An ancient King named Senajit was in deep agony after losing his eldest son. He was inconsolable beyond any means of making him feel better. This was when a wise Brahman approached the benevolent ruler. ‘O King, why are you stupefied. You look bereft of intelligence,” he asked, adding “Have you forgotten that you yourself are an object of grief? Why do thou grieve for others? It’s a matter of time when others will grieve for you, and in their time they will grieved for by others. Every earthling, O King, is bound to be embraced by death.”

King Senajit, moved by words of the wise looking Brahman, replied, “What is that intelligence, that penance, O learned Brahmana, let me know the knowledge knowing which I would never yield to sorrow?”

The Brahmana replied “All creatures – the superior, the middling and the inferior – in consequence of their respective acts, are entangled in grief. Do not regard even your own self to be yours. On the contrary, regard the whole world to be yours. All this (which you see) is as much yours as it belongs to others. Grief cannot approach you in consequence of this thought. Having acquired such an understanding, do not yield either to joy or to grief.

“The union of two souls is like that of two pieces of wood, which floating on the ocean come together at one time only to be separated again shortly thereafter. Sons, grandsons, kinsmen, and relatives are all of this kind. While feeling of affection for them is natural, so is inevitable separation and potential grief.

“Your son, O King, came from an invisible realm and he has returned to where he came from. Neither did he know you where he came from nor did you know him in his true nature. Who are you and for whom do you grieve?

“Grief arises from the disease constituted by desire. Happiness sprouts when the disease of desire is cured. After joy comes sorrow and vice versa, after sorrow comesw joy. The joys and sorrows of human beings are cyclic. After previous happiness this sorrow has come to you. Therefore you shall again see happiness.

“None suffers sorrow or enjoy happiness for eternity. Your body is the refuge of both, sorrow and happiness. Since you do everything through this body, you – therefore – have to bear the consequences thereof through this body itself.

“Life springs with the springing of the body into existence. The two exist together, and the two perish together.

“Men, when bereft of wisdom, are wedded to worldly things through various bondages. Such men are sure to face destruction like embankments of sand in water. Woes of diverse kinds are born of ignorance. They act like pressers of oil seeds, for assailing all creatures in consequence of their attachments. These expereinces press them like oil-seeds in the oil-making machine represented by the round of rebirths (to which they are subject).

“Man, for the sake of his wife (and others), commits numerous evil acts, but suffers – alone. All men, attached to children, wives, kinsmen and relatives, sink in the miry sea of grief.

“Indeed, O King, upon loss of wealth, son, kinsmen or relatives a man suffers great pain. All this, viz., joy and grief, existence and non-existence, is dependent upon destiny upon which we have little control.

“One having friends or one destitute of friends, one having foes or one destitute of foes, one having wisdom or one destitute of wisdom, each and every one among these obtains happiness through destiny.

“Friends are not the cause of one’s happiness. Foes are not the cause of one’s misery.

“Wisdom is not competent to bring an acquisition of wealth; nor is wealth competent to bring an acquisition of happiness. Intelligence is not the cause of wealth nor stupidity the cause of penury.

“Only he who is possessed of wisdom understands the true order of the world. Among the intelligent, the heroic, the foolish, the cowardly, the idiotic, the learned, the weak or the strong happiness comes to him for whom it is ordained.

“They whose understanding is absolutely dormant, and they who have attained to that state of mind which lies beyond the sphere of the intellect, succeed in enjoying happiness. Only they that are between the two classes, suffer misery.

“The sages have said that the attainment of any of these two extremes constitutes happiness. Misery consists in the states that are intermediate between the two. They who have succeeded in attaining to real felicity and who have become free from the pleasures and pains of this world, and who are destitute of envy, are never agitated by either the gaining of wealth or its loss.

“They who have not succeeded in acquiring that intelligence which leads to real felicity, but who have transcended folly and ignorance, give way to excessive joy and excessive misery. Men destitute of all notions of right or wrong, insensate with pride and with success over others, yield to transports of delight like the gods in heaven.

“Be it happiness or be it misery, be it agreeable or be it disagreeable, what comes to one should be enjoyed or endured with an unconquered heart.

“Every day a thousand occasions for sorrow, and hundred occasions for fear assail the man of ignorance and folly but not the man who has acquired wisdom. Indeed, sorrow is unable to touch him who wise.

“That object, whatever it may be, in respect of which the idea of ‘mine’ is cherished, becomes a source of grief and heart burning. Whatever objects, amongst things that are desired, are cast off become sources of happiness.

“The man who pursues objects of desires meets with destruction in course of this pursuit. Neither the happiness that is derived from a gratification of the senses nor that great felicity which one may enjoy in the heaven, approaches to even a sixteenth part of the bliss which arises from the destruction of all desires.

“The acts of former lives, right or wrong, visit, in their consequences, the wise and the foolish, the brave and the timid. It is even thus that joy and sorrow, the agreeable and the disagreeable, continually revolve (as on wheel) among living creatures. Relying upon such an understanding, the man of intelligence and wisdom lives at ease.

“A person should disregard all desires and never allow his anger to get better of him. This wrath springs in the heart and grows there into in strength and power. This wrath that dwells in the bodies of men and is born in their minds, is spoken of the wise as Death.

“When a person himself feels no fear, and is feared by no one, when he cherishes no desire and no aversion, he is then said to attain to the state of Brahman. Casting off both truth and falsehood, grief and joy, fear and courage, the agreeable and the disagreeable, you can be a tranquil soul.

Marriage is a wonderful concept in Indic view of life. It’s not a bonding between two couples for physical and psychological intimacy to produce offspring. It’s much beyond. All that marriage ceremonies, which are today done with much splendour and pomp, emphasise on unification of couples for not just this life but for many more lives to come. For Hindus death isn’t the end; but just the beginning. Life is a cycle. Just as the water from the ocean turns to clouds which then pours on land as sea and eventually reaches back to the sea; life is cycle of birth and death. That which is dead is bound to born and that is born is bound for death – until it achieves “Moksha” (liberation).

Marriage in India, until recently, happened to be most successful affair. Divorce rates were significantly lower. It was as if happy married life was a virtual reality in the subcontinent. But then with advent of media, dark sides of marriages began to be portrayed. Media thrives on negative news; namely crime and sex. Inhuman treatments like domestic violence and dowry harassment caught the media frenzy and it was portrayed by them as if these were happening at every second house in the country. “Women” they declared, “are the oppressed class.” When this reached the law makers, they, to appeal to their women voters they enacted laws to “protect their interests”. A significant campaign to educate the masses about the evils of dowry and domestic violence were brought in , and right so.  But then, it didn’t stop there.

To “liberate the oppressed women” they were asked to “think beyond” homemaking. They were persuaded to take their career “more seriously”. Women’s “empowerment” bodies began propagating “virtues” of a “working women”. They made their audience to believe that working women made more sense than a housewives. A great portion of urban women bought this idea. Nothing wrong! But then, “housewives” were declared disgraced; as if they were good for nothing!

Even though women were deeply respected in Hindu pantheon. Lakshmi (goddess of wealth), Saraswathi (goddess of knowledge) and Kali (goddess of destruction) were women. Yet, newly arrived feminists with no sense of this country’s past along with completely adulterated history began distorting facts to press their bizarre points. Besides, ridiculing age old tested system of joint families.

It’s not to say that vices of dowry or domestic violence was untrue. But to cripple the age old traditions of families, including housewives who cared and nurtured the entire family besides bringing up kids with love and affection, made no sense. If we’ve a gangrene in our hands or limbs we might – at worst – get it amputated. Killing the body, makes no sense. Or does it?

What we’ve today in India is a perfect recipe for chaos. Husband and wives both slog their ass of, while their kids are put in hands of maids (who are often found putting them to sleep with sedatives) since grandparents, who originally nurtured the kids, are dropped at old age homes. Kids are given substantial “pocket money” but are given little or no values.

Even though a great many divorces today are on “consensual basis”; it’s not to suggest that it’s done “happily” with sincere mutual consent. Today women tend to misuse (or abuse?) anti-dowry as well as anti-domestic violence laws to their benefits. If sources are to be believed: over 72% of dowry and domestic violence cases that are filed in India are found to be false. The very women, who once stood as the foundation of Indian families by sacrificing their personal gains are ruining it. Why? Sacrificing oneself for the sake of family, today, is a bizarre idea. That is to be despised. And who is to be blamed?

If personal sacrifices (material) are to be considered insane; then one must wonder if all the soldiers guarding ones nation are to be called insane too. Sacrifice has been the hallmark of civilizations. Great men and women have always been hailed for their sacrifices which has helped civilizations to sustain and prosper. Without sacrifices there has never be any glory; in absence of sacrifice(s) there have been only chaos.

If a marriage isn’t working; one must – at first – try his/her level best to make it work. Divorce is too serious a resolve to be taken in haste. Foundations of any society, state or nation are their families. You can tell how strong a nation is based on the family bonding and values. Ancient nations like that of India and Israel have survived for years only owing to their strong family values. It won’t be wrong to suggest that perfect destruction of a nation is surely underway when its family values are being eroded. No greatness exist where virtues of selflessness and sacrifices are mocked. Charity begins at home; so does chaos for a nation.

It is much easier for a women to be in family court than men. Why? Judges were particularly soft towards women than men. The judiciary which is supposed to be indifferent is often found otherwise. Lawyers are even worse. They had no intentions to understand the pains of their clients. Their only motive was to prolong the case and prolong the verdict so as to swindle more money from bickering couples. Yet, their clients put their contempt for these lawyers aside to put an end to their marriage. I’ve often thought that marriage would work better if the same amount of patience shown to these lawyers by divorce seeking individual was endowed upon ones spouse.

Yet every day in and out we find stories of more and more people entering courtrooms to end marriages for all silly reasons. I could still understand if reasons for divorce if allegations like adultery, domestic violence, dowry etc. were real. I’m not saying that men are always innocent but then this society has survived thousands of years not because of men. If both, men and women, are acting against the interest of their family how could society survive?

Since joint families barely exist; greater families have little or no say during divorces. Most of the time when men and women are divorced they stay separately with their parents severing all communications with their larger family (grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins etc.). Sometime they don’t disclose such facts to many! They are in no mood for their “lectures”; but are very fine when they’ve a chance to show off forth them.

So where does this all lead to? Think. Think again.

Here’s GONE BABY’s story:

The day of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) returns home to find that his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) is missing. Her disappearance receives heavy press coverage, as Amy was the inspiration for her parents’ popular Amazing Amy children’s books. Suspicions arise that Nick murdered her, and his awkward behaviour is interpreted by the media as characteristic of a sociopath. Flashbacks reveal that Nick and Amy’s marriage has disintegrated; both lost their jobs in the recession and moved from New York City to Missouri. Nick has become lazy, distant, and unfaithful. Detective Rhonda Boney uncovers evidence of financial troubles and domestic disputes, a report indicating that Amy wanted to purchase a gun, and poorly concealed evidence of a struggle. She also finds a medical report indicating that Amy is pregnant, of which Nick denies knowledge. Through clues left for Nick by Amy, it is revealed that Amy, after discovering his affair, planned to frame Nick for her murder by ingratiating herself into local life, faking her pregnancy, and fabricating a diary describing her fear of her husband. She has changed her appearance and name and is hiding in a distant campground, believing Nick will be convicted and executed for her murder. Nick hires Tanner Bolt, a defence attorney who specializes in defending men accused of killing their wives, to prove his innocence. Nick meets Amy’s ex-boyfriend Tommy O’Hara, who claims Amy framed him for rape. He also approaches another ex-boyfriend, the wealthy Desi Collings (Neil Patrick Harris) – against whom Amy previously filed a restraining order – but Desi refuses to share any details. When Amy’s money is stolen by her neighbours from the motel she is hiding in, she calls Desi and convinces him that she ran away from Nick because she feared for her life. He agrees to hide her in his lake house, which is equipped with surveillance cameras. Nick convinces his twin sister, Margo, of his innocence. After Nick’s mistress, a student of his, reveals their affair at a press conference, he appears on a talk show to apologize for his failures as a husband in the hope of luring Amy, swearing he is not a murderer. His performance improves his public image and rekindles Amy’s feelings for him. She uses the lake house’s cameras to her advantage, making it appear as though Desi kidnapped and abused her. She seduces Desi and kills him during sex, then returns home covered in blood, naming him as her captor and rapist, clearing Nick of suspicion. Amy tells Nick the truth, saying that the man she watched pleading for her return was the man she wants him to become again. Nick shares this with Boney, Bolt and Margo, but has no way to prove Amy’s guilt. Nick intends to leave Amy and expose her lies, but Amy reveals that she is pregnant, having artificially inseminated herself with Nick’s sperm stored at a fertility clinic. Nick doubts the child is his and says he will undertake a paternity test. Nick reacts violently to Amy’s insistence that they remain married, but feels responsible for the child. Despite Margo’s objections, he reluctantly decides to stay with Amy. They announce on television that they are expecting a baby.

So, essentially, GONE GIRL is all about how gullible people are when a woman posing as pregnant and sweet is missing develops complete hatred towards her man. It also tries to depict how one sided and unprofessional journalists could be. Did the movie succeed in spreading the message? I bet so! But did the movie try to pose a very angelical flavour to the man? Of course, not! Why? Because then movie would be apparently non-objective and appear vindictive. To generalize things would be to loose objectivity! Creativity then is a sham! This an unwritten yet accepted norm by ethical, sensible and just people.

*

Here’s PK’s story:

A humanoid alien, PK (Aamir Khan), lands on Earth on a research mission in Rajasthan but is stranded when the remote to his spaceship is stolen. PK, not knowing Earth customs, learns to fit in among humans by wearing clothes and using money that he steals from couples having sex in cars. He attempts to learn to communicate by grabbing the villagers’ hands and absorbing their memories through touch, but they chase him away when he tries. Bhairon Singh (Sanjay Dutt) strikes him with his car and takes him to a doctor who declares PK is a person suffering amnesia. Bhairon befriends him and, interpreting the alien’s hand-grabbing as sexual interest, takes him to a brothel. There, the alien holds a prostitute’s (Reema Debnath) hand for six hours and thus learns the Bhojpuri language. The alien travels to Delhi in search of his stolen remote. Due to his strange behaviour, the people in the city assume he is tipsy (tipsy translates to pee-kay in Hindi) and call him PK. Delhi turns out to be a very large city, and people tell him that only God can help him find his remote. PK tries to find God, but is confused by India’s various religions and their confusing traditions. He later discovers that a godman, Tapasvi Maharaj (Saurabh Shukla), has his remote. However, Tapasvi falsely claims to have attained the object from God in the Himalayas and refuses to return it to PK. Bewildered, PK concludes that Tapasvi and other religious heads must be calling a “wrong number” to God and, as a result, spreading misunderstandings and meaningless rituals. Meanwhile in Bruges, television reporter Jaggu (Anushka Sharma) falls in love with a man named Sarfaraz (Sushant Singh Rajput). Jaggu’s father (Parikshit Sahni) objects to their relationship because Sarfaraz is a Muslim from Pakistan; he consults Tapasvi who predicts that Sarfaraz will betray Jaggu. Determined to prove them wrong, Jaggu proposes to Sarfaraz. She is heart-broken at the wedding chapel when she receives a letter calling off the marriage due to their differences. She returns to India where she is intrigued while watching PK distributing leaflets about a missing God. After hearing his story, Jaggu devises a plan to expose Tapasvi and recover PK’s remote. Jaggu encourages thousands of people to send in videos of their own experiences with religious heads calling “wrong numbers”. Finally, Tapasvi is forced to come into the studio and confront PK on-air. Tapasvi claims he has a direct connection to God and refers to his prediction of Sarfaraz’s betrayal as proof. However, PK absorbs Jaggu’s memories and discovers that Sarfaraz did not write the letter she received. Jaggu contacts the Pakistan Embassy in Belgium where Sarfaraz worked part-time; the embassy tells her that Sarfaraz still loves her and calls them daily to inquire whether she has called. Jaggu and Sarfaraz reconnect and Tapasvi, exposed as a fraud, is forced to return PK’s device. In the course of the film, PK falls in love with Jaggu but refrains from telling her because she loves Sarfaraz. He instead records tapes of her voice and fills his suitcases with batteries so that he can listen to the tapes on his home planet. While departing, he lies to Jaggu regarding the content of the tapes; Jaggu, despite knowing the truth, keeps quiet. She later publishes a book about PK and, at a book reading, claims that she misses him deeply. The film ends with PK returning to Earth a year later on a new research mission with another alien (Ranbir Kapoor).

While there’s nothing wrong in the overall theme of the story and appears completely-wonderfully creative; the objectivity is lost and creativity is left completely to demonize the Hindus “god men” when everything goes to prove how “insane” Hindu tradition is – though indirectly. I wouldn’t have minded that either for some of it is true! But what I was not happy with is when to prove their objectivity the movie makers try to show selected short coming of Christian and Muslim clergy but nothing about their faith at large. Why? The answer, apparently, is still unclear!

This is the bone of contention. Today the world is suffering owing to so much of wrong doings of sematic faiths – Christianity and Islam – in particular. In past 2,000 years millions of blood has been spilled for no sane reasons. Yet, it’s utterly baffling that the movie makers must find everything wrong with Hindu faith and India in particular.

A brilliant propaganda is done for the Pakistani High Commission Staffs and Pakistani boys (Not sure if that was for free). It’s also shown how romantic things are when a Hindu girl falls for a Pakistani guy. As it may seem nothing seems to be wrong with Pakistan for this movie’s makers. It won’t be wrong to say that every effort has been made using “creativity” to show how “stupid”, “gullible” and “insane” Indian – specifically Hindu – masses are! Why so? Not a good word is said of Hindus. NOT ONE! Their tradition of going to temple is a sign of “fear”. Their bowing to their guru’s is their “stupidity”. Of the two hours of movie, 95% of time the emphasis on Hindu thought and rest on modest attempts to “criticise” Christians and Muslims (particularly Shia). Is that what you call creativity? Is that their objectivity?

However, if your answer is “yes”, you definitely need to seek help. If your answer is “no”, I’d say please take help of Torrentz, download the movie and share the movie publicly to everyone so that not a soul goes to theatre or buys DVDs adding to the movie’s profit.

That’s the best and just retaliation what “right wing” Hindu groups could do. Don’t make any more publicity you’ll only help them make them more money. Just pirate their every movie they make in the future and distribute it for free. Let them hunt every one down instead of us trying to gain little or nothing with police complaints and PILs.

]]> https://indiamahesh.wordpress.com/2015/01/02/creativity-objectivity-in-movie-making/feed/ 0 310 indiamahesh https://indiamahesh.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/the-bitcoin-dilemma/ https://indiamahesh.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/the-bitcoin-dilemma/#respond Fri, 21 Feb 2014 20:33:09 +0000 http://indiamahesh.wordpress.com/?p=306 Since time immemorial currencies have continued to be business of political governments, across the world. And while the US has a history of private currencies before the creation of the Federal Reserve, the fact remains that in the modern world, too, governments control currencies. This online digital, or cryptocurrency, currency – BITCOIN – came out of virtually nowhere to become a global phenomenon before gaining significant momentum, in 2013. Yet the challenge for Bitcoin is far from over. CGRI’s Hon. Director U. Mahesh Prabhu finds out the dilemma facing this new age cryptocurrency. 

U. Mahesh Prabhu is appointed as Center for Global Research & Initiatives’s Hon. Director.

Centre for Global Research & Initiatives (CGRI) is think-tank that is not-for-profit, nonpartisan and poised to DEFINE, DESIGN and DELIVER on India’s national interests. We are confident of attaining this through inspiring the intellect by conducting in-depth research by appointing competent revered as well as upcoming scholars and organizing intellectually stimulating initiatives world over. We are keen to be ranked as the most influential, often quoted and most trusted think-tank.

At CGRI we strongly believe that India is a land of immense potential where people can better themselves, their children, their families as well as their communities through education and hard work along with persistence.

CGRI believes in an efficient as well as effective government which can champion the common good over narrow self-interest, harness the strength of our diversity, and secure the rights and safety of its people. We strongly believe that our nation must always be a beacon of hope and strength to the rest of the world.

For more info visit www.cgri.in

Speaking of the ATMA, The KATHA UPANISHAD ( II.2.9) suggests:

Just like fire which assumes different shapes after it consumes objects differing in shape, so does Self takes the shape of every creature in which  it is present.

On the idea of IMMORTALITY, KATHA ( II.3.14-15 ) says:

When all desires that surge in the heart are renounced, the mortal becomes immortal. When all knots that strangle the heart are loosened, the mortal becomes immortal…

Defining personality of the ATMA (often referred as SELF) ISHA UPANISHAD (8) mentions:

The self is everywhere. Bright is the self, indivisible, untouched by sin, wise, immanent and transcendent. He it is who holds the cosmos together.

Defying the idea of INCOMPLETE SELF prevalent even in the world which we live in, ISHA UPANISHAD declares:

All this is full. All that is full. From fullness, fullness comes. When fullness is taken from fullness, fullness still remains…

It is important in life to “succeed” one must be free of FEAR and GRIEF, ISHA (6-7) advice in this regard:

Those who see all creatures in themselves and themselves in all creatures knows no FEAR. Those who see all creatures in themselves and themselves in all creatures knows no GRIEF.

It lays significant emphasis on he idea of IMMORTALITY – to attain which ISHA ( 17 ) preaches:

May my life emerge in the immortal. When my body is reduced to ashes. O mind, meditate on the eternal self. Remember the deeds of the past. Remember, O mind, remember.

CHANDOGYA UPANISHAD‘s emphasis on TRUTH is significant:

Lead me from the unreal to real. Lead me from darkness to light. Lead me from death to immortality…

SAGE SHANDILYA in CHANDOGYA explains the relationship between UNIVERSE & ATMA (referred here as BRAHMAN):

This universe comes forth from BRAHMAN, exists from BRAHMAN, and will return to BRAHMAN. Verily ALL IS BRAHMAN.

SHANDILYA further continues:

A person is what his deep desire is. It is our deepest desire in the life that shapes the life to come. So let us direct our deepest desire to realize the self.

In Chapter 26, hymn 2, CHANDOGYA provides an idea for endless joy:

Control the senses purify the mind. In a pure mind there is constant awareness of the self. Where there is constant awareness of the self. Where there is constant awareness of the self, freedom ends bondage and joy ends sorrow.

MUNDAKA UPANISHAD‘s emphasis is on GOOD FOR ALL (not “greater good”):

May we hear only what is good for all. May we only see what is good for all. May we serve you Lord of Love all your life. May we be used to spread peace on earth.

Joy according to TAITTIRIYA UPANISHAD is sourced from the self. TAITTIRIYA ( II.7.1 ) explains:

The Self is the source of abiding joy. Our hearts are filled with joy in seeing him. Enshrined in the depths of consciousness. If he were not there, who would breathe, who would live? He it is who fills every heart with joy.

On WISDOM TAITTIRIYA (5.1) is candid:

WISDOM means a LIFE of SELFLESS SERVICE. Even the gods seek WISDOM. Those who attain WISDOM are freed from sin and find all their selfless desires granted.

PARAMAHANSA UPANISHAD mentions OBJECTIVE of ATMA as EVOLUTION:

When his mind sheds every selfish desire he becomes free from the duality of pleasure and pain and rules his senses. No more is the capable of ill will; no more is he subject to elation. For his senses come to rest in the Self. Entering into the unitive state, he attains the goal of evolution. Truly he attain goal of EVOLUTION.

Following “mystical” stanza, originally found in RIG VEDA ( I.164.20 ), is repeated in several UPANISHAD:

Two birds of beautiful plumage, comrades inseparable, live on the selfsame tree. One bird eats the fruit of pleasure & pain; the other looks on without eating.

Following is an interesting except from MUNDAKA UPANISHAD (Chapter 2:1-13):

The RITUALS and SACRIFICES described in the VEDAS deal with lower knowledge. The sages ignored these rituals and went in search of higher knowledge. Look at these rituals: When the fire is lit, pour butter into the fire in two spots; Then place the offering between these two. These oblations will take the worshiper on the sun’s rays to the world of BRAHMA, where he can have his fill of enjoyment. Such rituals are UNSAFE RAFTS for crossing the sea of SAMSARA (world) of birth and death. Doomed to SHIPWRECK are those who try to cross the sea of SAMSARA on these poor rafts. Ignorant of their ignorance, yet wise in their own esteem, these deluded men proud of their vain learning go round and round like the blind led by the bird. Living in darkness, immature, unaware of any higher good or goal, they fall again and again into the sea. But those who are pure of heart, who practice meditation and conquer their senses and passion, shall attain the immortal self, source of all light and source of all life. Action prompted by pleasure or profit cannot help anyone to cross this sea. SEEK A TEACHER WHO HAS REALIZED THE SELF. TO A STUDENT WHOSE HEART IS FULL OF LOVE, WHO HAS CONQUERED HIS SENSES AND PASSIONS, THE TEACHER WILL REVEAL THE LORD OF LOVE. 

]]> https://indiamahesh.wordpress.com/2013/10/25/mundaka-upanishad-on-teacher-rituals-and-sacrifices/feed/ 1 293 indiamahesh https://indiamahesh.wordpress.com/2013/07/27/you-have-time-use-it-and-well-itll-repay/ https://indiamahesh.wordpress.com/2013/07/27/you-have-time-use-it-and-well-itll-repay/#comments Sat, 27 Jul 2013 01:23:57 +0000 http://indiamahesh.wordpress.com/?p=289 ADVENTURE CAPITALIST Column for BUSINESS GOA magazine by U. Mahesh Prabhu

I was 16 then; had just dropped out of college for the want of money. Life looked like a puzzle solving which it appeared to be a daunting task. “What’s going to happen to me?” I always thought. Insecurity was taking its toll. Frustrations were way too much. I wouldn’t know if I would have money get even a morsel of food. Least to say: my life was pathetic.

It was at this crucial juncture that I was endowed upon an opportunity to start one of India’s first web development companies. The person who backed me was a scion of then major industrial group in south India. “You won’t get salary but you’ll get food to eat, place to work and a dorm to sleep.” I agreed instantaneously taking his word that I’ll own 35% of the company’s shares.

We pitched for a few contracts and, thankfully, we got one soon. It didn’t take us much time to get more orders flowing in. We got some decent contracts soon. Since I was supposed to own 35% of company’s share I thought of the money we made 35% was supposed to be mine. “That’s not how it works!” my ‘partner’ said, adding “we first need to put this money into business, and then run an audit and then declare a profit. You can only then have 35% of that amount!” “Oh darn!” I thought, before asking “What about money to pay for my expenses.” “I told you at the very beginning… no salary – just a place to work, sleep and food.” It didn’t take me long to realize that I was being used. But then what would I do?

Soon I was to learn that I was cheated of my money by this partner of mine. I was shattered to the core. I didn’t know what to do; tears came through my eyes – rather instantaneously. “May be I can talk to his father.” I thought and promptly embarked upon an appointment with this grand old gentleman who was then in his 70s.

On meeting him I told what his son had did to me. “I don’t have anything with me… I need at least a part of the money what he has unrightfully taken away from me I said.” He was called Dhritarastra by many for his blind love for his son and I saw for myself how true that analogy was.

“It’s between you and him – I wasn’t even involved when you made a deed. Considering this how do you expect me to mediate between you both?”

“But he’s your son!” I insisted.

“But this is businesses, son!” he retorted.

I knew I stood no chance forth a man whose career spanned three times my age. Against all that he said, somewhere for some reasons I did had, and have, the respect for him. I just went to him touched his feet and said in the most touching voice.

“When I came to your son for starting this venture I didn’t have anything but while I leave I have a loss of a few lakhs.”

He was touched. I realized that when he said “Mahesh, I know exactly what you are feeling right now. Trust me there’s no legitimate way in which I could possibly help you. But I will give you a talisman. Hear it well, it has helped me and it will help you too… You may not have money, but you have time. Use it. Use it well… and in time the time will repay.”

I summarized it thus: If I need something and if I spend all the time at my disposal worrying or concerning about not having it – I am wasting it. But, if I spend the time in finding a way to get that thing, by learning or working hard and smart towards it… I am doing justice. I also learnt for myself that fear or hope are but two figments of human imagination. Their chances are always 50-50. Considering this when we fear – we waste a good deal of time first by worrying and then by doing wrong things. So the best decision would always be to first hope for the best and work towards it by learning or doing.

To conclude: The secret lies in how we handle our present, neither past nor future. Today is that special block of time which holds the key to lock our yesterday’s nightmares as well as unlock tomorrow’s possibilities. We got to admit and submit unto it – to make the best out of it.  

This is unedited version of first ADVENTURE CAPITALIST Column by U. Mahesh Prabhu published in April 2013 issue of BUSINESS GOA magazine.

Most enterprises these days have a website; but that’s not to believe that they take it seriously. Lack of earnestness is fundamentally due to ignorance about the opportunities a well-developed and designed website can offer.

In late nineties, when I started my career as an entrepreneur by founding one of India’s first real time web development company in Bangalore, there was hardly any market for websites. If – at all – we got a local client it was easy to explain him “rocket science” rather than making him to understand the idea of internet. Most of our clients found it hard to believe that they had to pay “handsome” money for something which was intangible.

“Where’s my website?”

“On the server, sir”

“Where’s the server?”

“It’s in US.”

“Who owns it?”

“We”

“So why do I pay you for something which is there with you and not me?!”

The marketer who could articulate his thoughts, and well, to answer such “imbecile” queries got the deal.

Websites were considered as an elite stuff then (something like having a BMW or, even, Rolls Royce) and rightly so owing to penetration of the internet. You needed shell or dial-up internet access account which offered speed less than 12kbps which is way too low than the current minimum speed offered by any ISP or, even, mobile service providers for that matter. Browsing internet for an hour would cost you nothing less than INR 700. Today you’d get unlimited internet for five times the speed.

Things began to change essentially after 2005. Mobile internet completely revolutionized the net and advent of smartphones took it completely to the next level. Not just techies but even kids, today, find it absolutely difficult to live without accessing internet for at least an hour a day.

There are more and more people over the internet – what this essentially means for business is a “whole lot of opportunity”. Consider this: how much would it cost to print 1,000 brochures and send it to your desired customers/clients?  Internet, through websites, microsites, fan pages, etc. offers you the ability to reach millions for a faction of that cost. Provided you’ve got things in order.

Many don’t realize the potential offered by social networking sites like LinkedIn, Pinterest, Facebook and the like. Scores of organizations block them on their corporate/institutional networks with a belief that they aren’t worth it! But what they fail to note are the opportunities offered by these sites – provided they are utilized wisely and cleverly – to get you closer to their existing as well as future clients and/or customers.

Search engines, like Google and Bing, can offer you to get closer to your customers virtually free of cost. But for that that you need to ensure your websites are optimized for indexing. This process is popularly known as Search Engine Optimization (SEO). What it essentially means is that you modify your sites codes a bit with META tags in a way search engine crawler (nothing but a software which is designed to index millions of web pages – like a yellow pages – every day by search engines) finds it easy to index your site appropriately and place it on priority while its visitors ask for specific queries.

While these processes are essentially easier to handle – the trick is in choosing the right keywords. If you got a business in Goa offering finest dining opportunities you got to select your keywords smartly. If a prospective customer is searching for a “restaurant in Goa” and your site has a better ranking for “restaurant” only, then that may just not be worth it. Even if that may get your significant amount of traffic (read visitors) to your website – you may not be able to yield the kind of business you desire.

Once you’ve a website it’s important that you unleash its potential and don’t let it to rot. Provided you’ve hired the right SEO and SMM services firm your site will be the greatest marketing asset you’d ever have!

Columnist is founder and CEO of TECHNOVED a Goa based web and software consulting firm offering its services to clients across four continents. 

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