grade, Keep in mind and think about the progress you have made. If you feel like giving up - - keep trying, you'll make it through. I know this, for not too long ago,...

http://www.harpers.org/archive/2010/01/hbc-90006368

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/blog/2010/01/peace_through_education.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/18/world/europe/18iht-women.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

http://www.alternet.org/story/145249/bill_moyers_%26_thomas_frank%3A_how_america%27s_demented_politics_let_the_gop_off_the_hook_for_their_giant_mess/

"Teach your children to feel they are the future citizens of the world. -- Sri Swami Sivananda"

The Hindu : Literary Review / Interview : Negotiating change with memory : "True, there are differences... but we also have the land... the whole geographical continuity is there you know, the forests, the mountains, it's all the Eastern Himalayas belt. Ok, Assam doesn't have the big snow mountains but it's the foothills. The big rivers link us; all our rivers drain into Assam and with the landscape comes a common shared culture and a relationship to the land... Elsewhere you refer to Pensam as the in-between land...Is it an attempt to record a disappearing tradition in the face of modernity? In a way, yes. Ours is an oral tradition you know, I was trying to meet people and collect and record these oral narratives. You know, the small histories which were getting lost and when you talk to people even small things can trigger these memories off. I had no idea how the book would turn out because it was very difficult to project these stories in English. To negotiate that...

The Hindu : Magazine : An enigma called happiness : "Ok, happiness comes from within. You tap the source of happiness and use it to still the demons within. Happiness is an emotion. It does not spring from entertaining your whims. Lasting enjoyment comes from living life with zest, pursuing your career, love, friendship and hobbies with good values. Happiness is a choice. You can choose to brood and be angry or find the brighter side and be happy with what you have. To reach that place, we need more than enough faith, more than enough relationships, more than enough physical, emotional and mental resources. You are at peace with yourself and the world when mind (intent), body (action) and spirit (conscience) vibrate in unison."

3quarksdaily : "Science: Many years ago, my family discovered a small journal that my grandfather had written in 1915, 2 years before he left for World War I. It contained a short essay titled simply, 'My Guide.' Here's a paragraph from it: To respect those I love, my country, and above all myself. To be as honest and as fair with my fellow man as I know how, and to expect them to be honest and fair with me in return. To keep my future clear of debt by saving as well as by earning, and to guard my health of body and peace of mind as my most precious stock in trade. To use my strengths and skills to the best of my abilities, and to share the rewards of my success with my community. I was impressed that my grandfather, who would go on to become a successful businessman and patriarch of a large family, had thought about his life's philosophy at age 22. But I didn't think much more about my grandfather's words until years later when I met another person who wou...

SAS Newsletter : "Whatever you may want to do in life, one thing is absolutely indispensable and at the basis of everything, the capacity of concentrating the attention. If you are able to gather together the rays of attention and consciousness on one point and can maintain this concentration with a persistent will, nothing can resist it - whatever it may be, from the most material physical development to the highest spiritual one. But this discipline must be followed in a constant and, it may be said, imperturbable way; not that you should always be concentrated on the same thing - that's not what I mean, I mean learning to concentrate. And materially, for studies, sports, all physical or mental development, it is absolutely indispensable. And the value of an individual is proportionate to the value of his attention. And from the spiritual point of view it is still more important. There is no spiritual obstacle which can resist a penetrating power of concentration. For instan...

The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) Metro Dalai the ‘<I>chela</I>’ : "Dalai the ‘chela’ OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT A day after asking people to go and see the sufferings of Tibetans under military occupation at a Bodh Gaya peace conference, the Dalai Lama had hope on his lips on Sunday. He was in Calcutta to confer the Ladies Study Group Charitable Trust award on Disha Foundation’s Neena Singh and addressed the gathering at length. “Historically, the Communist Party of China has changed with the times. Also, many Chinese intellectuals are backing us through their writings. They may be in the minority but intellectuals lead society. Despite restrictions, Tibetan children are now travelling to enrol in monastic schools here. So there is hope,” he told invitees inside and later Buddhists gathered outside the hotel, who had travelled from as far as Himachal Pradesh and Darjeeling for a glimpse of the monk. He also heaped praise on Indian values, calling himself “a reliable...

The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) Metro Dalai the ‘<I>chela</I>’ : "Dalai the ‘chela’ OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT A day after asking people to go and see the sufferings of Tibetans under military occupation at a Bodh Gaya peace conference, the Dalai Lama had hope on his lips on Sunday. He was in Calcutta to confer the Ladies Study Group Charitable Trust award on Disha Foundation’s Neena Singh and addressed the gathering at length. “Historically, the Communist Party of China has changed with the times. Also, many Chinese intellectuals are backing us through their writings. They may be in the minority but intellectuals lead society. Despite restrictions, Tibetan children are now travelling to enrol in monastic schools here. So there is hope,” he told invitees inside and later Buddhists gathered outside the hotel, who had travelled from as far as Himachal Pradesh and Darjeeling for a glimpse of the monk. He also heaped praise on Indian values, calling himself “a reliable...

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070125/asp/careergraph/story_7304018.asp Wonderful story of all the good work my aunt Neena Singh is doing in Calcutta with education.

"I have found that the greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and compassion. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It is the ultimate source of success in life. - H.H. 14th Dalai Lama"

SAS Newsletter : "It is by persevering that one conquers difficulties, not by running away from them. One who perseveres is sure to triumph. Victory goes to the most enduring. Always do your best and the Lord will take care of the results. - The Mother [CWMCE, 14:173]"

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/world/middleeast/05iran.html?hp

http://www.himalmag.com/Still-terminally-ill_nw3965.html Himal South Asian's Zakia Sarwar discusses the problems in the educational system in that country. thanks to 3qd for the link

Maira Kalman has a wonderful photo, drawing and writing essay about George Washington and Obama. I love her colors and thoughts.. Savor the moments Happy New Year http://kalman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/by-george/