This is my second story on the series called "Life". The first one is here.

Prologue:

The little body floating in the small pool of water suddenly came to life...The body felt crammed for space and it was total darkness every where. The tiny heart started pumping as if by magic. Millions of neurons started transmitting electrical signals to each other. The limbs of the body started moving. .Priya who was busy working, suddenly felt a pain. She could feel the baby inside her kicking. Her joy knew no bounds and she immediately rushed home to share the news with everyone. She had experienced the first signs of life inside her.

Chapter 1:

Everything happened so fast. The soul that just entered the body kept thinking about the events that occured during the last few days. It remembered the day when the judge in the divine court ruled the verdict and the punishment was "LIFE". Rules were very strict and anyone straying out of the moral path had to undergo the punishment. The Master that ruled over the whole galaxy showed no favoritism.

The next day the chief of the souls addressed everyone that were about to start their earthly journey.

“I am here to give you all a few tips and clear any doubts that you might have regarding your journey. You are all about to take a human birth, the highest form of life. I say highest because only humans can recognize the Master.”

"You will all be caged inside a human body, which is nothing but flesh and blood. Remember without you the body is of no worth. However once you are born, the whole human world will make you to identify yourself with your body. Also you will understand human language as soon as you descend to the human world."

"First, based on parts of your body humans will classify you either as a boy or a girl. As you grow up, you will start to believe that you are the body. But do not worry. The Master will help you and guide you to get back here. Only you must identify the signs and follow Him."

"Any questions?"

Chapter 1:

The sun was settling down in the western hemisphere when Sriram woke up. The clock above his bed showed 15 minutes past 7. It took a couple of seconds for him to remember that he was still in Chennai. He had a long day ahead.

Sriram was surprised to see his father still trying to accommodate the left over sambhar powder packets in his suitcases which were already overweight and oversized. He kept telling his mother that there was a prescribed weight limit for the bags that he could carry on his flight but she shouted back "Throw away those heavy jeans, books and those woolen clothes. You can buy them there but you will not get the sambhar powder and spices that I have specially prepared for you". As she was saying tears automatically started flowing from her eyes.

This is a story that I read in this e-journal long time back. Most of you must have heard of this story but still here it is.

The Bamboo and the Fern:

One day I decided to quit...Quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality...

I wanted to quit my life.

I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"

His answer surprised me...

"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes", I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water.

The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed.

But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.

And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo." He said.

"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed."

"I would not quit." He continued.

"Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.

Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant...But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.

It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of My creations a challenge it could not handle."

I left the forest and brought back this story. I hope these words can help you to see that God will never give up on you. Never give up.

I don't know if this is a boon or bane..I dream a lot... I know people who hardly dream but for me there is hardly a night where I don't dream.. Some dreams are like Tamil movies, easy to interpret..But there are some like watching a foreign language movie...Doesn't make any sense initially...But as days go by slowly they make sense.. I don't know if dreams try to tell us something.. But I have enjoyed interpreting those dreams of mine..

This is what happened in last night's dream.. I was driving to work when I saw a plane flying at a very low attitude.. It was about to crash.. As the plane just passed overhead me, I looked at the tail of the plane..It was an air-france flight...I am not sure if air-france operates in chennai.. I pulled over the car and stepped out..The plane was totally out-of-control and when it was out of my sight, I saw huge smoke..Obviously the plane must have crashed..

Now what does this dream mean...This is what some experts say..

"For you to dream about a plane crash means that something OUT of your control, that you should be able to rely on and trust in, has gone haywire. This isn't about you and something you should have been able to do properly. This is about someone or something else that you *Trusted* that let you down completely, in a way that had a huge impact on your life."

Another expert says.

"To dream that a plane crashes, suggests that you have set overly high and unrealistic goals for yourself.  Your goals may be too high and are impossible to realize. You are in danger of having it come crashing down. Alternatively, your lack of confidence, self-defeating attitude and self-doubt toward the goals you have set for yourself is represented by the crashing airplane; you do not believe in your ability to attain those goals. Loss of power and uncertainty in achieving your goals are also signified."

When I think of it these interpretations make sense.. But why air-france? Maybe

• I am interested in the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France during World War II.
• I have been reading about Knight's Templar lately, where most of the incidents happen in France.
• I am waiting to watch the Louvre museum in the movie Da Vinci Code.
• I am also reading about the Tour De France race.

Whatever they are I can live with these interpretations but I pray that this is not some kind of a premonition!!

Subha had tagged me. Wondered what this tagging was. I always "tag" my post to some categories. Looks like I have to answer the questions that keeps going around like a chain email. Anyway here they are...

Finally managed to get the audio of one of my favourite bhajan "Sukh ke sab sathi" from the 1970 Hindi movie Gopi.. I just love the lyrics and to top it up it has the enchanting voice of the legendary Mohd. Rafi.

Whenever you feel tired/down, close your eyes and just listen to this song.. It has a soothing effect and you will definetely feel the vibration.

Click here to listen.

And finally the lyrics.

Sukh ke sab sãthi dukh men na koi
Many friends and companions when times are good, but none when times are bad
Mere Rãm, mere Rãm
My Lord Rama, My Lord Rama
Terã nãm ek sãnchã dujã na koi
Your Divine Name is the only Truth, and there is none other

Jeevan ãni jãni chhãyã
Life is but a mere shadow that comes and goes
Jhoothi mãyã jhoothi kãyã
A false illusion, a false material body
Phir kãhe ko sãri umariyã pãp ki gathari ðhoi
Then why, for the whole of our lifetimes, have we been carrying this burden of sins?

Na kuchh terã na kuchh merã
Nothing is yours, nothing is mine
Ye jag jogivãlã pherã
This Universe is cyclical in nature
Rãjã ho yã rank sabhikã ant ek sã hoe
One may be a king or a pauper, but the end is still the same

Bãhar ki tu mãti phãnke
You savour the external dirt
Man ke bheetar kyun na jhãnke
Why don’t you take a peep into your mind and heart?
Ujale tan par mãn kiyã aur man ki mail na dhoi
Showing great concern for the glittering body but never cleansing the mind of its filth

(Lyrics Courtesy)

24 years ago, Mark Inglish and his climbing partner were scaling Mount cook, New Zealand's tallest mountain when a blizzard trapped both of them. They spent two weeks in an ice cave and  were barely alive when rescued. Mark Inglish lost both his legs to frost bite. He was 23 years old then.

A quarter century later Mark set out on the most challenging task for any climber. Mark ,an inspirational speaker, scaled Mount Everest on Monday and showed the world the meaning of courage, inspiration and hard work.

I salute you Mark!!

Why should we switch off our mobile phones and other electronic devices during a flight takeoff/landing? Do they really interfere with the air traffic signals? Or is it just a myth?

Do you get wetter running or walking in the rain?

If an elevator suddenly falls and goes on a free fall, can you save yourself by jumping up in the nick of time before it hits the bottom?

The popular mythbusters progam is now aired in Discovery Channel, India. The two experts in the program de-mystify 2 myths in each episode. This was one of my favourite programs when I visited US and believe me you will enjoy the show.

The program airs every Tuesday 9:00 PM, IST. Don't miss it.

Just finished reading "The Prophet" by the Kahlil Gibran. What Can I say? It's mind blowing. The book is divided into 26 chapters/essays. Here is a book which was written more than 80 years ago but the essays are timeless. Here is a sample on some of the topics.

On Talking

You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts; And when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart you live in your lips, and sound is a diversion and a pastime; And in much of your talking, thinking is half murdered; And there are those who talk, and without knowledge or forethought reveal a truth which they themselves do not understand; And there are those who have the truth within them, but they tell it not in words.

On Pain

Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding; Much of your pain is self-chosen; It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self; Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy in silence and tranquillity; And the cup he brings, though it burn your lips, has been fashioned of the clay which the Potter has moistened with His own sacred tears;

On Joy & Sorrow

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked; The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain; When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy; Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy. Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.

On Children

Your children are not your children; They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself; They come through you but not from you; You may give them your love but not your thoughts; You may house their bodies but not their souls; You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth; The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far;

On Marriage

But let there be spaces in your togetherness; And let the winds of the heavens dance between you; Love one another but make not a bond of love; Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls; Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup; Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone; Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping; And stand together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart

If you have a passion for philosophy buy the book or download them from here.

"Lok Paritran will not win any seats. They infact will lose the deposit"..

"Though DMDK might not win any seats they will save their face by not losing their deposit"..

These talks are now common in chennai with the election D-Day getting closer. Till now if someone had asked me what is meant by "losing the deposit", I would have thrown a blank face. Not anymore.. Here's the answer for folks who are not aware of the term "losing the deposit".

A person contesting for an assembly election should pay Rs. 5000 as security deposit to the Election Commision. For a lok-sabha election it is Rs. 10,000.

Any defeated candidate who fails to secure more than one-sixth of the valid votes polled in the constituency will "lose his security deposit." (From Indian-Elections FAQ)

Note: If you find that some one else had casted a vote in your name, don't crib and complain. Ask the polling officer for a tendered ballot paper. (Be like "Rules Ramanujam" and explain Rule 42 of the coduct of Election Rules, 1961...More on this below.)

Q. If you go to your polling station and find that some body else has impersonated for you and already voted in your name, can you vote in such circumstance?

Ans. Yes

If a person finds that someone else has already voted in his name, then also he will be allowed to vote. But his ballot paper will be marked as a Tendered Ballot Paper by the Presiding Officer. This will be kept separately in the prescribed cover, as per Rule 42 of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961.

When Murugan opened his eyes, he felt a strange sensation on his body. He felt nauseated; his head seemed heavy as if he was carrying a mountain over his head. He wondered "Where am I? In heaven or hell"...Slowly he looked around. He saw a familiar place... The TV was switched on and he saw the plastic cups and the unopened whiskey bottles. He was alive... His brain picked up speed and started functioning...

Murugan always wondered about the mystery called life... He cursed it. He always thought that life was unfair to him never giving him what he wanted... He knew he was on the losing side, in the game called life... He came to the big city, Chennai with lots of dreams...Murugan was always fascinated by machines... He thought had the skills and the talent to become a good mechanic... But even after 5 years he was still staying in the same old mansion in Triplicane.His life had not progressed a bit... He found tough to meet his ends with his daily income... He left his love life in the village, promising her to be back after 5 years and marry her. But when he got the letter from his friend that she was going to get married and could not wait any longer, he felt he was standing at the edge of his life... He knew that he had failed and saw no hope. That’s when he decided to end his life...

He headed straight to Thiruneermalai, a temple on a mountain... He planned to marry her in the same temple. He thought it would be poetic if he ended his life by jumping off the cliff of the mountain... His mind was racing with thoughts. He relieved of his past memories... The movies that he saw with her, the plots he devised to meet her. She too was a kamalahasan fan... They never missed a movie of his... As he was nearing the edge of a cliff, a thought flashed in his mind...Was his idea fool-proof? What if he survives the fall and hangs on a tree branch as kamal survived in the movie punnagai mannan? No. He knew that life derived a sadistic pleasure by making him fail in his attempts...He changed his mind and thought of a new plan...

Murugan switched on the TV in his room... He removed the plastic cups and the whiskey bottles that he bought from the nearby TASMAC shop...He read somewhere that taking sleeping pills along with alcohol would put him into permanent sleep... He bought 4 bottles of alcohol and he knew it would take a big effort from him to finish off 4 bottles. He had only tasted beer in his life... He opened the first bottle and started his ritual...

That's the last thing Murugan could remember. He woke up to find 2 bottles of whiskey still unopened... The sleeping pills were scattered around him. He couldn’t believe what was happening to him... Obviously he must have passed out before completing his task... Life was not letting him to live or die... He had to somehow make the last plan work...He was not going to take any more failures... He looked at the time. It was 7:30 AM on that beautiful Sunday...He sobered up and started off towards the Marina beach...

Murugan cursed himself for not trying out this plan first... All he had to do was keep walking towards the beach and finally into the water... The rest would be taken care automatically... He knew that the beach would not be crowded on this Sunday morning... He saw the regular joggers, a group of people practicing karate and a few kids playing cricket... He scanned the beach for a while and decided on the spot from where he was going to step into the water...

He stepped on the sand and started his final walk with his head down...He must have walked a 100 feet but the sea still looked far off. As soon as he crossed the group of kids playing cricket, he heard screams around him... Murugan lifted his head and couldn’t believe what he saw...A huge wave of about 15 feet high was coming at him... He felt as if the God of death finally took pity on him and was greeting him with its huge arms... The next moment the wave hit him. He was completely drowned and his mind went blank. There was complete darkness for almost 15 seconds. He knew that he was riding on the wave but he feared that the wave was carrying him towards the shore...

When the first wave dropped him, he was hardly 10 feet away from the shore... He couldn’t understand what was happening. It was not the same marina beach that he knew of. The first wave has almost left 5 feet of water and he was barely able to stand... He was not going to give up at any cost. He decided to let the sea take him and decided to move forward. He felt someone was holding onto him... He noticed a kid, tightly holding on to his belly... The kid gagged as soon as his body hit the air...He must be one of the kids from the cricket group...

Just as Murugan placed the kid on his shoulder, he saw the second wave coming towards him...He saw a tree hardly couple of feet away and ran towards it... It was not easy running in water and with a kid on a shoulder. He mustered all his energy and leapt towards the tree. As soon as the kid, by his instincts, got hold of the branch of the tree, the second wave hit them. Murugan failed to catch hold of the tree branch and the wave carried him. Murugan saw debris around him before he passed out.

When Murugan opened his eyes, he felt a strange sensation on his body. He felt nauseated;his head seemed heavy as if he was carrying a mountain over his head. He wondered "Where am I? In heaven or hell"...Slowly he looked around. He saw a familiar place... The TV camera was zooming on him. There were people around. He was alive. His brain picked up speed and started functioning...He had survived the Tsunami and saved a kid...

From then on, Murugan became the local hero. He was considered as the bravest, strongest man who could handle any situation and never give up.

Murugan wondered about the mystery called life...