Thursday, May 28, 2009

Noise in Silence


Silence, Still and rising like the Sun
Silence, Still and strong between sounds
Silence, Still and permanent around us
Silence, Still and music at night
Silence, Still and flowing like the Ganges
Silence, Still and shining like the Moon

Silence, Still not lost and is the Essence of Life

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Degree of " Experiences"


“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give” – Khalil Gibran

There are many ways one can “give yourself” for eg. providing food to homeless, DVD players, clothes, helping at the zoo, donate money, working with seniors etc. I chose to give time, and work with special kids, because I find very few understand them. To me working with Jeena is about experiencing life with gifted kids . I say gifted, because they have unique abilities…

Somewhere along the line we view these kids inability to conform to certain behaviors as willful disobedience. We see their inability to focus and complete school work as laziness and unwillingness to try. We were expecting them what they cannot give. We have to realise it is not they - but we are inflexible. We are selfish to see them with a common perspective.

We view our kids through the eyes of the world. The world expects them to behave and learn in the typically accepted manner…except they can't…and we are suppose to know better!!!! Through the exhaustion, frustration and stress involved in parenting a child, we give up on them…much like the world, which does not understand them. I see every parent at Jeena understand their kids. They love them. Unconditional Love!! Believe me, each one is under their blanket of love…
I have enjoyed working with kids of all ages. Every day, kids say something that triggers a little 'teachable moment'. In volunteering at Jeena for Rotation Respite, it gives me that exact opportunity to learn more from these specially gifted kids. They teach you about finer points of life, things you have taken for granted and more importantly they make you aware and realise about them.

My hope with every conversation with these kids is not about knowledge, but about seeing their world with their biases. It gives me great pleasure to hear their opinion or perception of something and see it from a different perspective. To reframe the situation in the truer, newer light.

I won’t forget the day when a friend of mine introduced me to Jeena website and I instantly signed up to jeena-friends group. Since then, I have enjoyed every moment and every opportunity I have had in working with these kids and their parents at Jeena.

Finally a lesson I have learnt : is to be constantly look for, the “combination” that will work for that child. An “opportunity” that will ignite that spirit, that one “thread” that will best connect that young kid to the civil society, a “way” they will be able to contribute to its success for them and for the society.
In Jeena I see an University for continuous learning, not for academic degrees but for gaining what I call it “Degree of Experiences” to make a difference to myself and to this World!!!!

..............written for Jeena's Annual Magazine - JEENA YAHAN 2009

Monday, May 18, 2009

Order in Chaos


Its been there for several thousand years now - We now know what seemed obvious back then. That the basic nature of the universe is its extreme complexity and inexplicable disorder. That mysterious, tangled magnificence popularly known as Chaos exists. The poetic Hindus believed the universe was a dreamy dance of illusion or sometimes referred as Maya. Maya is this mysterious Chaotic existence..

I consider Chaos to be one of the many basis for creativity & innovation.What amazes or intrigues me, is the randomness within Chaos that creates a mystery in our relationships with others and things around us. For e.g. what I see and how I perceive a scene will be totally different from another person. There are so many perceptions and in a chaotic sense, they are all floating around. I believe that your mind then connects with that one and you have your perception. Anyways, as complicated this may seem, for those who see the brighter side, it brings freshness and surprise to us all the time..

For several years now, scientists began to study the complexity within the human brain . When we talk about Chaos, as an example, it turns out that the brain is a galactic network of a hundred billion neurons. Each neuron is an information system as complex as a mainframe computer. Each neuron is connected to ten thousand other neurons. Each of us is equipped with a universe of complexity that is inscrutable to our alphanumeric minds.

This brain power that helps us perceive,feel and think is at once the most humiliating fact about our current ignorance, and the most thrilling prospect of our potential divinity;

To me Chaos provides us with Infinite opportunities. With every bit of chaos comes Order. It just needs the application of our mind. Music for instance seems like noise until you find the pattern. This is also why at times after repeated listening to the same song, makes you like it. Once your reach the state of familiarity there is no more chaos in your mind!!!

We often think we should be able to understand everything about a piece of music on the first hearing. If we don't, then there is either something wrong with us, or with the music. I admit that when I first start listening to some piece of music I somewhat loathe to spend much time on one track. But when I listen to this at least 10 times or more familiarity sets in, order takes its place the brain likes it and associates it with thoughts and feelings...Finally, I love the music.

These repeated listening allows us to memorize...slowly I start having a fabulous time, following the various shifts in motives, harmonies, keys, rhythms, and general characters. Fifteen minutes of doing the dishes had never passed so quickly...

Order inconspicuously rides on Chaos. I have learned to enjoy that state!!!