tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1876790732160188272023-11-16T05:18:10.215-08:00Arctic WhaleSankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820987629907386862noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187679073216018827.post-38133963952469388402012-05-15T04:59:00.000-07:002012-05-15T04:59:05.235-07:00<img alt="" class="rg_hi uh_hi" data-height="194" data-width="259" height="194" id="rg_hi" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTIgzdEgjmwxbBh1LXMxQ7bzwQpk0JFeqwusWgSRL-bq8wdf5EO" style="height: 194px; width: 259px;" width="259" />Sankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820987629907386862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187679073216018827.post-65871977552530024502012-05-13T05:33:00.000-07:002012-05-13T05:33:14.237-07:00<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Miracle of Life<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Welcome. And congratulations. I am delighted that you
could make it. Getting here wasn’t easy, I know. In fact, I suspect it was a
little tougher than you realize.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial;">To begin with, for you to be here now trillions of
drifting atoms had somehow to assemble in an intricate and curiously obliging
manner to create you. It’s an arrangement so specialized and particular that it
has never been tried before and will exist only this once. For the next many
years ( we hope) these tiny particles will uncomplainingly engage in all the
billions of deft, co-operative efforts necessary to keep you intact and <b>let
you experience the supremely agreeable but generally under appreciated state
known as existence.<o:p></o:p></b></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Why atoms take this trouble is a bit of a puzzle. Being
you is not a gratifying experience at the atomic level. For all their devoted
attention, your atoms don’t actually care about you – indeed, don’t even know
that </span></i><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">you</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;"> are there. They are mindless particles, after all,
and not even themselves alive. (It is a slightly arresting notion that if you
were to pick yourself apart with tweezers, one atom at a time, you would
produce a mound of fine atomic dust, none of which had ever been alive but all
of which had been you.) yet somehow for the period of your existence they will
answer to a single rigid impulse: to keep you you.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial;">The bad news is that atoms are fickle and their time
of devotion is fleeting – fleeting indeed.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Even a long
human life adds up to only about 650,000 hours. And when that modest milestone
flashes into view, or at some other point thereabouts, for reason unknown your
atoms will close you down, then silently disassemble and go off to be other
things. And that’s it for you.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Still, you may rejoice that it happens at all.
Generally speaking in the universe it doesn’t, so far as we can tell. This is
decidedly odd because the atoms that so liberally and congenially flock
together, to form living things on Earth are exactly the same atoms that
decline to do it elsewhere. Whatever else it may be, at the level of chemistry
life is fantastically mundane: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, a little
of calcium, a dash of sulphur, a light dusting of other very ordinary elements
– nothing you wouldn’t find in any ordinary pharmacy – and that’s all you need.
The only thing special about the atoms that make you is that they make <b>YOU</b>.
That is, of course, the </span></i><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">MIRACLE OF LIFE.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">This is from the book
" A short history of Nearly everything" by Bill Bryson - ' a
travelogue of science, with a witty, engaging, and well-informed guide who
loves his patch and is desperate to share its delight with us'</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<br />Sankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820987629907386862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187679073216018827.post-75112495604677701772012-05-13T01:28:00.002-07:002012-05-13T05:35:44.945-07:00<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Significance of Temple Towers</span></i></b><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The temple towers, majestic, towering, colourful, depicting vivid images of Gods and godesses, of Devas, Asuras, of mythology, of people, of yali, of designs and patterns are beautiful and depict our culture.</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Temple towers like that of Meenakshi Amman temple in Madurai, the Brahadheeswara temple in Tanjavur, the Srirangam temple can be seen from many miles away.</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They evoke a deep sense of the Grandeur, of timelessness, of immanence, of infinity.</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They make one wonder about the deep sense of devotion of the people and Rajas of yore, of the nature and purpose of life, of God and Godliness and of the mystery of creation itself.</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They bring about a sense of humility, of quietness, of serenity.</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They also hold a deeply significant vedantic meaning :</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Imagine if the images were to come alive and think that they were supporting the tower, how foolish would that be? Colourful and panoramic as they may be, even if they depict the Gods and Godesses, they are supported by the tower.</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So too the infinite universe is played upon the consciousness which is SAT-CHIT-ANANDAM, the Being-Consciousness-Bliss. While watching the ever unfolding drama called Life focus should be on the SELF or Consciousness or I or GOD.</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Yoga Vashista, Vashistar tells Rama to ever be aware of the SELF and go out and play like a Hero in the world.</span></i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>Sankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820987629907386862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187679073216018827.post-66937844946708057932010-01-18T07:26:00.000-08:002012-05-13T05:35:57.809-07:00Small Steps<blockquote>
Ever wondered why we mark Krishna's footsteps on Gokulashtami, His birthday?</blockquote>
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Of course to celebrate His birth and symbolically represent His arrival !!That is obvious<br />
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The not so obvious :<br />
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The house and all the riches in the house are due to HIS Grace - One should see His blessings in all the material riches that one has gained. That is of course the material point of view.<br />
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Spiritually, there is a great significance. Take a small step inward and He will draw you to Himself. It is like a child. It takes the first step, totters and is about to crash, when the mother rushes from wherever she is and holds the child. And she is in ecstasy! <em>Take the first small step and you can never stop from reaching Him!</em><br />
One also remembers this story :<br />
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Once there was a man who was good, but was not sure if God was there or not. But as taught by his parents he used to pray to God. He had his share of happiness and sorrow. <br />
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When he died he reached heaven and was received by God, who showed him the footprints of his life. The man observed that there were two different types of steps, but always only one set at a stretch. He thought that God had given him all the good things that happened in his life and thanked God for carrying him through the good times. <br />
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God said “You are wrong. Whenever you were in trouble, you thought of me and I carried you. When you were happy you were immersed in yourself and those footsteps are your own.”<br />
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THINK OF HIM ALWAYSSankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820987629907386862noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187679073216018827.post-32745011506912774422010-01-18T07:18:00.000-08:002010-01-18T07:25:08.002-08:00Seek THE Happiness<strong>Seek, seek ye the Happiness,</strong><br />For the seeker knows not the Happiness<br />Beyond the Happiness he knows.<br /><br /><strong>Seek, seek ye the Happiness,</strong><br />If the seeker knows ( Happiness ) he knows not,<br />If he knows not, he seeks.<br /><br /><strong>Seek, seek ye the Happiness,</strong><br />The seeker IS, HAPPINESS IS,<br />Seeker is Happiness, Happiness IS seeker,<br /><br /><strong>Seek, seek ye the Happiness.</strong>Sankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820987629907386862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187679073216018827.post-57374329020503410002010-01-16T06:02:00.000-08:002010-01-16T07:01:50.986-08:00Arctic Whale<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_eeIFudvGAGqp896Bd4uj8p9FsbSMJcKyomCPkOof_yL1g8dI9d3EiqZusZpFeCbUTBxc18psjcrbD7FanYI7xltB4ijNKc0krhzXWjCq7uV6tbVwLqB01qnYtoRkjwSDyf1TV2oQMdFy/s1600-h/Image0004.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_eeIFudvGAGqp896Bd4uj8p9FsbSMJcKyomCPkOof_yL1g8dI9d3EiqZusZpFeCbUTBxc18psjcrbD7FanYI7xltB4ijNKc0krhzXWjCq7uV6tbVwLqB01qnYtoRkjwSDyf1TV2oQMdFy/s320/Image0004.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427350189886865618" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Why Arctic Whale?</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Because Arctic is cool, very cool!! and yes it is also on top of the world - at least when you look from the North pole!!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Whale has the whole world to move around.Doesn't one say a whale of a time, when one has a very nice time.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">This blog is all about having a cool, nice time.It is about sitting and staring at the sun, the moon and trees old and young ; it is about wondering ALL about life ; it is about Arctic circle and whales and all things bright and beautiful and also things that are not so beautiful, but HIS creation anyway; it is about poetry and the poetic beauty of life.Yes, astronomy,philosophy and nature are my interests and a little bit of poetry!!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Let us journey through the sands of time and swim through infinite space and beyond.Let us share and have a whale of time!</span></div>Sankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03820987629907386862noreply@blogger.com0