Free Will? Destiny?

The idea of destiny working to bring you to a particular place at a particular time is really amazing. Although at first thought it seems like impossible, one’s experience itself teaches one that there is such a thing as fate/destiny/something that is pre-determined. It is beautiful and yet scary too. 


From the moment we are born, the environment we grow up in determines our circle of free will. This circle of free will is as big as the amount of knowledge we acquire about the different choices in life. If lets say in all the colours we only know about yellow, red, blue and green, then our choice is limited to only these four colours. Whereas the more colours we know the more choices we have. Therefore, there is always a limit to the circle of free will we have. Most of the time our circle of free will is pre-determined by the limitations in the environment we grow up in. Therefore, free will is really a misnomer!


Such being the case, our choices in life are really pre-determined. It “seems” as though we are making a choice out of our free will, but our choices itself are limited in a certain way. Many things we do in our lives, our likes and dislikes, our temperament, our natural tendencies have all been pre-determined. Nothing can really happen with our own choice. We cannot even determine when we will fall asleep. All we can do is ready the bed and lie on it. Sleep will come but we cannot control when and how it comes. Such is our life. Life is nothing but realizing this grand truth, that things are not always in our hands or in our control! 


This idea, which at first seemed very romantic and beautiful, now seems to be daunting. It makes us think that we cannot change our future at all. Though our choices are limited and pre-determined, we still have that “free will” with which we can still make a choice between what is good and bad or right and wrong! But many times we are pushed to make a choice that is agreeable to all, but not in alignment with our innate temperament or nature. For example, a woman whose talent and interest lies in dancing has to “choose” to forego her dream in completing a degree in fine arts in order to attain a degree in engineering. A degree in engineering will “secure” her future compared to a degree in fine arts which will not yield financially. Now where is the choice in that? Seems like something pre-determined right?


Krishna in Bhagavad Gita says in Chapter 2, Verse 47: You have the right to perform your actions but not to the results of your actions. How very true! This verse does not tell you that you should not expect any results at all. It only tells you that the results cannot be influenced by you. This is just like sleeping. You can only make your bed and lie on it. The result (i.e. sleeping) is not in your control. You cannot say that 10 seconds from the moment you lie on your bed you will fall asleep with certainty. The result is not in our hands. But the action is. 

Ballerina is spinning….. which way?

 
If you see the girl turning clockwise, your right hemisphere dominates:

So if this is you, then you are highly creative, you use your imagination, feelings and perception of space, you are sensitive to symbols and images, you enjoy exploring the future and thinking philosophically…

If you see the girl turning anti clockwise, you use your left hemisphere:
And if this is you, then you are a logical thinker, you rely on realism, words and language. you are attracted by maths and science, knowledge, and specifics…
If you manage to see it turning in the both directions:
You are both a left-brainer and a right-brainer. But the first direction you see in the ballerina is what you predominantly are. You can try to change the direction of the ballerina spinning though. I did it the first time, was difficult. But it comes easily with practice. 🙂

Random…

I don’t make it a point to comment about movies extensively. Neither am I going to do this for this post. But I just want to say something here. Please go watch Neninthe telugu movie on youtube, which comes with subtitles in english.
It is a movie about cinema. It actually made me re-think my pre-conceived notions I had on cinema. A good movie overall.
On the side note, I can’t wait to go to my new house!! 🙂 Sigh…

Heer Ranjha

The song Ranjha Ranjha has really fascinated me. I was wondering what the name ‘Ranjha’ meant and did a small google search. I also found its roots in a Punjabi classical song. Just listen to this:
The first two lines are the same from the song in Raavan. Fascinating isn’t it? Also the story of Heer and Ranjha is a famous one in Punjab! Once again, it is a famous love story just like all the Romeo-Juliet, Laila-Majnu kinda stories we have heard so far:

Heer was an extremely beautiful woman born in a wealthy family “Sayyal”. Ranjha (Teedo) was the youngest of four brothers, after a confrontation with his brothers, Ranjha left home and travels around and comes to Heer’s village, where he found his love, Heer, who offered him a job to take care of there cattle. Having met Ranjha, Heer became mesmerised by the way Ranjha played the flute (Wanjli) and eventually fell in love with him. They would meet each other secrectly for many years until they were caught by her jealous uncle “Kaido” and parents (Chuchak & Malki). Heer was forced to married to another man “Saida Khera”, with the full permission of “Mullah” (priest), who was well-payed by Kaido.

Ranjha was left broken hearted and left to walk the quiet villages on his own until eventually met a Jogi (devoted beleiver in God). Having entering Gorak’s Tilla (Shrine) Ranjha could only see his departed lover and being emotionally scared he voluntarally became a Jogi. Reciting the name of the Lord “Allakh Naranjjan” on his travels around the Punjab he found the village, where he was reunited with Heer. They escaped (also with Saida Khera’s sister “Sehti”, who was in love with “Murad Baluch” – an another famous love story of Punjabi Culture) but was caught by Maharajah’s police. Maharajah punished him to jail but same night whole city was in flames. Maharajah freed Ranjha and permitted him to marry with Heer.

They came back to Heer’s Village, where Heer’s parents agreed to their marriage. On the wedding day, Heer’s jealous uncle, “Kaido” poisoned her so the wedding wouldn’t take place. Having heard the news Ranjha rushed to aid Heer but was too late as she died. Ranjha becoming broken hearted once again and died on her grave.” 

The song is amazing and it does not bore you no matter how many times you listen to it! 


Talking to myself

I’ve tried imagining a world without all those man-made things. I realized simply how many things man has made up! That is a lot of things you know! Just imagine… Whatever is left behind that is not man-made would be the Earth with its trees, plants, and all other living organisms, and finally the humans who are just part of the ‘other living organisms’. What is it that separates the humans from the rest of the things that are not man-made are those that are man-made; meaning the things that came out of man; out of his mind. And if you further reduce the entire universe into its basic constituents, you end up with the five elements: earth, water, fire, air and space; from the gross to the subtle.
Yet we take so much effort to beautify our lives, which if you think in comparison to the grander scheme of events, is utterly insignificant. We make so much fuss about all the problems in life, which will seem silly if you just make a small comparison with that problem and the wider scheme of things. This kinda reminder would always serve its purpose in case our ego gets inflated and blinds our discriminative capacity. Instead of getting too entangled into the problems in life, just think of where you stand with reference to the universe, then your problems become insignificant. The ‘heck care’ attitude is the best!
But that doesn’t mean that you disregard your ‘to-be-done’ duties. Life should be lived according to your wishes but if certain things are to be done then then they have to be done! Just go on with your life, enjoy it, and then later forget it. Probably that is why we end up with Alzheimer’s in old age…
(This blog post is for myself. Me talking to me. I didn’t mean it for anyone else.)

The making of a graduate

Life seems to be free and open from where I stand now. I have completed my university education and I’m not thinking of what to do in life next. Of course, I have to go and find a job and start working. I will do just that. But I’ve come to realize that research is not something that I would want to do for the rest of my life. I have other interests to pursue. With God’s blessings, I hope I will be able to achieve what I set out for. 

I wouldn’t say that the struggle for life begins now that I have graduated. Instead, I see my whole life ahead of me, inviting me with open hands, for me to go and achieve whatever I want to! I feel that I have been empowered to seek whatever I want in life and achieve it. Was it the university education, or my friends, or the books I read, I don’t know. But I feel like I’ve grown so much and yet still not grown fully. There is lots more in life to learn, I realize!

Neither am I scared of my future prospects. Whatever it is, I will have to face it. All I have to do is never to loose sight of my individuality. Easier said than done… Sigh. 

Wish me luck!

Interesting Neeya Naana episode…

This episode of Neeya Naana, although it is quite old, is really amazing! I am very impressed at the views expressed by the youngsters today. Do go to Youtube.com and watch the entire episode, while I am only embedding the 1st part of the show here:

I think it is the 5th part of this episode videos,in which the topic about thaali (the sacred thread) comes about. Many of the males in the opposition side bravely raised their hands and said that they will not tie thaali in their marriage ritual! I am simply amazed! And not to mention these people are from “staunch” countries like Madurai, Dindukkal, etc., where the tradition and religious practices are deeply rooted in the society.
My personal opinion on this subject matter, on whether marriage rituals are necessary or not, is entirely objective. As long as you do not see any value for the rituals, you don’t have to follow it. It is entirely your choice. But because I see a certain value to these rituals, I know they have meanings, they serve a certain purpose, I would go for it.
The so-called sacred thread, thaali, did not even exist back then, many centuries ago! It became a necessity somewhere just a few centuries ago, probably because of Mughal and British invasions. But now, in a free society, I think there isn’t any need for thaali anymore.
So back then what ritual was there that thaali-tying has now replaced? You must be wondering… Well, there was a ritual called “kanya daanam”. The father of the bride will bring both the bride’s and the bridegroom’s hands together and join them together. Plus there is the Saptapadi (7 vows taken in 7 steps around the sacred fire). After joining hands, the couple has to take their 7 vows together. That is all there is for marriage, no thaali tying all.
For me, I don’t know if I will wear a thaali. I want my marriage to take place as per the original Hindu ritual where there is kanya daanam, and all, but no thaali tying. But I don’t know whether this will happen in this way. There is no use in wishing for something and building up expectations for something and in the end, it not happening and you getting disappointed. So I am going to just leave it at that.
Thaali = male domination: Now this is an interesting viewpoint. I never thought about this! But come to think of it, it is really male domination! IF and only IF the males have forgotten that they have to wear their metti (toe ring)!!!

Sleep deprivation… silent killer!

“…There is also a growing recognition that sleep restriction is a risk factor for significant metabolic dysfunction. Sleep deprivation could be the silent killer of the 21st Century but in a different way from how hypertension was similarly labelled in the 20th Century.”
Prof Michael Chee, Cognitive Neuroscience Lab(www.cogneuro-lab.org), Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore

For more information, visit http://www.nus.edu.sg/research/rg124.php

So one more “to-do” to include in my New Year Resolution list: Go to bed early!!