Wednesday, January 26, 2011

ஒரு புதுமையான அனுபவம்

நேற்று காலை லாயட்ஸ் அரசு குடியிருப்பு வழியாக நான் சென்று கொண்டிருந்தேன். அங்கு உள்ள ஒரு சிவன் கோவிலில் ஒலி பெருக்கிமூலமாக வேளுக்குடி கிருஷ்ணன் ஸ்வாமிகள் செய்த ஸஹஸ்ரநாமத்தினனைக் கேட்டுக்கொண்டே சென்றேன். அரை மணிநேரம் கழித்து திரும்பியபோதும் அது ஒலித்துக் கொண்டிருந்தது. ஆர்வ மிகுதியால் யார் யார் கேட்கிறார்கள் என்று சென்று பார்த்தேன். மூன்று பூ விற்கும் பெண்கள், கோவிலை சுத்தம் செய்யும் இருவர் என இந்த ஐவரும் மிகவும் ஈடுபாடுடன் அந்த ப்ரவசனத்தைக் கேட்டுக் கொண்டிருந்தனர்.
மகத்துவம் அவரின் குரலின் ஈர்ப்பா அல்லது அவர் அளிக்கும் செய்தியா அல்லது இன்றைய விஞ்ஞான வளர்ச்சியா? இடமோ சைவக் கோட்பாடுடையது; செய்தியோ, சொல்லுபவரோ வைணவம் சார்ந்தவர்; இந்த ஐவரும் எந்த சித்தாந்தத்தைப் பின்பற்றுபவர்கள்? மெத்தப் படித்த நம்மவர்களுக்கு இந்த இரண்டு சிந்தாந்தமும் ஒன்று என்று நமக்கு உணர்த்த நடக்கின்ற சம்பவமா? "ஹரியும் ஹரனும் ஒன்றே என்று அறியதவரும் உளரோ" என்ற திரு.M.D.ராமநாதன் அவர்களின் பாடல் என் நினைவுக்கு வருகின்றது. எதுவாகினும் சரி நாத்திகம் மிகுந்த இந்தப் பிரதேசத்தில் இது நல்லதொரு திருப்புமுனை. திரு.வேளுக்குடி அவர்களுக்கு என்மனமார்ந்த வணக்கங்கள்.
மின்வலை ப்ரவசனத்தைப் பற்றி என்ன செய்தி சொல்கிறது என்று கீழே பார்ப்போம்.
“Pravachanam” is a Sanskrit word which means a discourse from a Guru on any matter related to spirituality or code of conduct. In the good old days of Guru-Shishya tradition, Gurus dedicated their lifetime propagating the principles they believed through “Pravachanams” to the interested Shisyas in particular, and to the common public in general. The spontaneous flow of words from these great souls is the “Amrita Dhara” (flow of nectar) which got the potential to rejuvenate the tired minds and act as the greatest motivator to orient them to the most meaningful path in life. 

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Unprecedented Memory Memorialized



If we are given the power to know what the other person think of us, there cannot be friendship, marital bondage, and love with the kith and kin. But we presume that we have the ability of telepathy or mind reading etc. I read an article “Couple can communicate worse than strangers”. This led me to a popular idiomatic usage viz. “Familiarity breeds contempt”.

1.     Is Telepathy there? Will the science agree these phenomena viz. mind reading?
2.     “Familiarity Breeds Contempt”! Can we draw this for couples also?

I collected some articles regarding these facts. It is interesting to read. You can also add some more on these.

Telepathy is the transfer of information on thoughts or feelings between individuals by means other than the "five classic senses”. Although not a recognized scientific discipline, people who study certain types of paranormal phenomena such as telepathy refer to the field as parapsychology. Parapsychologists claim that some instances of telepathy are real. Skeptics say that instances of apparent telepathy are explained as the result of fraud, self-delusion and/or self-deception and that telepathy does not exist as a paranormal power. Whether we know it or not, we're all street-corner psychics. Without the ability to divine others' thoughts and feelings, we couldn't handle the simplest social situations—or achieve true intimacy with others.

Every day, whether we're pushing for a raise, wrestling with the kids over homework, or judging whether a friend really likes our latest redecorating spree, we're reading each other's minds. Drawing on our observations, our databank of memories, our powers of reason, and our wellsprings of emotion, we constantly make educated guesses about what another person is thinking and feeling. Throughout the most heated argument or the most lighthearted chat, we're intently collecting clues to what's on the other person's mind at the moment. It's a perceptual ability we call mind sight. It allows our brain to create a map of another person's internal state.

People's intuition is that learning more about a new acquaintance will lead to greater liking. In fact, on average, we like other people less the more we know about them.
Psychologists believe that when two people know each other too well they assume too much shared knowledge and their language becomes dangerously ambiguous. This "closeness communication bias" can lead to long term misunderstandings, rows and even relationship problems, they believe. Often couples and good friends communicate with each other no better than they do with strangers. Sometimes they are clearer with strangers because they assume no common knowledge. It is evident that "the proper basis for a marriage is mutual misunderstanding", the phenomenon could cause problems. "People commonly believe that they communicate better with close friends and spouses than with strangers”. But in reality it is not so.

"That closeness can lead people to overestimate how well they communicate. Your language can become so ambiguous. The brain becomes lazy. "But it can backfire and the misunderstanding can lead to rows in the future.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

The path of a painting brush

Today, Paul Cezanne’s 172nd Birth day being remembered by Google, by portraying in its Home Page.
Paul Cezanne January 19, 1839 - October 22, 1906) was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th century conception of artistic endeavor to a new and radically different world of art in the 20th century. Cezanne can be said to form the bridge between late 19th century Impressionism and the early 20th century's new line of artistic enquiry, Cubism. The line attributed to both Matisse and Picasso that Cezanne "is the father of us all" cannot be easily dismissed.
Cezanne's work demonstrates a mastery of design, color, composition and draftsmanship. His often repetitive, sensitive and exploratory brushstrokes are highly characteristic and clearly recognizable. He used planes of color and small brushstrokes that build up to form complex fields; at once both a direct expression of the sensations of the observing eye and an abstraction from observed nature. The paintings convey Cezanne's intense study of his subjects, a searching gaze and a dogged struggle to deal with the complexity of human visual perception.

After seeing this article and the paintings in the web, I thought I should remember the King among the Painters “Raja Ravi Varma”, of “Paul Cezanne and Theodor Jenson” era.
From my child-hood days I used to wonder Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings from the calendars of 50s and 60s. The path of the brush cannot be seen in the paintings.


Raja Ravi Varma was born on April 29,1848 at Kilimanoor Palace as the son of Umamba Thampuratti and Neelakandan Bhattathiripad. As a boy of five, he filled the walls of his house with pictures of animals and illustrations from everyday life using charcoal. His uncle, the artist Raja Raja Varma recognized his talents and gave him elementary art lessons. At the age of 14, Ayilyam Thirunal Maharaja took him to Travancore Palace and he was taught water painting by the palace painter Rama Swamy Naidu. .  During these formative years the young Ravi Varma had many opportunities to discover and learn new techniques and media in the field of painting. After 3 years Theodor Jenson, a British painter taught him oil painting.   Ravi Varma is considered as modern among traditionalists and a rationalist among moderns. He provided a vital link between the traditional Indian art and the contemporary, between the Thanjavoor School and Western Academic realism.  He brought Indian painting to the attention of the larger world. Raja" was a title given to him in recognition of his talent. But Ravi Varma was certainly more than an artist. He was richly educated and, unknown to many, also a poet, painting with words as well as color. Returning from a pan-India tour, he composed a poem, Manasa Yatra, or ''Journey of the mind". Ravi Varma wrote mukthakas, single verses in praise of Hindu deities, and also the eight-versed ashtakas. He sang often of Devi Mookambika, one of his favorite deities. His poems were mostly in Sanskrit, but he also composed a few in his native Malayalam. Most of his paintings are based on Hindu epic stories and characters. In 1873 he won the First Prize at the Madras Painting Exhibition. He became a world famous Indian painter after winning in 1873 Vienna Exhibition. He traveled the length and breadth of the country in search of subjects and experience, which was an eye-opener to him in shaping and sharpening his artistic outlook. His later years spent in Mysore, Baroda and other parts of the country, enabled him to sharpen and expand his skills and blossom into a mature and complete painter.   He breathed his last on October 2, 1906, a century ago. Masterpieces, originally painted in oil, are now part of India's National Heritage. These extremely hard to find paintings, are today only left in the Museums or in the private royal collections of the erstwhile Royal Dynasties of India.  We have a collection of his classic paintings that are reprinted on High Quality Museum Grade artist's Canvas.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Phantom Limb

Sri.Sridharan, one of the trustees of Krishnamacharya Yoga Manidram, after reading my blog post regarding “Unlocking the Brain’s Secrets” has given an allied topic with an additional thread for this article. Dr.Ramachandran who has presented this paper has come out with an another article called “Phantom Limb”.
A phantom limb is the sensation that an amputated or missing limb (even an organ, like the appendix) is still attached to the body and is moving appropriately with other body parts. Approximately 60 to 80% of individuals with an amputation experience phantom sensations in their amputated limb, and the majority of the sensations are painful Phantom sensations may also occur after the removal of body parts other than the limbs, e.g. after amputation of the breast, extraction of a tooth (phantom tooth pain) or removal of an eye (Phantom eye syndrome). The missing limb often feels shorter and may feel as if it is in a distorted and painful position. Occasionally, the pain can be made worse by stress, anxiety, and weather changes. Phantom limb pain is usually intermittent. The frequency and intensity of attacks usually decline with time.
A slightly different sensation known as phantom pains can also occur in people who are born without limbs and people who are paralyzed. Phantom pains occur when nerves that would normally innervate the missing limb cause pain. It is often described as a burning or similarly strange sensation and can be extremely agonizing for some people, but the exact sensation differs widely for individuals. Other induced sensations include warmth, cold, itching, squeezing, tightness, and tingling.
 Dr. Ramachandran reasoned that if someone were to lose their right hand in an accident, they may then have the feelings of a phantom limb because the input that normally would go from their hand to the left somatosensory cortex would be stopped. The areas in the somatosensory cortex that are near to the ones of the hand (the arm and face) will take over (or "remap") this cortical region that no longer has input. Ramachandran and colleagues first demonstrated this remapping by showing that stroking different parts of the face led to perceptions of being touched on different parts of the missing limb. Through Magnetoencephalography (MEG), which permits visualization of activity in the human brain, Ramachandran verified the reorganization in the somatosensory cortex.
Yesterday there was a concert by Sri.S.R.Krishnamurthy in "Naadha Neeranjanam" of TTDevasthanam Doordharshan Channel. Kindly read more on his achievements as a musician. Immediately after seeing him and this topic my mind started exploring the possibilities of his physical and mental stress while singing. 

Unlocking the Brain's Secrets

Today I read a new word viz.SYNESTHESIA. Thanks to the e-World.
Wikipedia says “It is a Greek word meaning together. Sensation is a neurologically based condition in which stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experience in a second sensory pathway. People who experience these phenomena are known as SYNETHETES.
Synesthesia is found “eight times more commonly in artistes, poets and novelists than others,” largely explaining their creative abilities, the scientist stressed. 
There are many approaches to the study of the human brain. One is brain imaging, to find out what part of the brain is active when we perform a task. But, there is another method, the structural-functional correlative approach, according to neurologist Ramachandran, writes M R Venkatesh

A “three-pound jelly sitting in you” – the human brain with 100 billion cells – does incredible multi-tasking, from creating music, poetry, brewing evil to contemplating God and nature of religion.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Vittala Vittala Ranga Ranga Vittala


விட்டலா விட்டலா ரங்க ரங்க விட்டலா
விட்டலா விட்டலா ஸாயி ரங்க விட்டலா
பாண்டுரங்க விட்டலா பண்டரி நாத விட்டலா
பர்த்திபுரி விட்டலா பக்த ஸகா விட்டலா
ஷிரிடிபுரி விட்டலா ரங்கா ஸாயி விட்டலா
வேத தர்ம விட்டலா ஸாது ஸங்க விட்டலா
ஸத்ய ஸாயி விட்டலா அஹிம்ஸ ரூபா விட்டலா
பிரேமா ஸாயி விட்டலா க்ஷேமதாயி விட்டலா
விட்டலா விட்டலா ரங்க ரங்க விட்டலா
விட்டலா விட்டலா ஸாயி ரங்க விட்டலா
Sydney Prof.சுந்தரம் அவர்கள் 
 

Future Trends in Healthcare Industry in India

Today’s Google Health care News discussed a story regarding “Future Trends in Healthcare Industry in India”. The synopsis of the news item which I enjoyed while reading.

Growing population, increasing affordability, comparative cheaper treatment costs as opposed to the west and medical tourism thereof, increased health insurance penetration, increased patient awareness, out-of-the-box unconventional thinking by the healthcare players for better operations, government opening up its arms to PPP and even providing tax holidays will be the key factors to look out for which would drive the future of healthcare in India.
According to recent studies conducted, the customer's (patient) aspirations are fast changing. Customers are growing more aware of their health needs, demand quick response, less waiting times, and above all - demand nearness of the healthcare unit to them. Customers though now demand better quality care; they however now do not want to travel much as in earlier days.
India has had notable achievements within the healthcare sector since independence in 1947. Life expectancy has doubled and infant mortality and crude death rates have been greatly reduced. Some diseases, such as small pox and guinea worm, have been eradicated. Others, such as leprosy and polio, have been nearly eliminated. And India's doctors and hospitals are increasingly receiving recognition for the quality of care they provide.
Nevertheless, India faces considerable challenges. For example, the country accounts for a relatively large share of the world's disease burden. And, while India's burgeoning middle class has greater access to excellent healthcare, the vast majority of citizens still have limited access to basic care. The quality of care varies significantly, as well. Also, India represents the world's second largest populated country. Industry estimates expect around 76 million Indians to be above 65 years of age by 2012, thereby increasing the prevalence of several chronic diseases. As the Indian population ages, demand for healthcare services will only increase.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Sri Madhusudhana Krishna

ஸ்ரீ மதுசூதன கிருஷ்ணா கிரிதர ஸ்யாம முராரி
இன்று மார்கழி இருபத்து ஏழாம் நாள். 
கூடாரை வெல்லும் சீர் கோவிந்தா உந்தன்னைப்
பாடிப் பறை கொண்டு யான் பெரும் சன்மானம்

அரியக்குடி - KVN - HVஸ்ரீவத்சன் - ராம நாராயணன்

மார்கழி மாதம் என்றால், திருப்பாவை.
திருப்பாவை பாடல்களை எங்கு கேட்டாலும் அது திரு அரியக்குடி ராமானுஜ ஐயங்கார் பாணி தான் நம் செவிக்குக் கேட்கும். அரியக்குடி என்று சொன்னால் ஒரு சங்கீதக் கலை உலகின் இங்கிதமான ஸங்கீதத்திற்கு எடுத்துக்காட்டான திரு KVN அவர்கள் நம் நினைவின் முன் வருவார்கள்.
மின் வலையில் நான் படித்த செய்தி
KVN was reverence personified when speaking of Ariyakudi, whom he called “Gurnathar”. In many interviews, he has spoken in a hushed awe about his Guru. It is a bit like Swami Vivekananda's relationship with Sri Ramakrishna. Once, when Swamiji was asked to speak about his master in America, with tears in his eyes he said that he could not do justice to the topic at all.

KVN spent time in Mysore with Ariyakudi, who was the guest of the Mysore Palace. This chronicler believes that was the time when Ariyakudi would sit on a swing in a veranda and enjoy the salubrious hospitality of the princely city. He would begin to compose the music for one of the songs in Andal Thiruppavai. KVN the scribe would write it down. And it would be finally polished into shape. Everyone follows the Ariyakudi tradition for singing Thiruppavai and you hear these lovely songs not only in concerts but also during the Margazhi season on AIR.
அரியக்குடி என்றால் திரு KVN, திரு KVN என்றால் அரியக்குடி என்று சொல்லும் அளவிற்கு குரு பக்தி நிறைந்தவர்
திரு K.V.நாராயண சுவாமி  வழியில் திரு ஹெம்மிகே H.V.ஸ்ரீவத்சன் அவர்கள்
திரு ஹெம்மிகே H.V.ஸ்ரீவத்சன் அடிச் சுவட்டில் ராம நாராயணன்.
மழலை ராம நாராயணனின் மதுரமான இசை
அரியக்குடி பாணியை இங்கே ரீங்காரம் செய்கிறது.

Bhavabaya Banjana Paapa Nikandana

Saturday, January 8, 2011

A Common Uncommon Therapy - Zero Therapy

The Experts say “Uncommon common sense is Zero Therapy.”
If so what is “Zero Therapy?”
Zero Therapy is a life style most near the natural life style.
It is a science beyond science.
It is for the world Scientists to find out 
“what Science is this?”
The liver and the brain communicate all the time online, being chemical factories 
(This is the reason alcohol simultaneously damages liver (liquid) and brain (smell)). 
This two communicate through chemicals.
Other organs communicate like electrical connections.
The cow brought up in a traditional life style never eats garlic.
However, over a period animals have changed their bodies and in turn working of the system. Ayurveda has brought in this as a medicine and for treating the so called disease but in fact it does not do anything good for emotional or spiritual health.
Even the use of tooth paste, soap, shampoo, or medicines is completely taboo in this form of therapy.
Zero Therapy Quotes
Q Quick U unique O Observations T Tagging E Everyday S Subjects

Monday, January 3, 2011

சொல்லிய வண்ணம் செய்ய ஒரு முயற்சி - இன்றைய சிந்தனை

சொல்லுதல் யார்க்கும் எளிய அரியவாம்
சொல்லிய வண்ணம் செயல்
And the top 10 tips to help us see our resolutions through are: 

1. One Thing At A Time: any of us make the mistake of trying to achieve too much instead of deciding on what is important to us and making just one resolution. 
The chance of success is greater when we channel our energy into changing a single aspect of our behavior at a time.
 

2. Plot Your Success:  Find a way of charting your achievements. Keep a journal, or cover your fridge or notice board with graphs or pictures. 

3. Try Something New: Repeating resolutions you have failed to keep before is a recipe for disappointment. Set a new goal, or approach an old aim in a new way. For example, instead of trying to lose a set amount of weight, vow to exercise more.  For example, instead of saying that you will go running on two days each week, decide you will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays straight after work. 

5. Set S.M.A.R.T Goals: Make sure your goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-based (SMART). For example, instead of simply saying you want to find a new job, come up with bite-sized goals for each week, such as rewriting your CV then applying for a job each week.  Map out small steps that will slowly but surely take you to where you want to be, write them down and stick to the plan. 

6. Carrot, Not Stick: We should motivate our self by focusing on the positive side, instead of beating our self up about our failings. Think how much better life will be for us, and those around us, when we achieve our aims. 

7. Go Public: Many of us prefer to keep our New Year's resolutions to ourselves. Unfortunately, this makes it all too easy to simply forget about them. Instead, go public. Write down your resolution on a large sheet of paper, sign it, and place it somewhere prominent in your home.  Tell your friends, family and workmates and ask them to support you. For example, if you want to lose weight, ask colleagues not to offer you biscuits with your tea. 

8. Be Persistent:  New habits take time to learn, and once in a while you will slip up and revert to the old you. Most of us give in to temptation occasionally, whether it is a cream cake or a crafty cigarette. 

9. Get Image Conscious: Visualize yourself doing whatever you need to do to achieve your resolution. Focusing on this image will help you believe in your ability to succeed. 

10. Be Positive: You will get better results from thinking about the good things that will come from your new lifestyle rather than the negative aspects of your old habits.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Yug Avathar Bagwaan


இந்தப் பாடலினைக் சமீபத்தில் கேட்ட பொழுது எனது எண்ண அலைகள் நாற்பது வருடங்கள் பின்சென்றது. விவித பாரதி ரேடியோ அலைவரிசையில் நான் மிகவும் ரசித்துக் கேட்டு அதனை ஒலி நாடாவில் பதிவு செய்து ரசித்து அனுபவித்த பாடல். 
அதன் ராக சாயலில் வடிவமைத்த சாயி நாமாவளி 
மிகவும் என்னைக் கவர்ந்தது.