Category: Observations
The Waltz Garden – a place of magic.
It is really my wish from the writing of this piece, that those who read it come to think of The Waltz Garden as having a permanent place among the gardens they know of. That they come to think of it as unique. By no means has this garden reached its zenith. It is still…
Does having knowledge of evil cause a person to commit evil?
One thing, though, is the repeated attempt toward good and the desire for such. Yes, one does think of finally having arrived at a place, to a state of solution from which evil no longer rises. Philosophers have wanted that; religious texts speak of it. Both of these in the ideas of Utopia, of Paradise,…
Remembering Sir Roger Scruton
A great thinker does not need the endorsement of others. Before the content of his thoughts, which, if they happen to point to truths, his ability stands itself as the gift exemplified. Sir Roger Scruton (27 February 1944 -12 January 2020) shall be remembered as one such thinker.
An eye for potential vindicated through actions
The ability to perceive, and to look deeper than mere appearances is a truly wonderful gift. Deeper insight is in the very constitution of some from birth. For others, it can at best be a gained skill. While for the former it comes effortlessly and naturally, for the latter it comes as a labored, deliberate…
Returning to writing after a gap
There is the possibility for greater communication through writing – much of it finding efficacy and peace due to privacy. Social networking seems to have put all that used to remain private out in the open. Maybe, there is still a getting used to this and a regaining of balance.
We have the basis, the infrastructure to develop upon – further thoughts from Jeff Bezos
We have the basis today for a life hardly conceivable even a few decades ago. Great strides have been made, thanks to science, architecture, and the development of the arts through its expressions. A young person today can work at home, and then, walk to the nearest coffee shop. There he can sit alone or…
Realization and changes
There is a lot in life that depends upon realization. We have the information before us a lot of the times. The judgments as to whether that information is correct or not are important but remain secondary. The more important factor is to move from interacting with the information and move on to the point…
A fascination with wrist watches
I remember, as a young boy, this fascination with wristwatches. At the time, there was no deep philosophical reason for it. Watches simply were machines to be fascinated with. The way these were designed; how methodical and systematic was the movement of the hands to show the minutes, hours, and seconds! Specifically, some of the…
The notches on tools and the end of the world
We are surrounded by tools. From the ordinary nail cutter to the kitchen knife, to our smartwatches, mobile phones, Wi-Fi routers, and computers. Tools of all different kinds are all around us as evidence of human ingenuity and entrepreneurship. Somewhere, someone saw a need and decided to create a solution for it. In that creating…
The story of the deaf stonemason
In sharing this story, I take a particular pleasure. What this man did for us is of truly lasting value. He worked diligently at our place for just a few days. In those few days, he endeared himself by the way he worked, his mannerisms, how he paid no attention to supervision, and in all…
“The perennial fibre of truth” – Thomas Carlyle. What is it?
There is something inherently easy, comforting, and natural in reading what Thomas Carlyle has written. Insofar as I reached the point of his writing about “Worship” and the “devotion” that mankind has been familiar with, these words have been outstanding: Worship is transcendent wonder; wonder for which there is now no limit or measure; that…
Assumptions regarding the maturity of the self
Maturity isn’t a quality of only the mind. The simplicity of this understanding can have a transformative effect on an individual. It need not have any such effects on society. It might even be childish in itself to consider those ideas that can bind societies and lift them up. There have always been individuals in…
The vegetable vendor and his story
I would like to share with you today this short story. It’s true and from this morning itself. This morning, though, is only a passing moment in the story of this vegetable vendor. In this city of New Delhi, on this day after an early morning rain and now the sun shining through brightly, this…
Certain kinds of knowledge and the preservation of sincerity – with some thoughts from Thomas Carlyle
At a certain time in life, and not necessarily as a cause for or a result of an existential crisis, one might be confronted by certain questions. Those questions are about what one perceives of this world and his own attempts at making sense of what is the reality of our personal and collective existence. …
The experience of engaging with people – how a change in views is a fundamental need and also beneficial?
There isn’t a greater art and more of it needed at this time than of engaging with people. Engaging with people should be considered the end of all philosophy, systems of belief, or even the systems of society. When a person engages in thinking out solutions to issues or attempts to foresee the end of…
Peace is the slowing down of contradictions
It has been observed in recent times, how the more we discuss matters the more we move away from peace. This cannot possibly be created by any one person or group of persons. The masses of millions of people who take out a portion from their own time to engage in arguments and debates have…
To be consumed, yet not be burnt – the gentle illumination
It is that image that has always appealed to me. Yes, it brings back to mind the burning bush, the one Moses saw, and from there, his life changed. This is not about Moses though. This is about the bush. An angel is said to have descended upon the bush, manifesting the Almighty God himself. …
Existence – Poems by Christopher Venerus
Existence is about life. Existence is the spiritual journey of a man who is traveling through time. It is experiencing one’s own existence in the larger reality of history and of anticipated visions for the future. Existence is sensing the poetry. Existence is about being a boy, growing up to be a man. He discusses…
When the creative meet the unrewarding world of social networking – a basis from Bertrand Russell
A [creative] boy will toil up hill with a toboggan for the sake of the few brief moments of bliss during the descent; no one has to urge him to be industrious, and however he may puff and pant he is still happy. But if instead of the immediate reward you promised him an old-age pension at…
The culture of self in societies that appear connected
A true community is not just about being geographically close to someone or part of the same social web network. It’s about feeling connected and responsible for what happens. Humanity is our ultimate community, and everyone plays a crucial role. ~ Yehuda Berg It is a particular trait among thinkers and of their thinking to…
Comparing the messages of Solomon and Jesus regarding generations and longevity
The contemplations over our life affect how we live. In such thoughts, there are the concerns over generations existing together, what legacy one builds and leaves the latter, and the temporariness of all we have and build. Such contemplation is good. Wise men have done so. They have left their words for us to reflect upon. …
Writing – pen to paper or fingers to keyboard – tradition over modernity
These days, everyone is a writer. That is what technology has done. From the person who composes a short text message and garnishes it with the perfect emojis, to the one who prepares the agenda for an important board meeting, to the one writing in her own journal, everyone is writing. Whether there is some…
Can real happiness be found through objectivity?
It would be difficult to place an exact event or time when a person experiences happiness for the first time. One would very much hope, it was during the days of infancy, even before the faculties of reason had started to develop. And so, by this way of referencing, happiness or the experiencing of it…
Creating a defense mechanism by assigning all ideas to the intellect
The intellect can seem like a safe realm to keep and examine ideas. However, if human interactions remain at that level, something is soon realized to be missing. Our response to suffering, ability to empathize and connect also are affected. In the age of social networking, what can we practically do to rise above it?
How to compete without being enemies?
It seems the most common of tendencies, and almost instinctive for us to compare ourselves with another. We are competing in appearances, in words, in wealth, education, nation, or some other reason that human society has developed to put a division in the family. Our comparisons produce envy and jealousy, but also the aspiring to…
Does social networking encourage jumping to conclusions?
What is Jumping to conclusions? Jumping to conclusions (officially the jumping conclusion bias, often abbreviated as JTC, and also referred to as the inference-observation confusion[1]) is a psychological term referring to a communication obstacle where one “judge[s] or decide[s] something without having all the facts; to reach unwarranted conclusions”.[2][3] In other words, “when I fail to distinguish between what I…
Does scrolling content on a fixed screen create the mindset of a fleeting existence?
It has now become the habit of billions around the world – young and old – to get an understanding of all things through scrolling content. While the screen remains fixed in place at all times and even disappears from consciousness, unless one looks away, there is a hypnotizing of the mind. Information is flowing…
The conflicts and infighting of humans will end
To look upon the conflicts of mankind is an experience of great dismay. Yes, there are those who have firmly come to the conclusion that to be in a state of perpetual conflict and infighting is human destiny. For we seem to have evolved from the lower state of existence through our struggles, developed into…
The exclusive focus on physical things will create an imbalance
There has been a noticeable insistence on physical things in recent times. It has been very deliberate, systematic, and evident of great intelligence. Who are its proponents is not the most important thing. One could, of course, examine the sayings of modern, atheist thinkers like Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins. Listening to such intelligent men…
Why is moderation the answer to extremism? (A principle for peace.)
To be moderate in thought is the way to peace. Even in the great accomplishment of lasting worth, we seek moderation to be the desired state of human existence. In one of the posts some time back, some thought was put into considering the growth of extremism and the possibility of some remedy. Extremism is…
