Brush with Death

We had a very disturbed drive to the office today. As soon as I swerved out of my car-park to the main road, we ran into a roadblock and a fast-swelling crowd. We also noticed a body on the road. I immediately turned into the service road, slowed down, and tried to assess what was happening on the main road. The crowd didn't allow for a clear picture, but apparently, a biker was hit by some car. He was on the road, motionless, and probably nearly-dead. There was no police car yet, and, consequently, no ambulance as well. I was very disturbed, but continued to move on through the service road, and entered the main road through the next free entry.

As I drove towards the next traffic signal, I asked myself what I had to do. If I turned right, I would pass Zulekha Hospital and from there, a further right would take me back to the accident spot. I asked Swami what I could do in my capacity. Dhanya was not there as well, and her presence in the accident spot would mean something. Also, many conflicting thoughts crossed my mind, including one that people who have tried to rush road-accident victims have even ended up behind bars, while Swami says service is in action, and not in speech. However, I was finally prompted to take the right at the signal and return to the accident spot.

On reaching, we parked along the service road and reached as close as we could get to the spot. By now, there were two cop-cars, and a number of cops on the road. Praji noted that the biker was breathing though motionless. That was a great sign of relief. We also noticed another guy on the road, and we gathered that he was hit by the biker while trying to cross the road. Thankfully, he too was not dead. By now the ambulances arrived. I noticed that the paramedics strapped something around the jaywalker's neck, and then carefully lifted him to to the stretcher. This was probably to avoid any bone dislocation, and further complications later on. A similar procedure was carried out for the biker, and they were whisked off soon after.

Incident over. We reached the office. My question (and this is not an intellectual exercise, for which only SABN would contribute) is this: What does the normal guy (who is not a doctor) do under such circumstances? I noticed how the paramedics handled the victims, and the normal road-side guy can never manage that due to lack of knowledge. Additionally, any attempt to take a fractured person in your car could complicate his situation medically, and yours, legally. So, how does one handle exigencies of this nature? Additionally, how does one who wants to tread the spiritual path handle exigencies of this nature?

This could be a genuine topic for the exchange of applied knowledge.

Honest Moniker

Sin City.

And Las Vegas is not ashamed to name itself so. This geographical equivalent of Hugh Hefner, thrives on unbridled hedonism and stands out for just about everything perverse (of course, the eternally optimistic spiritual aspirant can state that it's in our eyes, and that everything is good- thankfully I haven't reached there yet). God surely has His work cut out for Himself, after he inadvertently let the Vegas man have his way.

This is truly the city that shows sin in all its glory. There is so much sleaze here that you wonder how God will really manage this mess. If America is the motherland of capitalism, Vegas has to be the motherland of sensualism. I have just survived my second stay in Vegas, hopefully the last. Honestly, I have been to many places in my life, but Vegas has to stand out for being way bottom. This city truly is next-generation sin.

Footnote: If you are on the spiritual path, this won't be on yours.

Femanism

With another Internatioonal Women's Day celebrated, feminism seems to be a good point for discussion.

When Michael Crichton wrote Disclosure, feminists were automatically up in arms, till they figured out that it was a case of sexual harassment, no doubt, but the other way round (and Michael pointed out quite rightly that is is so easy to criticize a book, especially when you have not read it). When does the passion for the cause overtake objectivity of the cause?

We have women trying to be equal to men by doing everything a man does, flying through war-zones and decapitating enemies, playing against men in sports, belching, the works. I don't know if these are accomplishments worth accomplishing.

Equality might have been a better cause being a social ideal, rather than a physical/mental/psychological one. Women can't be men, simply because they are made differently. I know of no man who could beat a mother at mothering a child or raising a good son, the toughest current challenge of humanity. But women seem to be interested in more exciting battlefields. It might always be better for a feminist to be a realist.

The Humane Shop

Today was a big leap in conviction for me. More specifically, a big and expensive leap in conviction. I have started using shaving cream and after-shave from The Body Shop. The cream doesn't feel creamy, and the after-shave is no Gillette. But then, The Body Shop has a well-defined market segment, the emotional-buyers. The 'Not-Tested on Animals' is in-itself a great marketing tag-line.

Somehow, the first step always makes a difference. No sooner did I make the purchase, Dhanya decided to buy a lipstick from there, out of guilt if not anything else. But maybe, just maybe, guilt is the first sign of that vast expanse of awareness you are allowing to open up before your open(ed) eyes.

One Women's Day

Interesting that we have begun to celebrate 1/365th of every year as a Woman's Day. Maybe 1 day for women is enough to ruin 364 for men! Hmm...

Forbearance forever?

SABN quote of Divine Speech:

For acquiring such Love, the quality of Kshama or forbearance is a vital necessity.

The problem is that Kshama (forbearance) is a greatly misunderstood quality. Too much of Kshama might be misconstrued as outright fear. Thin dividing line between forbearance and fear, I presume.

Qualified Quality

The recent recalls of Toyota is exciting or devastating depending on which side of the Greenwich Meridian you happen to be in. Either way, one thing seems to be clear:

The brand-value of the brand has been capitalized on for too long without any real addition of value to the brand-value.

I have similar sob-stories to tell of my mother's Mercedes as well. In this case, it was technology failure, very similar to Toyota's quality failure. At the end of the day, failure is still not success.

The Mumbai of Selflessness

Got this from Shalu, and thought anybody reading my blog should read this one. Charity does not need to wait till you become a millionaire. You can always have a heart of gold, even in cold Mumbai.

Case-study:

He is an auto-rickshaw owner-cum-driver-cum-samaritan-cum-iconofselflessness. His auto has got the daily newspaper (3 languages), satellite TV, first-aid box, radio, fire-extinguisher, wall clock, calendar, pictures of the forgotten heroes of 26/11. More importantly, his auto offers 25% off for the physically handicapped, and 50% off for the blind. And to add insult to the average Mumbaikar's ego, he goes to an old age home for women in Andheri once a week or whenever he has some extra income, with donations of toiletries.

Sandeep Bachhe / Auto reg. no. - MH-02-Z-8508:

The gold-standard for the strange combination of excellence and selflessness.

E-go

SABN Classic:

The ego's excuse is our survival but in reality it is not concerned with our survival, but its own.

I would even replace 'survival' with success, and it would still mean the same.

SABN's at his best:

Sleep is Ego's Daily enemy
Pranayama is Ego's secret enemy
Meditation is Ego's willful enemy
Love is Ego's inevitable enemy

Death is Ego's lethal enemy
A Master (one who has mastered the mind) or God is ego's most dangerous and destructive enemy!

Testing times

Kill for the gloss

Just came across interesting stats, which I will reproduce for your beneficial discomfort:

• More than 27 billion animals are killed for food every year in the U.S. alone
• As many as 115 million animals are experimented on and killed in laboratories in the U.S. every year
• Every year, the global leather industry slaughters more than a billion animals and tans their skins and hides
• Livestock production causes 18% more greenhouse gas than transport

By virtue of our Connection, I presume most who read this don't contribute to the first statistic. Don't know enough to comment on the second, as arguments swing both ways... apropos Medical experimentation. But what about the cosmetic industry? And your favourite leather wallet with the Mont Blanc (Made in China) star on top? I have personally seen videos of a PETA raid on a cosmetic industry 'lab' many years back. The cosmetic industry is exemplary in the steps it will take to assure you that your lip is stuck well, and without allergy. But you can be sure that the acid-burned eyes of those rabbits and the blood of the monkeys are on your hands, rather, on your confident lips. Such are the ways of the Lord. My leather wallet will, no doubt, add to my karmic debt.

I remember also, when our ex-Animal Welfare Convenor (born Catholic, raised meat-eater, taught only-Jesus, current permanent resident of Puttaparthi) talked about shunning silk, the elite ladies of our organization practically shunned her. Convenience is never conviction. A revolution in reformation does not start with someone else.