chaotic order

Jottings - Slice of Life - 216 ( evoking wonder in science and mythical symbols - Carl Sagan and Joseph Campbell) In the 1980's, two television series captured the imagination of the world. In one - a flamboyant, statuesque middle aged astro scientist wearing his signature turtle neck sweater with sparking eyes and wavy black hair -fluttering gracefully in wind swept locations across the world - spoke passionately about the wonders of the cosmos we live in, our anthropomorphic insignificance, and in equal measure of our uniqueness as the only species capable of contemplating the immensity, mystery and laws of the universe. “Cosmos” which beamed across the world for 4 months spread across 13 episodes, presented a holistic understanding of the planet, our human heritage and meaningful insights into our stewardship of planet Earth. To many, this was the first comprehensive exposure to the world of science in visual medium, and a stirring recreation of Man’s evolution over millenni

Jottings - Slice of life - 212 ( Suicides - Reflections on the death of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain) “The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;— Little we see in Nature that is ours; We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon! This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon; The winds that will be howling at all hours, And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers; For this, for everything, we are out of tune; It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather be A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn; So might I, standing on this pleasant lea, Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn; Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea; Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.” By William Wordsworth This is one my favorite Wordsworthian poems. We were asked to memorize this for our exams at school, which we did; and thankfully I still remember most of it. Little did I realize how these lines would slowly grown upon me, and with each passing year

Jottings - Slice of life - 210 ( God is not needed - Life of a spiritual iconoclast UG Krishnamurti (1918 - 2007)) Is there something called “self realization”? Is there a transformation of consciousness into something untouched by the the travails of daily existence? Are there certain qualifications to embark on such a journey and reach this state? Are some people privileged by birth, good fortune or grace to achieve such a state of enlightenment or liberation or Godhead , and others destined to imitate path set by few searching for second hand experience? Above all, a question more fundamental - Is there any at all called “spiritual” life, or is it just a well orchestrated assumption indoctrinated into our collective psyche for millennia, which nobody wishes to question? These are not questions only raised by atheist or agnostics, but these are questions which rises within each one of us some time or the other. In quiet moments of contemplation or sometimes quite expectedly, th

Jottings - slice of life - 209 ( The wedding Royale - Saga continues..) One of my distinct childhood memories is that of Princess Diana's wedding. I must have been in 5th or 6th grade, when teachers announced that all of us will assemble in the school auditorium the next day to watch the live ( or recorded, i dont recall correctly) telecast of this royal event. They wrote a short message to this effect in our study notebooks for our parents to read and acknowledge. Few months before this wedding, I remember a lot of buzz going around, lot of adult talk about an impending wedding of grand proportions. I vaguely remember seeing glimpses of Diana’s young and smiling face in the Hindu, one of our national Newspapers, proclaiming her as the bride of the century. I was too young to notice if she was beautiful or not, but the image I distinctly have at this distance in time is - she did look very pleasing to the eye. A kind of disarming and open smile with a touch of melancholy which

Jottings - Slice of life - 2017 ( The woman who put the man on the Moon - Margaret Hamilton) On 20th of July 1969, Apollo II landed successfully on the Moon, and two male astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, stepped out their spaceship and placed their first tentative step on its hallowed surface. It was a momentous event in Human adventure. That we could physically propel ourselves out of earth, soar into unexplored areas in space, and land with precision on a targeted satellite outside of earth’s orbit - was a grand dream come true from the time of the copernican revolution. From that moment onwards, we were no more tied to earth. Our destinies could now be linked to vistas beyond this planet. But little do many know that Apollo II nearly aborted before it landed, and even fewer know that if not for the robust and pioneering effort of Margaret Hamilton - the young software programmer in NASA who conceived, developed and deployed the complex multitasking code required to fl

Jottings - Slice of life - 207 ( Prakash Menon - a tribute to a gracious Man, and a leader par excellence) A few weeks ago, I was sitting in Prakash’s hotel room in Gurgaon. It was a long day for both us; more so for Prakash. The launch of our new products for the retail market was extracting every ounce of energy and time out of him. He was tired, but his mind was bubbling with ideas. He put his leather bag on the table, settled down with his drink and instantly began talking about NIIT, its future and what ideas he had in mind. Few minutes into our conversation, his phone rang. He picked up his mobile and before answering, turned around and said: “Bala, I have to take this call. I am sorry”. “Absolutely, Prakash!!” For next ten minutes, he was speaking to a lady. That much I could understand from his tone and conversation. He was enquiring about her Husband’s health, sharing positive advice, and commended her for showing good presence of mind and courage. What stuck me as h

Jottings - slice of life - 206 ( Churchill’s finest hour) “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” The core episodes of history, more often than not, are electrifying narratives of right leaders showing up at right moments to transform or change the course of a nation’s history, and consequently affect the fortunes of world at large. Who could deny that If not for Alexander’s daring expedition to the east with no more than a few thousand men to battle, the geographical boundaries of the modern world would have been different; If not for Julius Caesar’s flamboyance, courage and consummate tact in unifying Rome and establishing the first true republic encompassing most parts of Europe, the western civilization, as we know it wouldn’t have evolved; or Charlemagne’s unifying rule; or Ashoka’s spiritual influence , or the sagacity and ruthlessness of Peter the great - such names can roll on. It is nature’s law that from the crucible of s