Rocknrolla

“That’s the thing about greed, Arch, it’s blind. And it doesn’t know when to stop”

"All you need to know about life is retained in those four walls. You will notice that one of your personalities is seduced by the illusions of grandeur - the gold packet of king size with a regal insignia, an attractive implication towards grandeur and wealth, the subtle suggestion that cigarettes are indeed your royal and loyal friends, and that, Pete, is a lie. Your other personality is trying to draw your attention to the flip side of the discussion: written in boring bold black and white, it's a statement that these neat little soldiers of death are in fact trying to kill you and that, Pete, is the truth. Oh, beauty is a beguiling call to death and I'm addicted to the sweet pitch of its siren. That that starts sweet ends bitter, and that which starts bitter ends sweet. That is why you and I love the drugs, and that is also why I cannot give that painting back. Now please, pass me a light."

Veda

"All that exists is One. People only call this One by different names." 

"God is love, and he that abideth in God, and god abideth in him."

"God is one whole; we are the parts."

Conversations

"... fervent interest in the world of ideas. They didn't call it philosophy or even know it as such, but the stuff of their conversations was often just that - abstract questions of moral and ethic, meaning and purpose." Shantaram

There are conversations you can have with anybody, educated or uneducated on the topic, you are able to listen and muster an insightful opinion if you want. These sorts of conversations about morals, ethics, meaning and purpose - they are interesting, it's beneficial to hear new outlooks, to develop yourself as an open minded, knowledgeable human being.

INDIA

There's something about India, I mean I know it has many faults (the rich/poor divide, the cast system, rape etc.) but there's something about this place... the life, the colour, the vibe. It just feels nourishing in someway, not so much in the busy towns but in the small rural villages near Ranthambore and Bharatpur; I feel like these places are nourishing to the soul somehow. I can't wait to someday go back to India, and explore vast landscape I haven't yet seen. It has a piece of my heart.

Blurry picture but the only group shot I have with all of my family who came, plus our new extended family thanks to my sisters marriage to Pratham (back right)

I went to meet my family in India for a few weeks of traveling, chilling, experiencing real Indian culture, soaking up all the sun and all the love. We started in Dehli, then we complete the Golden Triangle over 2 weeks before spending 1 week in Goa. It was a good mix of exploring, relaxing, soaking in the culture and catching up with family, some I'd never met and some I hadn't seen for 6 months while I'd been in Australia.

I found this great summary of India on worldtogethertravel.com, it's well worth a read if you're unsure about going there:

"India’s astounding diversity of religions, languages, and cultures is unique and unparalleled. The society of vast subcontinent, varied and complex in its rich heritage, is among the oldest in the world.

Five thousand years of history have nourished the growth of a great civilization. It has been vitalized through cross-cultural contact and characterized by unity in diversity of culture and race, caste, religion, and language. In India there are examples of virtually every known type of societal division; six major religions- Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Zoroastrianism; two major language families- Aryan and Dravidian, with 18 official languages and innumerable dialects and tribal languages; three racial strains- Aryan, Dravidian, and proto-Australoid; and over 4000 castes, hierarchically ranked, endogamous, and occupational.

Gandhi’s dream had always been to create a modern India that would offer Asia and the world a living example of his social ideals. To his followers, those ideals still constitute a lifebuoy thrown out to mankind by a strangely sane old man in a world going mad. The Mahatma was wholly opposed to those who argued that India’s future lay in imitating the industrial and technological society that colonized her. India’s salvation he argued “lay in unlearning what she has learned in past decades.” He challenged almost all the Western ideals that had taken root in India. Science should not order human values, he argued, technology should not order society, and civilization was not the infinite multiplication of human wants but their deliberate limitation to essentials that could be equitably shared by all.

Culturally diverse and complex, with mainly rural, traditional, and agrarian population, India now is also a major industrial power experiencing rapid urban growth and rural-urban migration. The shadows of a vibrant consumer society are taking shapes and urban population is exposed to massive change in life style, consumption habits, and cultural conditioning. 

These are certainly the times of doubts and chaos as what is on the big move is not merely an economy but also a society that represents one of the most ancient civilizations of the world. India is not simply the largest democracy in the world; majority of its population is of young people with ever growing aspirations. In her 5000 years of history, Indians never failed in creating a definite order in the psychic vibrations of their younger generations and the generations to come, but now in an era of Globalization and rapid economic growth, what course the history takes remains to be unfolded."

 

Old Dehli

The boy not quite blown away by that white building over there...

 Aryan not interested in the detail on the marble walls of the Taj Mahal...

Being part of my sisters Hindu wedding was a special experience:

The beautiful bride!

Loved these colourful trucks!

The food that introduced me to the term 'Dehli belly' - makes me feel quite sick even looking at it now. At one point this guy came over and poured melted butter and sugar over different areas of my plate... I thought I'd better try it ya know...

I tell ya if you're a white girl and want a bit of attention - go to India. Flocks of children, men and women randomly gather around you asking for photos, strange.

Making up for lost time with this little stud!

Having Aryan on my lap while I sit on my mum's lap on the bumpy ride back to the hotel.

Puppies everywhere!

It was great catching up with my friends Kate and Tom. So great!

Good times exploring Goa on a moped.

Those long train rides...

When Aryan first became friends with his shadow.

My little Aryan taking in the new sights, saddened by the poverty.

Personal revolution

 

“The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are. You trade in your reality for a role. You trade in your sense for an act. You give up your ability to feel, and in exchange, put on a mask. There can't be any large-scale revolution until there's a personal revolution, on an individual level. It's got to happen inside first.” Jim Morrison

Carlton Draught please daaaarl

The prospect of having 2 jobs working 60 hours week does sound depressing, but I wouldn't change my situation. I'm grateful for my part-time bar job, not just for the extra money but I think there's a lot to be learned, and a lot of personal skills to be developed by working in that sort of social environment.

Meeting people from different countries and cultures, with different backgrounds and different stories... you are forced to find a way to communicate with everyone on a platform, where you can find common ground and create an instantly relaxed environment. Having a hardworking team of brevs alongside you helps enormously, that creates a relaxed working environment where stress is minimal and then your happy vibes are projected onto the customers, creating a good time for everyone, whatever side of the bar you are.

Eye see...

...things clearly. Things I see are good.

a nice thought

have i gone mad?

"I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are."

Life lesson

 When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. T

hey agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full.. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.The students laughed..

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.. The sand is everything else---the small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn.

Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.' The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.

embrace life

"Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty."

All up to you

 

With or without you the world will keep on moving, it's all up to you which road will you be choosing? It's gonna be over before you know it, so be quick to smile, enjoy the ride. Beautiful and lovely.

Jainism

...exploring different beliefs cont.

Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul toward divine consciousness and liberation.



Jains believe that to attain enlightenment and ultimately liberation from all karmic bonding, one must practice the following ethical principles not only in thought, but also in words (speech) and action. Such a practice through lifelong work towards oneself is called as observing the Mahavrata ("Great Vows"). These vows are: Ahimsa (Non-violence)

To cause "no harm" to living beings (on the lines of "live" and "let live"). The vow involves "minimizing" intentional as well as unintentional harm to another living creature. There should even be no room for any thought conjuring injury to others, let alone talking about it or performing of such an act. Besides, it also includes respecting the views of others (non-absolutism and acceptance of multiple views). Satya (Truthfulness)

To always speak of truth such that no harm is caused to others. A person who speaks truth becomes trustworthy like a mother, venerable like a preceptor and dear to everyone like a kinsman. Given that non-violence has priority, all other principles yield to it whenever there is a conflict. For example, in a situation where speaking truth would lead to violence, it would be perfectly moral to remain silent (for you are neither being untrue, nor causing violence by way of truth) Asteya (Non-stealing)

Not to take into possession, anything that is not willingly offered. It is the strict adherence to one's own possessions without desiring for the ones that belong to others. One should remain satisfied by whatever is earned through honest labour. Any attempt to squeeze material wealth from others and/or exploit the weak is considered theft. Some of the guidelines for this principle follow as under:
Always give people fair value for their labor or product.
Not to take into possession materials that are not earned or offered by others.
Not to take materials into personal possession that have been dropped off or forgotten by others.
Not to purchase materials as a result of being cheaper in value, if the resultant price reduction is a result of improper method of preparation. For instance, products made out of raw materials obtained by way of pyramid schemes, illegal businesses, stolen goods, etc., should be strictly prohibited Brahmacharya (Celibacy)

To exercise control over senses (including mind) from indulgence. The basic intent of this vow is to conquer passion, thus preventing wastage of energy in the direction of pleasurable desires. During observance of this vow, the householder must not have a sensual relationship with anybody other than one's own spouse. Jain monks and nuns practice complete abstinence from any sexual activity. Aparigraha (Non-possession, Non-materialism)

To observe detachment from people, places and material things. Ownership of an object itself is not possessiveness; however, attachment to the owned object is possessiveness. For householders, non-possession is owning without attachment, because the notion of possession is illusory. The basic principle behind observance of this vow lies in the fact that life changes. What you own today may not be rightfully yours tomorrow. Hence the householder is encouraged to discharge his or her duties to related people and objects as a trustee, without excessive attachment or aversion. For monks and nuns, non-possession involves complete renunciation of property and human relations.

(wiki)

Abode envy

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