Energy

Energy
Come to think about it
Energy is the least understood
But easily
And often
Misquoted out of context
In science and journalism
And if I ask the question
Does the matter has energy?
The answer is not clear cut


Then I ponder for a little while
And ask again
Which has more energy
Matter in motion
Or the matter remaining still?
I am called a trouble maker
In my class of adults


When I delve in further
And ask
What is the smallest particle having energy?
Is it the electron, the neutron, the proton or the quarks?


Then when I ask what is the smallest unit of energy?
A photon
Or a wave
I am very much
Stuck with words of expression


Now that I am in deep waters
Not understanding
All these concepts
What shall do to go any further?


State of the matter
Is that
If each particle
Carries loads of energy
What is the essential force that
Intrinsically bind them together
And hold them tight?
In relation to position
They keep
In space and time
While allowing free
Moving particles to move
Without much of a hindrance
Or rather than with
Minimum of interference
From its neighbouring
Particles of existence


If only the moving particles have
Mass, velocity and energy
That goes with the momentum of forces
What is the principle that
I should apply to my body of interest
Where me standing still
On this planet earth
Has no energy
Until I decide to kick a football
With a force


Now who has the energy my leg muscles or my football or both?
How confusing are those concepts
Energy and Forces in action?
I wonder


Then again I should have
Some energy to stand on Earth
Much less if I stand on Moon
What about moon walking,
Sweet talking and sleeping on the go
In this universal universe and space?


What are the energy consumptions of all these activities on earth, on its outer boundaries and in the space in between?


The mind
That made me to kick the ball
Should have either some energy or force
In any case
I argue
Since the Mind
That made me to kick the ball
In the first place
Made the movement of the ball
Possible
Until such time the
Mother earth decided to
Abort it abruptly in its journey
In space and time
So the mother earth should
Have some control over my mind


In fact the matter over my mind
Rather than mind over matter
In this instance


Bees, flies, mosquitoes and birds can fly
And in their case
They decide to fly away
As they wish
And also control
The start and stop
of the flight
As desirable
So birds and bees
Have more energy than me
And humanoids


Staggeringly confusing

Isn't it?


So who has more energy
The Mind (Kicking)
The Matter (Ball)
The Motion (Transition)
The Bees (Flight)
Or the mother Earth (Gravity)
That stopped the ball in its trajectory?


I wish the answer
Is clear enough
For a kiddy

I am not kidding


The answer to those questions
Are open to inquiry in a
Philosophical Sense
Now that I am beginning to
Think as a Thinker
But not as a Scientist
Who would provide me
The answers to the scientific tenents
That were raised in an open forum
Of inquiry


What is more powerful
Energy wise
The Thinking Mind
Or the Science in Action


I believe the former rather than the latter


Since the mind can penetrate
These concepts at will
Or at leisure
What is an energy and what is a force
The mind's energy by its very nature
Is probably far more superior
In its contents and activity
When used wisely and appropriately


Subtle and pervasive
Penetrating
The truths of all kinds
It is the mother superior
Of wisdom


Now winding up my thought process
Who had used more force
The Italian Parvo Rotti's Goal Header
The French Zidane Zidane's Head butt
And an ordinary Ceylonese (my) Penalty Kick
At the goal post
Of Wisdom
Sans DESTRUCTION


The power of the Mind
Could be ascertained
By intense focus
And attention
To its moment of Origin
And the Energy of its consumption
Can only be harnessed
By sustained
Commitment and Conformity to details of
Metta, Anapana Sati or any object of
Attention sans attachment
And the Competence in Meditation
CULTIVATED


By that intention
It is achieved
By the wise
The Arhaths
The Buddhas
And Passeka Buddhas
Of today, tomorrow, yesterday
And now in this moment of
Universal extension
Of the timeless dimensions
Of the Sansara Cycle


14th of September 2006
Edited on the 16th September

Power

Power
Few hand flexes
At the wrist joint
That generates electricity
By pumping action of the hand muscles
From mechanical power
To light a Wrist Torch
Is a modern manifestation
Of conservation in action

Yet the efficiency
Of the conversion of
Biological energy
To electrical energy
Is only forty percent
And is considered to be
The most efficient
And produces least amount
Of Carbon dioxide

But
The energy efficiency
Of the Coal Power
Is only ten percent or so
Considering the inherent wastage
Encountered
In developing
The infrastructure
And the corruption envisaged
That is rampant in
Energy Economics

Yet
The production of Carbon Dioxide
And all the noxious gases
Are staggeringly high
And the heaps of
Rubbish ash left behind
Is monumental

Power corrupts
Energy consumes
As soon as
It is produced
Absolute Energy
Of hundred percent sufficiency
Set in motion
A chain reaction
So devastating in magnitude
It would take billions
Of years for recovery
That is the Vision
The consumerist society lacks
And fail to grasp
In this moment of selfish needs

This is why I say
That the scientists don't have
Philosophy
And Philosophers don't have
Neither Mind Power
Nor Muscle Power
In this contemporary world
Of macroeconomics
To say that
Energy sufficiency of 65%
Is the most that
This tiny island can tolerate
Without
Upsetting the balance of nature
AND THE REST 35%
Should be left in wilderness

Analysis

Analysis
The essence of science
Is looking at
Facts, figures and phenomena
That can be observed
As quantifiable events
And then consider the meaning
As to why?
The facts and events present themselves
In a certain way
And delving deeper into
Making some application
Of some sort
With claims of discovery
And making some experimental design
To unravel
The Mystery involved
And finally formulating
Conceptual framework
Which other scientists
Would love to take a plunge
With renewed vigour and intent
To chart the unknown territories
With band wagon and pomp

Science

 Science
Just as there are
Many notions
To the origin of the Universe
There are many misconceptions
To the meaning of science
Which literally means
Acquisition of knowledge


The first of the many misconceptions
And the foremost of it is
That science is infallible
And the second that originates from the first
Is that science is the only explanation
From that derive the notion
That all interpretations
Are logical, complete and final

None of the above statements are true
In scientific sense
And that is the beauty of the science
Which is expanding
Challenging
And changing
By the day

Explore

Explore
"Curiosity kills the cat"
Is the proverbial stunt
That is
Subtly insinuated in the mind
Of an explorer
By the one who believes
That the authority
Of the scriptures are sacrosanct


But anything that is not explored
Visibly and in depth
Is not worth
The substance
That is said to be
Standing
On its own accord


Having said that,
Exploring without the tools
Of refinement
But with the tools of tradition
Is fraught with danger
Inherent there within them


What then are the tools
Of investigation?
They are the ability
To ask the right question
And the ability to scrutinize
The answers obtained
With laser blade accuracy
But leave the final outcome
Open ended


Edited on the 22nd of September 2006

September 9th 2006

Concepts

Concepts
Concepts are as good as
The words that describe them
And when the words that describe them are Simple enough
The clarity and content are obvious delight
But when the dialect used
Are not precise,
It becomes a pain in the neck
And the meaning of the concept get muddled
And fall into disrepute an ambiguity


The laws that govern the concept
Are the highly structured
Grammar of science


When the laws and contents have many
Loose ends and exceptions
The idea and the communication
Become jargon out of context
Just as when the language
Is spoken without
A flow or fluency
And grammar

In that sense science
Is the philosophy of using
Language with clarity and intent

Theory

Theory
Is a mental manifestation
Of an experience, an impression
Or an inspiration
That has been tested and verified
By many with similar interests
And concurrence
But the problem with theory
Is that when it get established and ingrained As reality
With rigid laws and concepts of convenience
In the people's minds with dissimilar intents
Validity of the original tenants
And its application
Become distorted and obscured
Out of context

For an example
When the man talks about Human Rights
In a world with divergent views
Literally and metaphorically
The abortionist and the non-abortionist
Have equal rights
To kill or preserve
A concept or life in general
Ensuing conflicts
And polarization of interests
Far beyond the meaning
Of its application
In original tenants

In effects the human right laws
Are the forerunners of mayhem
Of liberation sans responsibility
In the modern world of discordance

Hypothesis

Hypothesis
It is a tentative impression
One creates in the mind
Of random thoughts
Of some observation or an experience
And Its occurrence has
No control, relevance or any concurrence
In its natural history of evolution


It is best a guesswork of some kind
So the man has coined
An inspiration world called
Intuition
For its sustenance and nurture
In the history of mankind
And it is neither tested nor verified
Or has any application of significance
In its original context


For example man has created
Unique races with unique aspirations
Far above the ordinary meaning
In life and matters
And when this fallacy is self-perpetuated
At will
It creates disorder, disunity
And discordance of various magnitudes
Leading to wars of attrition


But in reality what is perceived as unique
Is a manifestation of cyclic nature
Of change
Of the world with diversity
Of opinions and prejudices

10th September, 2006

Inference

 Inference
Inference that is achieved
Without inducing
A method of free inquiry
Is not worth the substance
It claimed to have been deducted
As final, long lasting
And true in nature

9th of September 2006

Inquiry

Inquiry

Is the ability
To ask the right question
At the right time
At the right place
From a right person
And not expecting
The answer
To be all closed
For any further questioning
Or inquiry
147. Thinking
In ordinary sense
It is the spontaneous activity
Of engaging in one's own
Beliefs at random
Or beliefs burrowed
From friends, parents, teachers
Or others

But thinking
Without reasoning
Inquiry,
Or refinement of one's prejudices
Is like visiting
The Devil's workshop
In one's prime holiday
On a poor budget

Knowledge

Knowledge

In general
It is the habit of collecting
All redundant facts and figures
Of insignificance

The real knowledge
Is the ability to
Drop old ideas and beliefs
From the basket of knowledge
In possession


But the true knowledge
Is to know that
The latest acquired
Knowledge is the one
That has to be dropped first
Before  going any further


Why one should do that
From birth to death
I wonder
For a wisdom tooth

Meaning

Meaning

Repeated use of a word
Not to mention the words
Sorry or love or peace
Results in producing
The opposite of what is intended
A negative image
A meaningless connotation
To the original tenet
Of the meaning intended

Dialogue

Dialogue

It is an exercise
Of articulation
Of many shades of opinion
With rigidity sans sharing

It is a delivery system
Of opposition
To any opinion
Contrary to
One's own prejudice
Then
How can one enter into dialogue?
Which beats hell out of my guts

When one is unable to
Modify
Or rid of prejudices
Age all customs and prejudices
Of intolerance
How come sharing and caring
Can be attained

Education

Education
Is neither an exercise
That is
Hands off
Or Minds off
Of children
Nor it is a delivery
Of a curriculum
With rigidity and red tape
Communicated by only a sage

It is an activity
Of the mind of a child
To think
To inquire
To explore
With open mind
And then to exchange and develop
Ideas with meaning

Grieving Bul Bul Couple and the Fearful Eagle

Grieving Bul Bul Couple and the Fearful Eagle

Now that I wake up with the singing birds I never bargained for a painful and monotonous tone of a couple of grieving bul buls.

Not the cheery and chatty three tone musical singing but the high pitched and painful cry of the male bird (probably -the larger one).

Then the mother (probably-smaller) with the wings spread (as to cover the brood) on the palm tree and following me round the garden.

Either telling me or suspecting that I had stolen her young ones.

It was painful for me and I decided to pen this.

My wife told me there was a big eagle hovering round the nests of the bul bul with few young ones.

Next day there was no chirpy chirps.

I knew the inevitable and the rest of the flocks and the babblers too disappeared.

Only these two remained well after their morning calls.

I do not know how long their parental hormones effect the grieving.

I am not going to count the days but be calm and listen to their instinctual bondage calls as long as they grieve with Metta Meditation.

I heard the warning note of the squirrels the other day but took no notice of the eagle.

Today not even the eagle squeaking note heard.

The eagles have a vast range and a big appetite.

I wonder why they do not eat their young?

The animal world is strange.

He must have followed the rest of the flocks of birds for next round of nests (nesting grounds).

How to Test and Validate Your Meditation Master?

How to Test and Validate Your Meditation Master?

Everybody, in this commercial, capitalistic and consumer World of Advertisement is a "Gullible Sucker" or Being Sucked (sick) by a gullible sucker.

Since I have given the secret of success of chocolates as a better substitute than one hour of meditation, almost all meditation masters are using my techniques for their business without paying Royalties to me.

If you have payed the fees and is entering one of these global institutes, the following techniques would help you to Test the Master in real time, place and person.

1. One has to be fully hydrated and has to empty one's bladder soon after entering.

2. Check the ambient temperature using a standard thermometer, if it is below the ambient temperature of the outside world and if you feel like you have to void again in half an hour, the air conditioning is too cosy and is conducive for meditation.

It is the air conditioning that makes your mind at ease not the master.

3. The third is the most damaging, the psychological bragging or indulgence by the master.

This varies from master to master and I decline to specify.

4. The fourth is the lighting.

Just like in a hotel restaurant where the dim and orange (ish) light makes the lovers feel induced and inducted, the lighting that makes one feels that one is inside of "the psychologist consultation room" is another ploy used by the master.

Do not fall to this trap which has a calming influence.

5. Fifth is of your own making.
The de-induction of yourself, "in your own self making" to make you feel a baby, not even a toddler in front of the master.

6. Sixth, the light music that soothes the ear is another ploy. 
Even the birds singing in the background might sooth the novice.

Real meditation has to be in total silence and solitude. 

7. The light medicinal drink that they offer might have feel good chemicals, similar to the chocolate drink.

If you have taken care of the above, now you are ready, to make the testing of the master in style.

Look at his dress and see how masterfully he uses his dress in an imposing manner.
This includes the beard, mustache and the head gear.

Listen to his voice and see whether he uses a device inside his mouth to damp his coarse (what the singers use) voice (makes his voice sound musical).

Look at his eyes to see whether he uses it to impose or calm your interaction.

If imposing, get out of the place that very second, since from that moment he/she will suck all your belongings (including precious time) to the putative institute, in small donations to begin with.

Avoid all medicinal drinks (all having hypnotic effects) including water (you are well hydrated, if you have followed my instructions above) before meditating.

No tea or coffee, too.

Drop the cellphone too.
 
Dropping the cellphone is the biggest inducer of focus of attention in meditation.

Now come to my crunch point.

Avoid chocolate drinks either before or after the session.

Chocolates itself elevate your mood leaps and bounds (not the meditation) in few seconds. 

It has more than 300 micro-ingredients that effect your mood and physiology.

If you an alcoholic (one dose makes fatty change in liver, the regular intake enlarges the liver and still later cirrhosis) the effect of conversion of feel good chemicals from chocolates through the liver enzymes is lost.

The dogs cannot metabolize chocolates and chocolates poison them.

The chocolates does not have growth hormone in them and regular exercise induce extra growth hormone production and  secretion. 

The growth hormones is a feel good hormone and it works through the liver.

If you an alcoholic the conversion of growth hormone in the liver to good byproducts is lost completely.

That is one reason one should stop drinking.

If you are a regular drinker abstinence may cause withdrawal effects and the withdrawal should be monitored by one who has experience treating alcoholics.

The problem is most of the doctors are alcoholics.

In other words meditation is not a substitute for treatment of alcoholism (proper medical supervision is mandatory).

Meditation is not a treatment for alcoholism.

I hope you got the message and if you are not getting any benefit from five minutes of the masters techniques, you are unlikely to get anything after an hour except aches and pains of your joints due to abnormal Yogi position you are force to adopt.

This is why I say, my five minutes Metta Meditation (visit my blog posts) has many benefits.

Mind you I refuse to teach (Linux, gadgematics, pathology) anything NOW except how to look after the birds who visit our garden, even infrequently (migratory).

No meditation instructions and teaching from me. 

I believe even preparation for meditation itself has great impact on you (it induces the feel good factors!).

Meditation and its Perspective

There are many misconceptions related to meditation and meditation practises. 

First and foremost the English word meditation is most inappropriate for the Pali word“Bavana”. 

The meaning is the development of mind or mental culture.

As much as there is no English synonym for “Maithri” there is no proper term in English that closely approximate its meaning.

Second misconception is that “Vipassana Bavana” is the most appropriate Bavana Practice. 

If that is so, the voluminous “Vissudhi Magga” is a colossal waste of an intellectual exercise. 

“Samatha Bavana” has a unique place for those who merit its value. 

To borrow a phrase from Ven. Ajahn Brahmavanso Samatha and Vipassana are two sides of the same coin one leads to tranquility and other yields insight and the two are inseparable in highest meditative states.

Third misconception is that the “Bavana” is not for the layman.

Fourthly, for its practice solitude of the forest or a hermitage is a prerequisite. 

For the initiated any desirable place and time without hindrances would suffice.

Fifthly, it is therapeutic (medical parlance) and has commercial value. 

For example it is recommended by some misconceived advocates for blood pressure treatment. It may be of some benefit if properly guided to alleviate blood pressure fluctuations associated with emotionally predisposed but not for essential hypertension for which the cause is unknown and the medical treatment though very effective is empirical.

Sixth misconception is that the practice of “Bavana” helps the learning capacity. 

There are many other good techniques for learning and memory enhancement.  

“Bavana” should be a tool for concentration and getting rid of undesirable mental accompaniments associated with bad learning practices for students with difficulties in grasping learning material. 

One who has practiced Bavana and adept at it, learning becomes an easy task due to their ability to avoid distractions and concentrate on the task at hand.

Seventh misconception is that the Lord Buddha discovered it.  

“Bavana” had been in practice in the East for many centuries and it is believed that even the Red Indians Chiefs and Aborigines practiced, one or other form of it. 

What Lord Buddha did was to refine its use for emancipation of suffering of never ending “Samsara”. 

It is therapeutic in its meaning within the context of cessation of “Bava” and “Vibhava Thanha”.

Eighth misconception is that a weekend course in “Bavana”would entitle a person to come back to his or her office and convert the uninitiated and start preaching about its benefits. 

 “Bavana” certainly has no commercial value but its aesthetic values permeate through all para-psychology.

Ninth misconception is that it is a practice suitable for any uninitiated. 

Certainly it is not. 

I think a meditation master with at least 10 years experience is a requirement for the novice.

It would only benefit one with Sila, Samadhi and Panngha.

Finally “Bavana” is the only way (Ekayana Maggo) for emancipation as extolled and expounded by the Lord Buddha.

It should be practiced with diligence.

There are lots of good books including colossal Visuddhi Magga on meditation for one who is interested in meditation practice to read.  
It is not a reading exercise but a practice one needs to learn from a mature meditation master (teacher and a guide). 

The selection of a correct guide has to be done clinically, accurately and precisely. 

Buddha was the best guide and one has to remember it needs years of practice and one cannot learn it in a half a day workshop on meditation.

Uppamado Amatha Padham!

Below is a claim of a Meditation Center;

Even here, there is a caveat!

In small print they ask for donations.

Meditation is the latest money spinner.

Four Ways to Authenticate a Genuine Buddhist Teacher

Many students in the Bodhi Path Buddhist Centers have asked me to explain how to find a good meditation teacher. As this is an important question and something that many people are curious about, here is a brief explanation. 

Good meditation teachers are usually people who live very simply. 'Living simply' means someone who has renounced everything and lives free of the many things that may burden most people's lives. He or she will likely stay in a quiet, isolated place such as a cave or small hut in the mountains. For the most part, great meditators are not people who are known widely as highly ranked spiritual teachers. Instead, they have spent many years of their lives in retreat, and when not in retreat are completely stable in their daily meditation practice. Even figuring out where to look for such a great meditator is not easy. You can begin to search for them by inquiring from Buddhist people who know meditators, and then you should analyze how they live. If someone is not really accomplished in meditation, they will not be able to live for long in such conditions.

Teachers who travel regularly may not be the best meditation teachers. While one cannot generalize, the mind of someone who travels regularly is likely preoccupied by many things. This happens because of what one sees and experiences in one's daily life, even ordinary things like big supermarkets and malls. Add to that the more exceptional experiences like having devotees invite one to many events, and it is not difficult to understand that such a mind may already be distracted. While this is not true 100% of the time, in most cases it is. And a person with a distracted mind will not be a good meditation teacher. Therefore finding someone who lives in an isolated setting and is dedicated to meditation is already putting you on the right path to find an appropriate meditation teacher. 

The following guidelines will make this more clear.

When you set out to examine a teacher, you will see that there are four kinds. These four kinds of teachers can be categorized according to two things: their scholarly understanding of dharma, and their mastery of essential instructions. Essential instructions are the key to unlock the heart of the teachings. 
Each practice has a key that is not openly explained, and it is held by those few serious practitioners who were taught it by a long line of the most experienced meditators. 
Some teachers are scholars who have no essential instructions. 
Then there are teachers who have key instructions but no scholarly training or ability. 
There are also teachers who are both key holders and scholars. 
The fourth type of teacher is one who has no key or scholarly training. Among the four, only the last needs to be completely avoided.

Of course, each type of teacher can benefit you in a specific way. If you only follow the dharma that is explained in a scholarly way, that is good. To only follow key instructions without scholarly training is very good. If you follow both the scholarly training and the key instructions, that is supremely good. It perhaps goes without saying that having neither scholarly access to the dharma nor key instructions does zero good! 
But in any case, to reach the goal you need the key.

For a general audience in need of the most basic introduction, the type of teacher who is only trained as a scholar is very good. For very advanced practitioners engaging in intense practice, the teacher who only holds key instructions is excellent. Finally, the combined scholar/keyholder is perfectly suited for any type or level of student. The fourth type of teacher, the one with neither scholarly training nor key instructions, is perfect for nobody.

Ironically, it is also the type of teacher that many may be tempted to follow. 

You might wonder how it is possible to judge if someone is truly learned, or if they are a great meditator who holds the essential instructions. To start to determine if someone is learned, you can begin by looking into this person's background - check their scholarly training and qualifications. Do some research in the community where that person was trained or teaches to make sure they have the training and qualifications they claim. A thorough investigation of their background is the best way to know if they are qualified or not.

Unfortunately it is impossible to determine if someone is a great meditator, so looking for a meditation teacher is a different thing altogether. You can find information out about the person to see if he or she spent many years in retreat or not, if he or she lives in a way that embodies renunciation. One thing is for sure - if someone is claiming to be a great meditation teacher, or claiming to be enlightened, that person is not at all reliable.

Anyone who consistently claims greatness, who tries to control his or her students strongly by claiming that is the nature of samaya, who tries to tell you that if you don't obey their commands you will go to hell, who is clearly trying to collect money, should not be trusted. 
 To learn dharma perfectly from the right teacher you must drop your ordinary concepts and learn to look with new eyes. You cannot search for a meditation teacher the same way you look for something like a good brand of toothpaste. Following the best advertising campaign will not lead to the right teacher. If you judge according to such things as status, wealth, or number of followers you will not find the right meditation teacher.

Just like a good meditation teacher, someone who wants to be a good meditator must also renounce attachment to worldly life. 
A meditator should live simply, without too many responsibilities, and without ambition. In order to focus, you must be willing to renounce. 
They are hard to be found in this busy world.