Global Hindustanization

It was night around 10 pm in the city of Dusseldorf in Germany in early November 2008. I asked the car pooling guy to stop the car as i thought i had reached the metro station which my friend had asked me to get down at. As i got down from the car and pulled along my rug sack bag, the cold breeze from the river Rhine chilled my spine. My cheeks turned pink and my hair was flying. "Vielen Dank für die fahrt!", i thanked the person for the ride from the city of Hamburg to Dusseldorf, as i closed the door behind me. As i walked towards the place i realized that i had got down at the wrong stop, misreading the sign board. I immediately went into a panic mode. I tried to reach my friend on the phone. But her number was not reachable. I had no clue where i had got down and how to get to my destination (the metro station). I put on my rug sack and started walking down. I asked some people passing by for the nearest metro station and went into it. I looked at the metro map at the station, trying to figure out what to do now. I suddenly heard a voice behind me, "Moechten Sie Hilfe?" ("Do you need some help?"). There was a cheerful, blond lady standing behind me. "Ja, mein Deutsch ist nicht so gut. Sprechen Sie villeicht English?", (" my german is not so good. Do you perhaps speak english?").

"Yes, i speak English. Where do you want to go?", she asked me. "I am visiting a friend who lives here. I am supposed to meet her at the Königsallee S bahn station. I got down at the wrong place and i dont know how to get there. I am unable to reach her on phone!", I said all flustered. "Calm down. Don't worry. You have to take the metro line from this side of the platform. I will take you. I also go there", she said smiling. "Thanks a lot for the help!", I smiled back.

As we were walking to the platform she asked me, " Which country you belong, you are Arabic?". "No no, not arabic, I am an Indian", i said. " What! you are from India??! You know SHAH RUKH KHAN??", she literally yelped out a scream. " Yes of course, i know Shah Rukh Khan!", i said. " Oh my God!! I love Shah rukh Khan.I love Bollywood movies. Even my daughter. We are craazy about the songs and dance. Very nice!", she said literally jumping out in excitement. "Wow, thats nice to hear!", i said surprised. " Do you know he is married to his wife Gauri for sooo many years. He has two children, one sohn and one tochter. He is so romantik. Ich liebe ihn. I love him!", she continued. " I love this song Mahive Mahive, u know from his film, Kal honaho....What is meaning of Mahive?". " Err, Mahive. I dont really know what is the meaning of it. But i know the song from Kal ho Na ho. Very nice song indeed", i said. I was slightly embarrassed that i had never thought about the meaning of the word Mahive, which is commonly used in several Indian movie songs. " India is so colourful. Movies full of songs and dance. It is sooo nice. I am happy to meet someone from the country of Shah rukh Khan!", she said cheerfully.She sat and spoke to me for 20 minutes until my train arrived. I told her thanks for her help and boarded the train. "Thank God for Shah Rukh Khan i wasn't stuck helplessly all by myself!"

This was one of my first experiences living abroad where i encountered the phenomenon of 'Hindustanization' of the world! Who knew that our movies were so popular around the world and that Shah rukh Khan was a rage among European women, especially the Germans. Did you know that there was a International conference on Shah rukh Khan and global bollywood which was held in Vienna in 2010? I had watched a documentary on the same on German television.

I was also surprised to know that Yoga was mighty popular in all the countries. Every gym and every University had yoga classes regularly taking place in Germany. I did not know that there was something called Bollywood dance, which was so popular among the Germans. Not to mention that bhangra songs which have become an integral part of the German night clubs. I still remember the first time we had our university freshers party in a night club in Hamburg. I and some of the other Indian students roared in excitement when they played 'mundiya tu bachke rahi' and started dancing like mad. We created an infectious atmosphere and the rest of the crowd decided to join our dancing, asking us to teach them 'bollywood dance moves'. The Indian students association also organized a 'Bollywood party' to raise charity money in Hamburg in 2009.

Do i need to mention about the popularity of Indian cuisine? It is incredibly popular all over the globe. What about the samosa's and chicken tikka masala's, Mango lassi's and mango chutney's. Once a European colleague of mine asked me for a special favour...to bring him back an exclusive box of Shri Krishna Mysurpa while i returned from my annual trip to my hometown, Chennai! I found that Masala dosas's were a rage among the German folks during my visit to the pretty city of Heidelberg in a small Cafe called MASALA!..Exclusive vegetarian and vegan restaurants have become extremely popular in Germany these days and most of them serve a wide variety of Indian dishes. Needless to say the enormous choice Indian cuisine offers to vegetarians. 
                                         
                                  

What about the Indian people? The Indian community have for instance, become an integral part of American television. Right from the series 'The Big bang theory' to 'House'. From 'Homeland' to 'Harry Potter. Indian faces have become prominent. I met some Italian students in the students home where i was living in. They once told me, " Indians, They espeak good Inglis. So good Muah!, Italians cannotu espeak so good." I was quite surprised they noticed that. Once a Russian girl was telling me that she was very anxious about a certain situation. I gave her some advise. She then told me, " Thanks. Indians, they are so wise. So much wisdom you guys have". Wow, that was an unexpected observation!

The Indian culture and the Indian people are so popular all over the world. Be it Shah Rukh Khan, Bollywood, yoga, ayurvedic massage or mango lassi. Afterall, we are the great Land which Christopher Columbus wanted to reach when he accidentally discovered the America's! Let us be mighty proud of our nation. We have every reason to glorify our culture! 

Be an active part of the phenomenon of Hindustanization and embrace it with open hands.....Jai Hind! (http://bit.ly/MITYTIndiblogger)

The story of shedding those extra pounds

After a super sweaty Zumba workout, I got back home and had my chilled whey protein shake. I then made some hot green tea (with ginger, lemon and mint)  and started sipping on it.  I think that a sweaty work-out followed by a fresh beverage is one of the most powerful secrets for feeling happy.  And out of nowhere  I had my moment of inspiration to write a new blog ( Yeah these sudden moments are very strange. I never understood how they come and how they go!). 

Hence, i am going to blog about something  which would strike a cord with many a soul. I am pretty sure that many have experienced those agonizing thoughts about all those extra pounds they carry under their skin. Staring at the mirror and thinking how lovely it would be to shed those layers of fat on their waist,  their thighs, their ass...Those dreadful love handles, those heavy arms, thunder thighs and whale-like belly. When they met skinny people, they have this wishful thought, " I wish I could do some fat transplant to them!!" . The agony especially increases  when they go shopping for cloths, "Oh my God, awesome dress-I only wish my tummy was not so visible", "Oh these sleeveless top- Agrhh, it shows my fat arms", "Oh these gorgeous printed pants, I wish my size was available", " Oh my God, these leggings don’t get into my thighs"…... The concern escalates when some function or event is coming up.  They get themselves new dresses and want to look good in them. They make a quick-fix resolution mainly during the week preceding the event (like GM diet!). And once the event is over, they bounce back to their old ways.  The work stress, tension, lack of free time and more often than not, long travel times to work are to blame. They have an immense craving to lead a healthier life. It crosses their mind every time they see a super fit person or when they see people eating loads of fresh fruits and veggies instead of the heavy meal they are gulping down. They get all excited when they see someone who has lost weight and ask them for their secret formula.  They hope that they would give them some amazingly easy miracle tip, which would help them too reach their goals.  I... have definitely been there and done all of that……. 

Finally one day  I decided to take a break and resolved to make serious changes to my lifestyle. This lingering craving  (to lead a healthier life) which was going on within me for quite a while, finally started taking shape.  It is most certainly not easy to keep it. There have been many times when I resolved to change my lifestyle, but I used to give up after a while. I thought that this time I needed to do something different. I needed to be more organised and have immense will power to lose those extra pounds off my body. 

The torchlight in my hands

To start off with, I decided to take some professional guidance. I went to a naturopathy centre (Ayushmaan*) and stayed  for 3 days. There we practiced yoga and aquatic yoga and ate the food prepared by them. I got my colon cleansed to have a fresh start. We also had several sittings in the infra-red sauna to get rid of the toxins in our body along with the sweat. Most importantly, the doctor there gave us some vital information and educated us about living a healthier lifestyle. I came to know that since most of the vital organs are in the abdomen region, the extra fat in the abdomen causes most dangers (hormonal imbalances) as it compresses the organs and restricts their functioning. I got some excellent guidance.  During my consultation time,  I told the doctor, " I had the slipped-disc condition few years back. I had to stop my dance classes and  aerobics classes for several months in order for the pain to subside.  And since I didn’t control my diet, I added several kilos!  but I do exercise regularly nowadays. I really don’t understand why, but it never helps me lose any weight. I am frustrated!".  He asked me one question, " Do you eat your food very fast?". I said, "Yes, that’s true. But why do you ask that?". He said, " Well, that is the main reason why you are not losing weight easily. You need to chew your food and break down most of the carbohydrates with the saliva in your mouth. This makes sure that your intestine has lesser stress on it. It will make a lot of difference".  It was as though someone had handed me a torchlight on the dark path of my newly made resolution! After three days I came out of there, rejuvenated and enlightened. (P.S. I know that many people visit these centres just for rejuvenation. But once they come out, they fall back into their old ways. For this guidance to help one meet their goals, one has to have immense determination within their minds to succeed !)

The next couple of months

Once I came out of the naturopathy centre, I followed many of the things I learnt over there.

• I started my day with just fruits. (I tried to skip morning coffee, but that was impossible...hence I kept the habit!). Apples, pomegranates, pineapples, kiwis,  watermelon, cherries, pears….i bought more fruits and picked any 2-3 of them for breakfast. Did not eat anything else at least for the next 2 hours.

• I had some nit bits every 2 hours. My lunch was not heavy. Instead I ate/drank at least 6 to 8 times a day.

• I started eating my food slowly. Chewed every portion of it until I could feel it breaking down in my mouth.  My meals took longer to finish and invariably as I noticed, the portions also became smaller gradually.

• I switched to whole foods, brown rice instead of white, whole flour instead of refined flour, red rice idlis instead of white rice ones etc. 

• I went for brisk walks regularly (5-6 times a week). Started off with 2 km and gradually increased it to 6 km per day.
• I reduced the number of times I ate junk food and reduced the quantity too.
• Instead of gulping down a whole pizza, i restricted myself to 2-3 slices, once a month, just to satisfy my occasional craving.

I continued like this for the next two months. When  I went for a regular check-up with my doctor, she asked me to get on the weighing scale. What I saw took me completely took me by surprise. I had lost 10 kilos in 2 months! And I had no clue it was happening. My doctor congratulated me on my weight loss and asked me to keep up the good work. It was a great boost to my motivation.  I thought I had found the secret formula to getting a sexy figure! All the excess baggage would melt away in a jiffy.

But just when I thought that I was in a rapid weight losing spree, I realised that two months down the lane, my weight had not budged even a bit! Such a disappointment.

Is it not possible for me to shed the rest of those extra pounds? Why is my secret formula not working anymore??..............Continued to...The-story-of-shedding-those-extra-Part-II

* http://www.livefulllife.org/

In the Journey called Life: Finale- The Rao Upadesh!

( Part-III of  In the Journey called Life)

A picture from the seminar in Delhi: The Rao Upadesh!

I would like to quote some of the general things which Mr. Rao and some of the other faculty members emphasized on in the seminar.  I will not describe any details of the techniques taught in the seminar. I will stick to the information which would be interesting for a wider readership. I have divided them into subtopics just to give it a structure. These are based on what was told in the class, which i took down in the form of notes or recordings. I hope I can do justice to his words. Wish me luck!

The importance of Birth Horoscope and manual calculations

• ' The birth chart is the planetary alignment in the sky when the baby came out of the womb of the mother and started its life in this mortal world. Astrology and astronomy are intertwined. The birth chart represents the promises present in your  life. The most important thing in Hindu Astrology which makes it far superior to other astrological forms are the planetary time periods or the Dashas. If the appropriate dasha does not show up in your lifetime, the promise in the chart remains an empty promise.'
• ' It is highly important especially in this computer age, to learn to compute the birth chart and the corresponding divisional charts manually. There are several softwares which are available these days to do the computing. I have found no two softwares to give the same dasha balance (planetary time periods). Calculating manually will increase your concentration, the chart will remain in your head for the rest of your life. This, I have noticed improves your predicting capability.'

Why twins can have very different lives

• 'Birth chart is the primary chart.  You can get the overall picture of your life  from that. But Hindu Astrology has  even better ways of microscopically looking at your life by computation of divisional charts.  Make generous use of the divisional charts for your prediction which are computed from the birth chart based on the degrees of the planets . These represent specific parts of life and will give specific details which cannot be clearly seen in a birth chart. For instance for knowing about your spouse and marriage, you need to check the navamsa chart in addition to the birth chart and so on.
• The time of birth can be very critical for this computation. Difference of few minutes will also change  the lagna (ascendant) * of the divisional chart. This has been the cause for different life patterns of twins who in most cases have highly similar birth charts.'

A Scientific research approach

• ' It is absolutely important to adopt an scientific research approach to astrology and promote it as Science. There are many rules and scriptures available. But it is very important to validate them. Test them on atleast 100-200 horoscopes, if not more  and give the % success rate before you conclude whether it is indeed a working principle which can be used for prediction. If this is done who can deny that Astrology is not a science?! This is what I wanted to do and this is what we have done in the past in Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and what we continue to do!'
• ' Try and collect as many horoscopes as possible and develop a database for yourself. Start off with horoscopes of people whom you know intimately. Check if the described principles fit with their life events. Do not trust the horoscopes of celebrities and politicians which are given on online sources. There are high chances that they are not right unless you get it directly from them or from a trusted source.'

Think liberally not literally

• ' Remember Desh-Kaal-Paatra (Country-the generation- culture) when you are trying to make a prediction. Live-in relationships or having children out of a wedlock are very common in many western countries, but that is not the case for instance in India. You need to know the backround of the  person and the generation they belong to you are dealing with before you try to make a prediction for them'.
• ' When you read the Hindu astrology scriptures (Brihat Parashara Hora Shatra, Jaimini Sutras etc), apply them liberally not literally. They are ingenious works which indeed represent the great knowledge in Ancient India. But they were written thousands of years ago, when things were very different. It is absolutely essential to adapt them to be relevant to the current age and generation. Apply the rules liberally and don’t take the meanings of the scriptures literally.'

Fraud Astrologers and prescribed remedies

• 'There are many astrologers out there who refuse to share their knowledge which was passed on to them from their family. There are many astrologers out there who are not willing to do research in astrology. Open source knowledge in astrology will help eradicate the number of fake astrologers  who scare people and prescribe remedies just to make money. They try to get famous by going on TV, quite often giving wrong information. I have also noticed that families of such cheating astrologers suffer in later years. I would request everyone out here not to cheat people. In this materialistic age it is hard to survive without money. But whenever possible do free consultation for someone who is in desperate need for guidance.'

• ' I DO NOT prescribe any remedies such as wearing gem stones or puja for pacifying the planets. The only thing I recommend people is to chant the Vishnusahasranamam, be regular with their prayers to God, Do good to people and help the needy. If you want the benefits, you need to pray yourself and not expect some gemstone to do the job for you. If you want a consultation from me and you don’t believe in God, then please don’t waste your time and mine and come to me. It doesn’t matter if you follow Krishna, Jesus or Allah, But if you don’t believe in the supreme being, don’t come to me.'

Astrologers V Psychiatric councillors

• ' Why do people come to astrologers? There are times in everyones life when they are unsure of certain things. They need someone to guide them. Sometimes they want to get answers about why it is happening. They come for reassurance that they are on a right track. Astrologers are similar to psychological councillors, only that I can confidently say that astrologers are far superior. Why? Because a GOOD astrologer has the knowledge to actually reason out the Psychological condition of the person who has come to them. The horoscope gives a lot of information about the events of their life which the astrologer can read. But a Psychological councillor has to rely only on what the patients actually tell them!'

I here also quote from the book written by K.N. Rao which is  titled Astrology, Destiny and the wheel of time. Many of the things he mentioned in class are also present in the book.

Astrology is a perfect Science, But astrologers are imperfect

• ' Anyone who goes to consult an astrologer should approach him/her with respect but never in total belief in his ability to predict anything and everything correctly. Till we started our classes here under the Council of Astrological Sciences, there existed no popular, non-classical method, yet totally modern way of giving instructions in astrology. Most of the astrologers even in India, in the land of Astrology know only some rudiments of the subject .Most of our astrological scriptures were destroyed during the repeated colonization, especially during the Mughal and the British rule.  But in this era of high-tech publicity, anybody  can start an astrological journal  and begin to self-boost themselves. How should anyone who wants an astrological guidance approach an astrologer in our complex times? These are my tips:
• (a) Tell him if your birth time is correct and whether the horoscope you have cast is accurate and according to his specifications

        (b)  Assure him that the horoscope is that of a living person, not that of a twin. Disclose the sex always

        (c) Then see how the astrologer works. It reveals good deal about him. Since most of the astrologers are fraudulent and greedy, one has to make sure not to reveal too much about themselves

       (d) Let the astrologer then trace out himself, without your helping, some past events by writing down on a paper and hand it over to you. Do not accept an astrologer unless he gives his readings In writing. If you are satisfied now with his ability, then pose him with a question or two.

    (e) Now ask the astrologer to give you in writing future predictions. Insist on it, if he is a professional astrologer charging fee.

    (f) Do not accept an astrologer who suggests remedial measures without first convincing you that his astrological ability is sound enough.

Astrology, Destiny and the wheel of time

• ' The saints are world's finest reformers because they destroy the dogma of religion which can otherwise turn fundamentalist. Many of these great saints have been excellent astrologers before they developed spiritual powers which made astrology a redundant pursuit for them. But they always encouraged others doing astrology because they know that astrology provides insights into the total personality of a person, at a physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual substrata of his personality. Such total view together with their holistic view of the world we live in, alone is the true method of promoting harmony and peace. If you are doing astrology and not doing your prayer, you are wasting time. Astrology should take you closer to God!
• The step an astrologer can follow step by step is…1) Prepare astrological data accurately and fully, 2) Note its positive and negative points, 3) Find out the planetary patterns which reveal many mysterious twists of life, 4) Then time the events on the basis of the Vimshottari dasha (planetary time periods).
• ASTROLOGY WILL THUS REVEAL THE PATTERN OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S DESTINY AND THE DASHA (TIME PERIOD) WILL SHOW THE GYRATIONS OF THE WHEEL OF TIME!

Conclusion

A treasured picture! A keep for life!

Now comes the main question..If everything is predestined, then is there any use of self-efforts and righteousness?? 

 The paths of our lives is indeed predestined. I didn’t believe in it before. But more I learn astrology, more I understand my own personality better. Self-discovery has been the greatest prize of investing my time in learning this science. I could see why I had inclinations towards certain things, why I wanted to stay away from certain things. I could also point out time periods when I was in complete distress and when things were not working at one go. I could recognise time periods when I had the 'stroke of luck' as we call it. I could point out when I developed sudden interest in something, when I decided to change my field, when I had the inclination to go to foreign lands which indeed fructified at the right dasha. I was convinced even further during my trip to Delhi, where i saw live demonstration of how good astrologers can see you inside out just my analysing your horoscope.

But as much as the PATH  is carved out for us, and as much as we don’t have a control over it. What WE DO have control over is how we react to the scenarios we are pushed into! Whether we are resilient and fight out our tough times or crumble under the tough scenario is completely in our hands. Whether we let pride and arrogance take over us during our good times or decide to remain humble, we have the liberty to choose that.

It is believed in Hindu astrology that the path we are put under in this birth is the sum total of our karma (deeds) of the last birth.  Hence the path is pre-destined, but  right now as I write, our current karma is getting added on…... IN THE JOURNEY CALLED LIFE!

Tips for the curious, interested and motivated!

(Disclaimer:- The recommendations given below are based solely on my own experience. It is highly likely that I have missed out on some important references!)

Recommended reading: 

-Learn Hindu Astrology easily by K. N. Rao

-Astrology, Destiny and the wheel of time by K.N. Rao

-Elements of astronomy and astrological calculations by V. P. Jain

-Planets and education by Naval Singh ( How planets influence our education)

-Interpreting divisional charts by N.N. Sharma ( Why twins are different)

-Astrology of professions by Col. A.K. Gour

-Planets and Children by K. N. Rao

-Timing events through Vimshottari dasha

-Predicting through Jaimini Chara Dasha

The journal of Astrology is a bimonthly journal which has some excellent and ongoing research results published. Subscription is by post.

Recommended  youtube channels:

-KRS Channel

-Ernst Wilhelm

Recommended websites

-http://www.journalofastrology.com/

-http://www.astrologykrs.com/

-http://www.vedicastrologer.org/articles/vedic_astro_textbook.pdf

* The birth chart is divided into 12 houses which stand for the 12 zodiac signs. The moment you were born there was a zodiac sign ascending from the horizon in the place you were born. This becomes your ascending sign or your ascendant a.k.a your Lagna.

In the journey called life- Part II

Delhi safari

My visit to New Delhi was quite eventful. I went there to attend the international seminar on Jaimini astrology. What is Jaimini? It is a technique used for prediction about which a lot a research is going on at the Institute of Astrology at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. Very honestly, Jaimini was not the reason I travelled 1000 Kms. My main reason was to meet THE MAN, Shri. K.N. Rao. I had previously read his articles here and there and heard about him over and over again from various people who are familiar with the world of astrology. American, Russians, Ukrainians...he has followers from many countries. I was curious why  these people from all across the globe come to Delhi just to meet him. I watched his interviews and I was totally impressed by the way he communicated. But what better than to meet him in real flesh and blood.

There were at least 45 people from Russia alone (or Russian speaking countries) who attended this seminar. One of Russian ladies were kind enough to book a hotel room for me on the request of the organiser...the cheapest she could find ( with a Russian speaking receptionist!). But when I entered the area (Pahar Ganj) where the hotel was located..I had alarm bells ringing everywhere inside. If I have a choice..i will definitely not stay here for a week. I immediately executed my backup plan and was lucky to find an accommodation at the Working women's hostel, thanks to my cousin. Taking the Delhi Metro everyday was a unique experience . The mad mad rush at Rajiv Chowk station reminded me of my experience of taking the metro at Istanbul in Turkey, which has a population of 14 million against the 10 million in Delhi! But nevertheless it was fun.

Daily scene at Rajiv Chowk metro station in Delhi (The picture was taken from google search results)

The K. N. Rao phenomenon  

          

Shri. Kotamraju. Narayana Rao (Picture obtained from google search)

The first day of the seminar  actually fell on the 82nd birthday of Mr. Rao. I didn’t know this before. I went into the seminar room. There were barely 6-7 indians, the rest were from all other parts of the world..Well..of course it is an international seminar!Duh!..Then HE walked in, walking sticks in his hand and a long silver beard, with  two women on either sides escorting him. As he walked in people thronged towards him. Russians greeted him with their hands folded in a Namaste, gifted him with boxes of chocolates..There were Namaste s flying all over the place. Although there was too much fuss going around for my liking, I couldn’t help but stand and stare. He had this aura about him..Something enigmatic and charming, which somehow cannot be explained by mere words. Some Russian women who came there had tragic stories. They had travelled so many miles seeking some answers/some guidance. Some of them requested if they could get a private consultation from him. He agreed to do that later.

Finally the fuss calmed down and the inauguration began. I remember the organiser Mr. Deepak Bisaria saying to the audience that, all those who were sitting there in the seminar must be having a raj yoga* getting fructified, to be learning Jaimini from Mr. Rao himself!

Then it was time for him to start the course. The moment he started teaching, I realised why there was so much fuss before. What a teacher, what an orator. His way of teaching was so rational, so believable..most of all, so convincing. He always had incredibly interesting stories/real life incidences to narrate. It would keep the entire audience in rapt attention. When he taught, you were motivated to learn, you were inspired to pursue. The best part about him was how freely he spoke to all the people. For instance, in the first tea break I took a seat close by his circle, where he was narrating yet another story from his endless stock to the group sitting around him. I smiled at him as I took my seat. He looked at me and asked:

 ' I know you right? I think we have met somewhere'. I was taken aback by surprise.

 'No Sir. This is my first time here', I replied back ( But I was rejoicing inside!!).

'Ohh!?, Where are you from?', he asked.

 ' I am from Chennai', I replied smiling.

Later on after his session on the same day, I had to passed by him to get back to my seat and smiled as usual.

 ' You are from Chennai right? Was what I taught in the last session clear to you?', he asked

' Yes sir. It was clear.', I replied, still smiling and doing the 'Indian style'** nod of the head.

' What do you do?', he asked

' Sir, I just completed my PhD in biotechnology related field', I said.

' Oh..Are you familiar with the Jaimini technique?', he asked.

'  I have only been doing some self-learning for the past 6 months. I only know some basics. Not much otherwise', I replied. I was yet again rejoicing inside. With the kind of attention and open praise he got from all the people, he was still concerned  if the people in the class actually understood what he was teaching. The sign of a good guru!

But I went there hoping to find answers to my budding doubts, which I am sure would be many of your doubts are well. I am including some the questions which not just came to my mind, but also what many people repeatedly asked me.

• I don’t understand..How can the planets in the sky control our lives? Are you meaning to say that the planetary alignment in the sky during the moment we were born control our entire destiny?
• Why are there variations in predictions between different astrologers? That makes us think that they are bogus!
• I have always wondered how it is possible that two people say for instance twins, who were born in the same place, in the same hospital with only little difference in time of birth, sometimes have completely different lives!?
• If our life is predestined and is already written in the horoscope, then does it make sense at all to work hard and work towards our goals? What about determination and self-efforts, do they mean nothing if everything is pre-destined??
• These astrologers prescribe so many remedies which many follow out of fear. We are forced to wear gemstones, do special puja etc, apparently to reduce the ill-effects of planets or to pacify them. Do these remedies actually work? Does it even make any sense following them?

I had a good feeling that I had come to right place at the right time to get answers to these questions bursting in my head. Did I get them?Was Mr. Rao the man who had answers to these questions??.....Click here for the continuation...(http://i-believe-in-simplicity.blogspot.in/2013/11/in-journey-called-life-finale-rao.html)

* The astrological scriptures describes certain planetary combinations which during the planetary time periods will give some 'kingly' elevation in status. In simple words, fortune giving combination.

** We Indians just nod our heads in all the possible directions. Many European friends of mine have told me that they find this gesture of Indians hilarious. They don’t understand if it is a yes or a no. I personally think the Indian nod is a gesture of respect. We just don’t know where it originated!

In the journey called life!

'There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is.'  ~ Albert Einstein ~ 1

I finally found something which  truly inspired me to write a blog. Its interesting for sure and in my opinion something fascinating. But I realised I put my feet into an ocean.  An ocean of knowledge which is endless in the true sense. Let me explain what I am talking about

It was in late march 2013 when something strange happened to me during my annual visit to Chennai. I met a person who made a prediction for me. Its not something unusual. India has always had a long history of mysticism and astrology. It’s a part and parcel of the  life of Indians who firmly believe in these things. That has annoyed me in the past. Why do they blindly believe in something they really don’t have much knowledge about? I have also heard about a number of fraud astrologers out there who have scared people by telling them they have this or that dosha (affliction). They prescribe remedial measures which I found absolutely absurd and baseless. This is not just my opinion. There are many many young Indians out there who would agree with me. The thought would be ' This is bullshit. What a scam!'.

That One day….

But still that one day, that one experience  I had in march 2013 penetrated deep into my head. Till date I cannot explain why. It just happened. I was intrigued by this prediction. How does this guy have this superpower to look at a birthchart and tell things about a person he is meeting for the first time in his life?! What is this birthchart all about? Why do people carry their charts to the astrologer with doubts about their life?.... One thing led to another and in the DNAge of free accessible information*, all you need is interest and some time. I generated my birthchart on an online website**. I then stared at it for the first time. What are these boxes? What do the numbers inside them represent? What are these planets doing  in the boxes ?!

When I think back now..i realise I had been so ignorant about so many things all these years. When I got into it...my curiosity turned into interest which turned into investigation which turned into fascination! The transformation was smooth, of course it involved a lot of hard work and needed some time out of my busy schedule. I was writing my PhD thesis and I had to also prepare for the PhD defence during this time. Funnily enough, the subject was so exciting that even after a tough day of writing and learning, followed by my fitness regime, I could come back home and read about it till sleep overtook my interest. 

Burning the midnight oil..

I started with the birthchart..It is the snapshot of the sky the moment you were born and where you were  born. Ahan,  how can that tell about your life? I had never  thought about this before. But as I realised it tells a lot about your personality and your journey you were born to take.  Being a scientist, this was so hard for me to believe. I needed more proof. I needed to test the theories. I started with the twelve zodiac signs and their ruling planets. I figured out what these boxes in the chart were all about. Ohh, 12 boxes(houses)  for the 12 signs, now I get it! I checked out how to read this chart. How the numbering of the houses work and what  these 12 houses all about. Apparently these are different facets of your life. I see..Interesting!.. I found Youtube videos on what different planets in different houses mean. When I checked the planetary positions of my chart and their meanings in the houses..I saw a lot of myself in the description. It took me by surprise. How is this possible?  Here I must warn you that once you try something like this, not only does your curiosity increase, it becomes hard for you to retreat! The reason being that you are sure to be awed by the advanced science of astrology which was practiced in Ancient India.

I kept learning more and more. This whole regime of learning totally different subjects during the day and night actually increased my concentration power by manifolds ( for both the subjects). I used to feel like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, changing my avatar. I learnt about planetary time periods being the most crucial thing in the entire astrological interpretation of the chart. When I learnt the principles, I started learning more things about myself. Why I did, what I did and most impotantly when I did it! I could actually pin-point the time period when this sudden interest in astrology started for me. Did I have the inclination towards astrology indicated in my chart? Yes. Why did this interest not rear its head all these years? Simple answer was, the time period did not support developing this interest. When the time came, the interest came. The promise indicated in the chart fructified.  My fascination increased even further. I was not satisfied by just looking at my own chart. I started asking birth details of my close friends who I knew very well. I wanted to test this also on their charts. Since knowing about oneself is fun for any person, I got great cooperation from them. I started checking their planetary positions and asked them whether some things which it was supposed to indicate was true or false.

The epic journey to the capital

PhD got over. I got my degree in front of my proud parents. But the fascination for the  astrological science did not stop after that..six months down the lane. One thing led to another and before I knew I was taking a flight to New Delhi to attend a course on Jaimini technique in astrology.  Where did I hear about it? From an interview on a Youtube channel. I headed to Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, especially to meet one man, the one I heard and read so much about. Watching his interview, listening to his ideology, his school of thought  of having a rational scientific research approach to promote  astrology as science awed me. I had to meet him and that time was now!!.......Click this link for the continuation... ( http://i-believe-in-simplicity.blogspot.in/2013/11/in-journey-called-life-part-ii.html)

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* among many other websites, there are rather informative Youtube channels on astrology which are available these days.

** Warning- Please be beware that the information available on different astrology websites are not always true. Lot of things vary from one software to another.

Sip, sigh & smile :)

It is a cold winter morning. You look outside the window and see the white snow falling in flurries. The view feels magical in its own rights. The white coloured rooftops, the thick sheet of snow covering the cars..But best of all are the trees..they look like finely etched sculptures with the right amount of white and brown. Wow!, ofcourse what goes best with it is a cup of hot chai.You make yourself one and relish it sip by sip. Even better would be to listen to some music. Something melodious and pleasing to ears to go with the whole scenario. Suddenly your mind is engrossed in some thoughts, you never seem to understand where these come from. They just come without your permission and sometimes leave before you realise...

You see flashes of somethings you have seen, known and sensed before. The street corner of your house, the little puppy you rescued on the road and brought back home,the time when your friends child hugged you and planted a kiss on your cheek, the scooter rides with your best friend from school,eating raw mango with salt and chilli powder on the beach, pyjama parties, your first camping experience where you cried because you missed your mom, the late night out with your girls from school where you had a crazy escape from a bunch of hooligans chasing you,getting questioned by the police after a late night movie with all guys, the fun day out with your best friend filled with food, film and fooling around, peeping from the top floor of a mall with a friend and just getting amused by watching all the people below, the excitement of receiving letters and greeting cards from friends,bold village adventures in search of someone you cared about,  the misunderstandings, the fights, the making up, the lost friendships, the undying ones, bursting out crying on your friends shoulders, the love that you never realised you had, the love that broke your heart, the tears that made you human, the time when you had to build yourself up again from rubble, the success that made you arrogant and the failure that made you humble....

You realise that life is made of lovely memories, whether you are happy or sad or even devastated when they happen, but when you think back they just seem lovely. You realise how much life has taught you. You are happy for the person you have become today, someone with no regrets of the past. You are looking forward to the new lessons life has in store for you. You hope that the best is yet to come and this will always be the case! You are optimistic about a peaceful and harmonious world. 

You let out a sigh and smile...

When i questioned life.....

Recently i had invited a few friends home for dinner. During the course of the conversation something about overworking came up..My friend asked me, " I think you are also a workoholic, arent you?". I replied back, "Ya, i presume i am, but it is also because i have limited number of friends here and work is the most 'happening' thing in my life right now".There was a chorus from all the people present, "Awwww, thats too bad...dont say that. we will come to your place to eat even tomorrow"...we all laughed and the evening went on...After they left, i (ofcourse) had a lot of time for myself and i thought about what came out of my mouth spontaniously earlier that evening. Is work really the most happening thing in my life right now?? I started digging into this thought.This lead to a chain of philosophical thoughts....and a new blog was born.

We all search for a purpose in our life. To keep doing something to keep us going or to love someone and convince ourselves that being with them and making them happy is the whole purpose we were born. This thought has always come to my mind," what should i do with this life? what do i really want to make out of it?". Being the crazy person that i am ( hey,i am a scientist u know..), i decided to experiment with it. Here i do have to mention my parents. I am indeed glad that i was born in an Indian family where i was not asked to get married and "settle down" in life as soon as i finished my bachelors. My parents let me choose my way and said, " you are free to decide what you want to do with your life, where you want to go, when and whom you want to marry. But you have to take responsibility for your life.If you want we can also make the critical decisions for you..you can decide if you want that too..". I am sure you can quite easily imagine which option i chose. The more exciting one, which my dear friends is also the tougher one. When parents do this to you ( giving you the freedom to choose), they also steal the excitement of doing something completely..hmmm..lets say socially not so well accepted.When i had to take responsibilities for my own action, i noticed that i was somehow not tempted to do something which would embarass my parents in the longer run ( Yeah i know...lucky parents :P ).

On my journey, i gained quite some selfawareness. I realised that i am not one of the persons who have a clear goal in their lives. I have met some people who have a goal to achieve in life...Some dream of starting their own company, some want to become like Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. They have a rolemodel. They want to see the money, buy the most expensive car in the world and fly first class. I am not one of those people who push life to the extremes. They need something adrenaline rushing to keep them interested in life. I have met a few people who want to go around the world, who want to go from europe to china by road, those who want to go wildlife photographing and doing extreme sports.I am also not one of those persons who cannot do without a companion. I somehow fail to understand when i see several 17 to 20 year olds choosing their partner and some also start living together. They also talk about love and togetherness and revolve their life decisions based on the current relationship status (at that young age, people seldom make the right choices). I am also not one of those people who take the safest option when it comes to their future..These guys fear taking risk or doing something out of the box. Neither am i am one of the lazy, pleasure seeking kinds. These people like to only do the stuff that they are most comfortable with and their lives completely revolve around themselves and their likes and addictions.

Now, a major part of gaining self-awareness is also realising what you are not. But then comes the actual question again, what is the purpose of life?? Honestly, i have seldom met people who have asked this question to themselves.At some level we all like to be needed, and prefer being in a place where we think our presence is felt and makes a difference.Have you ever felt a sudden excitement when you saw a piece of news about how you can make a difference to something? Greenpeace, UNICEF, CRY, 'Light a Candle for Jessica', Stop human trafficking campaign, Feed a child in Africa, Educate children in India, Flood relief to Pakistan, Tsunami relief fund for Japan, Stop Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani from being publicly stoned to death.

The thinking process has not stopped yet, But then i came up with a purpose in a broader sense...One day i just said.." I want to make a difference".Appreciate the sweetness in putting a smile on someones face and spread warmth around.Live, let live, make a difference, die. Its a continuous journey where you will come across attraction, love, pain, tender moments, confusion, misunderstandings, success, failure and what not. But the broader purpose should remain in mind.

And after all this philosophical jing-bang i asked myself once again..So is my work (research) the most 'happening' thing in life right now?? Yeah well,....lets face it...It is! Its as happening as it can get right now..and it keeps me occupied mentally. Havent you met people whom you think needs a job with more work (instead of thinking and talking unwanted rubbish). Hence i decided to be a proud workoholic!