Neo's blog

Which then is a better Religion?

2010-10-10T23:07:00.001+05:30

Prophet Mohammed ,Lord Ram and Chief Justice of India meet to discuss the Babri Masjid Verdict.

Prophet Mohammed: Babar,A great warrior of Islam was reduced to rubbles on Dec 6 1992 by your devotees.What do you say about this Ram?

Lord Ram : Was not a Masjid built by demolishing my temple? My devotees have only shown their righteous indignation.I stand by them.

Chief Justice of India: Dont you guys think your teachings have failed in bringing about mutual respect for other religions?

Lord Ram: Not really. I have never taught my people to disrespect other's religion.It is just that Hinduism in India has taken a beating because of the Minority appeasement.I only allowed it for the good of my devotees.

Chief Justice of India: Ram, are you saying that though you dont teach it, you support it? I think you both agree that promoting a religion needs cut throat marketing tactics.

Prophet Mohammed: While I created great warriors in those days, these warriors won wars only because of their faith in Allah. Where were you Ram, when i waged a war at that time? Wars were fought righteously.Like a Lion marks its territories, the fittest conquerer took care of the people.That is nature's law.

Lord Ram: Well,you still wage wars in this age of reasoning and dialog process.

Prophet Mohammed: Did you say dialog process? I know you envy my people who are ferocious like a lion?

Lord Ram: I wanted to give a fitting reply to your display of power. Have you taken notice of my army of fundamentalist. I have come to believe that mutual assured destruction and persuation is the only way people seek the path of righteousness.

Chief Justice of India: So, are you guys saying Dialog process cannot be the way forward? Dont you feel ashamed that I had to intervene to settle a quarrel between you? Which then is a better religion? Have you guys thought of being in my position to settle this quarrel?

Microsoft Innovates on platforms while Apple is a life style accessory company

2010-07-04T20:53:00.009+05:30

Apple produced machines and phones for the millionaires and went on to become a life style accessory company. With heavy investments in advertising and branding and a use of high quality multimedia content in their ads, Apple sure has a fan following that has taken cult proportion. Apple now needs real innovations to sustain the brand.

Microsoft has shaped itself as a platform company with a number of innovations in developing a platform that nurtures an ecosystem of businesses. History has come to repeat with Apple offering the equivalent of a millionaire's machine to the mobile phone users. Microsoft on the other hand is building an inclusive platform for Mobile phone vendors where LG, Nokia, Motorola, Asus and a multitude of vendors will build business bringing down the cost of these devices.

Innovation in platform is not easily comprehended by an end user of a product as it spreads across various products and service offerings. A hardware on the other hand from Nokia or Apple is noticed and has a huge mind share. Ericsson or Microsoft which develops the infrastructure/platform is never a cool company despite its contributions in terms of innovation.

Having said this,we need better definitions to measure innovation which are now biased by mind share of consumers and a fan culture.

Sudarshana Kriya and the connect with higher intelligence.

2010-06-06T09:47:00.002+05:30

Neo :Ravishankarji, do you connect with the higher intelligence through Sudarshana Kriya?

Sri Sri Ravishankar : No! I am already in that state of connection with higher intellegence. I dont have to connect time and again. Universal Truth flows out through the tap that is me.I am just an instrument.

Neo: Can loud noise such as a bullet shot disrupt this connection?

Sri Sri Ravishankar: You are funny! Yeh tho fevicol ka jod hai! Do you remember this ad on TV? :)

Neo : Ever felt sad or furious when you found out that your convictions based on this connection proved to be wrong?

Sri Sri Ravishankar :I am very calm at mind. Besides, there is no question of a connect with higher intelligence going wrong. Why else would I still be calling it a higher intelligence? :)

Neo : Did you lose your cool when you felt there was an ostensible attempt to assassinate you?

Sri Sri Ravishankar : Well, I behaved like I lost my cool. So that the police take care of my devotees.

Neo : Was this a behaviour instructed by the higher intelligence?

Sri Sri Ravishankar: Lets close this chapter and forget it.

Neo: You mean the idea of connecting with the higher intelligence through Sudarshana Kriya?

Sri Sri Ravishankar : I must go now. My devotees are waiting for me.

Doubting Thomas - II

2010-04-22T13:57:00.008+05:30

Thomas : Jesus, shouldn't mankind be honest when they seek and proclaim God?

Jesus : Yes indeed.

Thomas : But if they have no evidence to believe in a God or a Christ and yet they proclaim a faith in them, will it not be mere lip service?

Jesus : Thomas, may be they have evidence.

Thomas: Is evidence a gift of God?

Jesus: Yes

Thomas: Shouldn't God be giving this gift to everybody if he must judge on a lack of faith?

Jesus: God has definitely given this gift to everybody. But they have not received it.

Thomas: Isn't that a problem in God's way of communicating an evidence ?

Jesus: Some people harden their hearts not to receive that gift.

Thomas: If they must harden their hearts against a gift that is evidence of God's existence, they have already received it.

Jesus: Satan, get away from me. These questions are from the Satan!

Thomas: May be they are from Satan. But now it is a common question for you and me. Is Satan so powerful in blocking the gift of God? Aren't we making Satan powerful when we stop questioning? When will God win this war with Satan and deliver the gift to each and everyone that we all believe in the existence of God?

Jesus: For this I must die on the cross.

Thomas: Why should you die on the cross? How does it benefit ?

Jesus: Just like that! Thomas, too many questions will only mislead you!

God's Will on a Coin Toss - A stroll in Pope's private garden

2010-04-15T16:36:00.008+05:30

Neo : Benedict, Say your wish aloud when I toss this coin.

Pope : Heads

Neo : No. its a Tail. Seems like God has a purpose in not granting your wish. Let's try again.

Pope : Heads

Neo : hmmm No! Now am sure God really has a purpose behind not granting your wish. Lets try again.

Pope: Heads. Nevertheless not my wish but Gods be done.

Neo : Wow! Its a Head! God hears people when they pray diligently. Thank you Benedict.That was an experience of God. It is only now I started believing in the existence of God!

Pope : Most people experience God in every favorable event of their lives. Some do not and harden their hearts to not see the blessings showered upon them.

Faith

2010-04-08T13:31:00.000+05:30

If reasoning is the primitive of human thought process, a faith reduces to being adamant on lip service.

Study Physics?

2009-12-06T19:18:00.004+05:30

We do NOT define Physics thus:

Experimentation with Rules by a loving God for humans to live in this world, which might be modified on a case to case basis subjected to the pleasure of God.

Not Seeing is not believing

2009-12-04T22:06:00.003+05:30

An invisible God cannot be inferred from invisibility of God.

For the people, but not by the people.

2009-11-14T10:06:00.009+05:30

Very often the question in an inter-religious marriage is that in which religion will they bring up their children. For faith as science puts it ?, is something you are born with by the union of egg and sperm?

After years of secular schooling and living in a secular country and interacting with people from different religions and ideologies , have I come to accept only their existence? Is secularism a way to coexist in a multi religious society or does it have deeper philosophy of reasoning in human interactions? Should we be non committal about superstitions and faiths in others? Haven't we come to abolish a lot of them?

We all want the fruits of a secular judiciary in conflict resolution even in religious fellowship.We want secular establishments to take care of our education and almost any institution nationally and internationally.We have come to accept the fruits of secular credentials but probably not the philosophy behind it.Secularism is for the people but not by the people yet.

Do we allow our children to question superstitions or faiths? Perhaps parents sow the first seeds of falsehood ,hypocrisy and pseudo secularism when they teach their children to say "I believe in God"- even if they do not.

If we have come to coexist in a secular country,why then is it difficult or different to coexist with one's spouse or children if they have varied ideologies or faiths?

My search for true love - II

2009-10-25T14:37:00.006+05:30

I registered with a matrimonial website. I wanted to write in 'partner preference' section that "Its ok even if you have had past intimate relationships. For it is natural". But then did not write it thinking it is considered more natural than what I thought it would be. I have seen 'divorced' but i have not seen "ended livin relationship/fornication" as a category.

My search for true love continues...

"Oh yeah. I have heard of" says my Grandma

2009-01-04T14:48:00.007+05:30

I was trying to get my Grandma remember the days of World War -II when she did not seem interested. "Oh yeah. i have heard of" she replied. On probing I got to know that World War II did not affect her life a bit. She was busy taking care of 10 children and making Ayurvedic preparations with my Grandpa. Soon I switched over to Indian freedom struggle when she repeated "Oh yeah. i have only heard about that". But what she had to say was very different from what we usually expect out of elders filled with pride of having contributed to the freedom struggle. She was very different from the text bookish attitudes. She had gotten married after her 7th standard -perhaps in 1948. That is because my mom happens to be their first child (born in 1949 August) and I dont think they would have waited for long deciding to have a baby. So calculating backwards in the December of 1948 my Grandpa and Grandma were having nice time.
One by one she talked about my mom ,uncles and aunties. And by now I thought my head had developed a halo of enlightenment knowing a lot about immature childhood days of my uncles and aunties. Then came the last child who actually happened to be the 11th child.( One of my uncle had died when he was just 2 years old.) When she was going to deliver her 10th child, the doctor visited her parish priest and asked him to talk to my Grandpa on his behalf to stop his creative activities.For in those days as it is today, Catholics were not supposed to use contraceptives. My Grandma then added with a sheepish smile and lowered voice that the nerves in her breast had grown weak. I did not know how to interpret it- Did she attribute it to the 11 children who had suckled on her breast or was she holding Grandpa culpable! Anyways these were the thoughts that occupied the minds of many a men and women in the country during the freedom struggle. Freedom struggle perhaps is understood only by politicians and party workers working towards vote bank. And of course the modern day youth who happen to read Nationalist Histories demonising the British Raj. She had no doubts about the free life she lived pre or post independence.

My Colleague and his spinal problems

2008-12-07T12:16:00.006+05:30

After his wedding, he is showing ever increasing signs of severe spinal problems. Could it be he needs a posture correction? According to him he has been more of a driver after his wedding last week.He has also been consuming a lot of Screw Driver to keep exhaustion at bay.We dont know if he is scientific about that or misled by the brand name.But it is definitely not working for him.

My Nun Aunt on the Random Will of God

2008-12-07T11:26:00.009+05:30

A very scholarly and reserved person to her relatives in her younger days, she makes frequent visits to see her ailing brother who also happens to be my father. She told us she will pray for a speedy recovery in words of consolation.Just to be sure that it is only a consolation, I asked if she can assure of a recovery.She said it will all happen according to the will of God- We call it "Random" in scientific terms- she added.Or so I thought. She smiled as by now she was surely showing signs of wisdom in her oldage.
I told her that I do accept her offer to pray as an expression of love but more importantly as a recognition of the Random will of God.

Is ethics the monopoly of religions?

2008-06-18T16:59:00.004+05:30

"So long as you cant define a way so that science does not cross the ethics line...I shall stick with religion as over 1000 years it has defined humanity very well"

Let me take this argument forward and herald the coming of the end of the days for religions.Religions were the sciences of the past.Hidden in this argument is a thought that science is taking over where religions stopped- A continuous improvement in quality of ethics.

Had those who contributed to sciences of the past lived today, they would have corrected and moved on. It is we, who are not living our lives in the name of primitivism.
Today religion can be defined as those superstitions against which people do not talk. How is a belief in God different from a belief in a bad omen due to a cat crossing the way? (Stop and proceed if we must choose the better of the two)

Ethics does not arise out of religiousness. It arises out of our selfish desire to optimize our lives both individually and socially.To optimize our lives, we must reason consistently. And that leads to business ethics,legal ethics,journalistic ethics,professional ethics,engineering ethics,medical ethics,student ethics...
None of these are due to religiousness.If one follow ethics just because it is written somewhere, that life is already lived.Why at all live our lives?

Personal ethics is a learned behaviour. For instance when we work in a team to get things done, we begin to appreciate the contribution of each one towards a common good and that leads us to the thought that killing somebody for a momentary conflict of interests is not a good idea.
Gradually he understands that quarrel is not a one issue decision making to kill. It might be because of some misconceptions when all are trying to do the right thing. Soon they again work together and derive common good.
Such a behavior which leads to best practice of not killing is not religiousness. Neither is it a gift of Holy Spirit.
One can see that any such optimizing behaviors and best strategies can be modeled mathematically and analysed using Game theory.

Secular quotes

2008-06-03T08:03:00.002+05:30

A secular state does not mean an irreligious state.
-Jawaharlal Nehru
It does.
-Neo

Pledge for the religious leaders

2008-06-01T12:01:00.003+05:30

I am a human being as anybody else. I believe in religions as the science of the past.I must move on today and not indulge in primitivism.I understand that religions of the past are not infallible and needs revision. I do not know of any other way than philosophy of science to find truth. If I know any other way, I shall discuss that way and bring it to the notice of the scientific community which is open to new thoughts.I shall cooperate with the scientific community to ascertain validity of the way. I realize that religion by it’s very definition means beliefs which are not validated and I shall not bring such ideas to counter development of the people or the nation. I shall use and propagate them as speculative ideas about reality and not as an absolute truth.I shall promote the reasons behind why some action might be good and not as a rule to be followed blindly. I fully understand the need to be secular in promoting truth and peaceful coexistence of ideas by discussion.

Mera Naam Gandhi

2008-05-22T17:55:00.004+05:30

India was probably the first country to fight a psychological warfare to win self governance.Lead by the moderation of Gandhi who engineered protests which seemed to give a good fight to value system of the British.He engineered civilized protests which the British empire had to take more seriously than some fanatic unrefined protests that they could easily crush without any mental block. The people of England was polarized by the civilized protests that happened in India.Christian values and admiration were invoked in people of England who saw how Gandhi armed with legal studies held on to the philosophy of law in his protests. It became difficult for them to rule a previously unrefined set of people.
There were people who thought that we have gathered momentum to oust the British empire by a violent uprising and wanted to be part of that instant triumph.But Gandhi intervened and called off the violent uprising.The reason why Gandhi had to be killed.

Gandhi knew that he was fighting for self governance and not the more nationalist version called freedom from British raj.He knew If a state in a country were to show a violent uprising,the country would send army to quell it feeling a sense of responsibility to control the uncivilized people.Gandhi had to play his role carefully. He had to tell them what we need is self governance and show that we are capable of being civilized.He knew that a violent uprising would have worked if Britishers were raping our women and destroying our temples. But the British raj did not indulge in any of these to be demonised beyond a point.British raj had a system to educate and promote the meritorious among the Indians towards governing their empire.They were good administrators.So there was no case for an emotional violent uprising in the sight of lawfullness.

As it stands today, Gandhi is rated as impractical in all that he did and self governance was mere fluke. History of Gandhi was written and spoken by Indians who knowingly or unknowingly demonized Christian British and the British with democratic and secular values to build a Nationalist movement.They did not want to acknowledge that there is something called Christian values that Gandhi used in the psychological warfare to polarize the British people in their homeland. Gandhi's Non-violent policy is more of an extreme ascetic behaviour today interpreted in the lines of Jainism or Buddhism which is seen impractical.In other words a Joker.

Mysteries of the unexplained series

2008-05-18T07:45:00.006+05:30

If the cycle of reincarnation were true, why is it that dinosaurs are extinct today?

Holy Pick

2008-05-16T08:44:00.004+05:30

I was all alone in my room when I was frightened by a tall figure covered in white bedsheet,who appeared from nowhere in my room.He stood there as a real person across the room picking his nose.I was supposed to assume it was Jesus.A divine message was rolling at the bottom of my view which said
"Holy people too are allowed to pick their noses"
He seemed to tell me to go preach this good news to the world.
Initially I was reluctant for I did not think it was a profound message.
On second thought I put it on my blog. Who knows somebody like you might benefit.

Do I remember yesterday?

2008-05-16T08:07:00.006+05:30

I remember a day before yesterday,
by a pond when he caught a tadpole.
When in his vocabulary,
there was still no word called happy.
He was busy exploring the catch.
He was thoughtless about how happy he must be,
how much of happiness to enact.
For he knew not happiness than the satisfaction of fulfilled curiosity.
He could not look at himself from outside.

I remember yesterday, how he grew up,
he learned what is success in a society.
For all those opportunities lost,he attributed to success of others.
He learned to compare himself with others,
to ensure he is the best.
And,he needed a word to tell it to himself whenever he is-
He coined the word 'happy'.
Everytime he looked at events in his life,
he would distort it according to his later realizations.
Making his past full of milestones of his future achievements.
Many a future later he has already distorted his past,
forgotten real milestones which were only part of the continuum.

Many a past later his reasoning and curiosity asks him-
Do i really remember yesterday?

VEG OR NON-VEG?

2008-05-10T11:26:00.000+05:30

Turing Test on God

2008-05-05T11:13:00.002+05:30

My last prayer was more of a Turing Test. God did not pass it! I never prayed after that. The ball is now in God's court. I have my reasons.
If Gods and gurus who know absolute truths can send their messengers along with mathematical models or theories which can be time tested for their accuracy by a progressing science, It would have been easier for us to have faiths. I wouldnt have minded having some faith when they perform miracles and preach some love and breathing exercises. But they do the easier stuffs!

The predicament of a Non Religious God

2008-04-29T18:25:00.008+05:30

In the beginning God created Dinosaurs both male and female on the fifth day. One of the Dinosaurs sinned by casting a doubt on the existence of God. And God exterminated every single dinosaur from the face of the earth. And he proceeded to create Man in his own image (without a tail and non religious). And then he proceeded to make Woman out of Man's man-boobs.What was left behind he called him Man. God forbid Man and Woman to eat from the Tree of Knowledge and rationality to see if they use their religiousness to choose immortality. They cared the least.
When God became angry about the persistent rationality in men , God let the remains of the dinosaurs haunt the world through his humble servant Steven Spielberg. God inspired him to make three horror movies ( to no avail ) to remind men. That was God's love.
Praise the Lord!

Blacky the Philosopher

2008-04-24T06:43:00.004+05:30

On an early morning when tubelight was still a major light, I prepared for the hectic day ahead in the Bakery. Browny and Blacky played marking their territories afresh. They seemed to put a message on a scooter wheel taking turns .Perhaps they believed it was their Ashwamedh ka Goda. As I settled on my tall stool,they seemed tired after the play and I decided to give them their their bun-breakfast when a poor man dressed shabbily ordered for a bun.I wanted to give him some dignity as he ate the bun. So, reserved the bun for Blacky and Browny for a later time.Browny and Blacky looked at me with puzzlement as they expected their bun-breakfast. Browny seemed to tell Blacky - "These days Neo doesnt care much for us". Blacky who was more composed and loyal seemed to understand the situation. He went to the poor man and stood there expecting to eat from the crumbs he threw so as to pass on some dignity to the poor man of being a master. The poor man did throw Blacky a piece of bun with almost a bursting of a supressed cry in his voice saying it all- "I too am like you da". He did not know I gave them their breakfast.

Osama negotiates with Pope

2008-04-22T08:41:00.003+05:30

Pope Benedict XVI : Why are you a terrorist? Do you have a reason?
Osama bin laden : I am just being religious as you!
Pope Benedict XVI : Child, Let me cast out the demon in you.
Osama bin laden : Oh you arrogant birth and of little faith, let me first.
Pope Benedict XVI : Let me see what America can do about you.

Scientifically Religious!

2008-04-22T08:34:00.002+05:30

If the existence of God can neither be proved nor disproved, so is the belief that the earth was created by flying hippopotamuses receding away from us at the speed of light.

A Conversation with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

2008-04-13T12:07:00.006+05:30

Neo : Ravishankarji, I have this doubt. Are you secular?
Ravishankar: Yes I am secular.I treat all religions equally.
Neo: But,why did you take up promotion of Hinduism?
Ravishankar: I do promote hinduism but that does not mean i am not secular.Secular only means understanding that other ideologies can exist which are perceived as better by others.
Neo: Does secular have anything to do with scientific thinking?
Ravishankar: No
Neo: Let us take for example some people say Ram-Setu was built by Ram.And some others say it was made by natural causes. Would you support the scientific angle or the religious angle?
Ravishankar: I would say I do not know.
Neo: How about reincarnation? Are you sure about it or you think it is more probable a theory through your meditation experiments?
Ravishankar: Yes for me it is more probable and therefore I propagate it.
Neo: Probability against blind beliefs is your point.Is that right?Would you propagate it as The truth or a more probable theory?
Ravishankar: I must go now.nice talking to you.

Cultural Nationalism

2008-04-12T09:10:00.001+05:30

My search for true love.

2008-03-30T11:23:00.003+05:30

That would be more appropriate to say than 'My sex life' like many would like to put it. I have always believed in love at first sight.That is what soft porn specializes in -Making that first impact. My profound thoughts on true love have many a time led me to dreaming of becoming a soft porn movie director.I learned over my rehearsals for directorial debut that a good joke is never repeated - same with a true love partner. Therefore i look for my could-be 'true love in first sight' among people who can continuously innovate on sights. The reason why my true loves have always been on a list of beauty pageants .
Modern day romance takes shape in this ecosystem of time varying beauty accessories on a girls body.It is rare to find one with all good assets at a single point in the space-time continuum which is probably why many take to threesome or multisome in time. Humans have always been known for their optimizations and hope than compromises.Among the conservative lot, multiple blessings from priests after happy divorces are in vogue. Many sincere men still believe in marriage as full of compromises and settles on a partner with whom he can watch soft-porn. After all, its all in the mind. Many still find true love among religious girls as they are well trained to understand the society.They are very faithful and are ready to die to keep a secret about their extramarital life.
Some wise men who do not believe in love at first sight find true love in shy girls.They say shyness is their ornament in that they refuse to make love and are still manipulative in getting laid.In such men, love on first sight and love on first night are synonymous.It is like a shooting star in the night sky. Soon she loses her shyness and the ornament is no more.
The search continues...

We one,ours one

2008-03-27T10:30:00.000+05:30

The girl says .. give me a break?
The man does not budge till they have a break.

The girl uses the opportunity to become a mother.She recognizes the beauty and the need for motherhood as something that comes at an opportune time.
The man cursing the damned brand starts reconciling with those moments of complacency, and going through trauma for another 8 months ,grudgingly declares himself a dad.

To hide the shame they act out a very emotional drama calling themselves happy and what not!This is the story of every dad and mom in the country.

We are all products of this break- A condom break.
Sweetly admonished by the govt, they go on...
Who knew the secret of the number of mistakes?
It is called "We one,ours one"

BoReDom has an R & D

2008-03-26T10:22:00.001+05:30

I wanted to start a bakery before any IT company forayed into starting one. Often i have thought of sueing IT companies for anti competitive practices.Their corporate social responsibility policies are generated by rogue R&Ds in disguise. IT community has come off age and is today a group of people involved in orkuting,stock trade, yogic postures, meditating postures, Art of living, political shakhas, ideas for NGOs, free and open source software religio-political exchanges and deification of Microsoft. In their free time they are seen at pubs and amusement parks. Almost all IT companies have organizational innovation deployment as a key process.They call it -The Bench. MNCs these days are afraid of an acquisition in india because they cannot tell what the company might turn out to be-A group of meditators or a bunch of Art of living hippies. While their wishlist might have a company with non-overlapping areas of market, very often they are in for a shock.

Aalu bun

2008-03-23T07:55:00.000+05:30

I was trying to preach some philosophy of science to one of my customers at my bakery.This guy had been coming to my bakery for quite some time now and seemed to be a religious fanatic to me.Since I too wanted some time to express my views and convince him, I offered him a free Aalu bun and half tea. I was preaching to him my 2 fold path to nirvana:
1. honesty of quest.
2. honesty of expression.
Applying the first path how when we do not know about existence or non-existence of god, we should leave it as a hunch and not create rituals around it.Applying the second, how we must not try to communicate expressions contrary to our thoughts to please others.Others such as ones in our fellowship of hypocrisy consisting of religious elders and godheads.
He finished his aalu bun and left.I felt like Buddha sitting on a tall stool inside my bakery.I was only beginning to enjoy those thoughts when a mob of Ram's people came charging at me and started talking about anti conversion bill and conversion by allurement.Never in my dreams could i think that an innocent looking aalu bun can be so damaging.I could only wish a minority community I belong to called scientific community was equally fanatic to ask for an anti superstition bill.

Chacha Abdul

2008-03-22T12:21:00.000+05:30

Last year around this time ,I was sitting in my bakery.It was raining heavily.I was getting nostalgic about my dreams that did not come true. I was thinking of doing some justice to my degree in telecommnication engineering. I thought i will e-mail a hi to president Kalam. To my astonishment, I got a reply the next minute. I knew he too thinks like an engineer (or scientist probably). I mailed him about how my kids are taking special tuitions at the school to talk to the president. They are also taught stories such as how when they were babies they were passionate about designing the airframe structure of a Boeing.
My children are very fond of him. They want to celeberate Nov 15th as ignited children's day.