Thursday, August 28, 2008
Monday, June 30, 2008
A Visit to The Scientific Centre - A Peep into the Known and the Unknown....!
“'The Living Sea' celebrates the beauty, power and importance of the ocean. Filmed in locations around the world, underscored by the music of Sting, the motion picture explores our relationship with the sea. The giant IMAX film format, allows us to explore the mysterious ocean depths and come face to face with whales in their natural size.”
Sounds interesting, right? That’s exactly what I felt when I read the above given summary, of the film I was going to see.
As a part of my vacation in Kuwait, with my father, the three of us, my dad, his friend and myself included, decided to visit The Scientific Centre. With a week left of my one-month stay, we decided to make the last week of my stay memorable (The trip itself will never be forgotten!). So on the 3rd of August 2001, a fine Friday, we decided to go there. On that very day, the temperature and humidity were very high, with the thermometer recording 51 degree Celsius as the shade temperature and the humidity was recorded cent percent. That was the hottest day in Kuwait in the year 2001.
We set out at about 4.30 p.m. and reached our destination in twenty minutes. The cool air from the air conditioning was indeed welcoming from the sweltering scorching heat of the sun. The curator gave us a briefing about the various shows and programmes of the day. We decided
to have a tour of the aquarium and then see the movie at 6.30 p.m., “The
Living Sea”.
After having a mug of cappuccino each and a slice of lemon cheesecake, we set out to see the aquarium. Though not as large the ones in the USA and Australia, it is a world in itself, showing living species of the various insects, reptiles and animals and aquatic creatures in the land of Kuwait. Let in its natural habitat, artificially made, shakes, bats, racoons, cuttlefish, devilfish and sharks all presented a wonderful view. We did not notice the hour go past.
Exiting from the aquarium, though not apt to call it so, we went to the IMAX theatre to see the movie. We were given special headsets to hear translations in English, because the commentaries and explanations were in Arabic.
The movie started by around 6.35 p.m. It started by describing how the seas were formed as according to scientific theories, thus starkly opposing the biblical data. It stated the seas being formed due to a tremendous explosion, volcanic in nature and the vapours condensing to form the ocean we see.
Filmed in Hawaii, Florida, Pagau, Canada and such exotic locations, the movie was a wonderful treat to the eyes and the mind as whole. The background music of Sting’s was the dash of pepper, need to flavour the show.
It showed and explained in detail the various algae, plant and animal forms in the ocean – from the fragile jellyfish to the ferocious whales. The show though of only forty-five minutes duration was a mind opener. The sight of the waves surging one hundred and fifty feet high, the US Coast Guard trainees fighting it, the surfers using it and the tourist enjoying it was simply wonderful. It included a research conducted by a Dr. Laura, who wanted to study the three layers in a particular sea, the three layers being, the sea water which we see, the red layer consisting of red algae, and the toxic layer – 5 minutes there could prove fatal.
As I saw the wonderful sights flashing in the screed in front of me, my thoughts went to the person who was responsible for all this. It was not the high technology and the complex technicalities involved in making the film which astonished me, but what really astonished me was the person who created the wonders that was filmed. The Bible says that God made the sky, the land, the sea, the sun, the moon, the stars, and the plants, the animals and man in seven days. All the plants and animals in the land and the water, according to the Bible were made on the fifth day. What the God Almighty made in one day is vast and tremendous, so much that, even after centuries and centuries of probing and finding, much is left to be understood and found.
Walking out of the theatre, we went for a short walk along the seaside. As I walked, I thought about that great invisible force, which made whatever we see, and whatever left to be seen in a matter of a week. As I saw the vast sea in front of me and the waves lapping the rocks, I placed myself apart from the rest of the universe. On doing so, I found myself to be smaller than the smallest grain of sand – so weak, so powerless, so small. I found myself humbled. I felt myself grow so small that I feared I didn’t exist. In the presence of the vast creations of the God, I am nothing! Yet, I, in my smallness am a miracle. I am a work of God, an infinitesimal part of his wonderful work. God who made the heaven and the earth, who made the beautiful sunrise and the hauntingly mesmerising sunset, who created all the living beings, from the smallest humming bird to the large albatross, from the tiny ant to the giant elephant, from the microscopic algae to the mighty whale, is the greatest architect, artist and above all, the ultimate creator. The works of God are uncomprehendable. Man may search and find; yet a lot remains undiscovered.
I used to enjoy, and still enjoy, the setting sun and the waves crashing on the beach, but never have I thanked God for his wonderful works. Never in my 17 years of life in this world had made me so aware, so near the presence of the invincible force. For the first time in my life, I saw the world in a new perspective. As I saw the clouds skimming through the skies and the waves fluttering through the ocean, a sense of awareness dawned on me, one that I never had. I found myself wondering about the God who made it all.
When we were walking along the shore and got into a pier used for fishing, I stopped and gazed out into the sea, the vast, huge, tremendous sea, the dark sky above it and the twinkling night lights of the city, I marvelled at the strength of the force who made the water splashing underneath me, the ground on which I stood and the sky above, providing a roof for me. I felt a chill running down my spine, a chill of astonishment, a sense of wonder, a feeling of understanding something new. I thanked the Lord God for the wonderful works.
I looked up into the skies. I saw the moon shining down at me all silvery and bright bathing the whole land and sea, with a soft glow. As I stood looking at the skies, a soft, cool, breeze blow. Some might say the breeze was due to the waves, some might say it was due to the tides, but for me that soothing cool breeze were the fingers of God, touching me and embracing me, comforting me and reassuring me about what I found out making me feel at home – a part of this wonderful work. The chill I felt before was gone. I felt strangely relaxed and soothed. God did not leave out a single thing when He made this world, giving each and everything, a place of its own, along with its own superiority and inferiority over others.
I can very clearly say that, the ‘me’ who went to the see the aquarium was not the ‘me’ who came out. I came out with a little more knowledge and understanding than what I had already. A little sober and a little more wiser. But yet, borrowing from Tennyson, knowledge is like an arc, the more we feel we are near it, the more we have to go to be near it. In fact it is endless. But most importantly, I understood the value of myself as a person in front of God and His marvelous works and learnt to enjoy them and thank Him for His wonderful gift.
Ps : This was written 7 years ago, when I visited Kuwait... I saw this article in among the many docs in my comp... one of my fav articles i've ever written...!
Sounds interesting, right? That’s exactly what I felt when I read the above given summary, of the film I was going to see.
As a part of my vacation in Kuwait, with my father, the three of us, my dad, his friend and myself included, decided to visit The Scientific Centre. With a week left of my one-month stay, we decided to make the last week of my stay memorable (The trip itself will never be forgotten!). So on the 3rd of August 2001, a fine Friday, we decided to go there. On that very day, the temperature and humidity were very high, with the thermometer recording 51 degree Celsius as the shade temperature and the humidity was recorded cent percent. That was the hottest day in Kuwait in the year 2001.
We set out at about 4.30 p.m. and reached our destination in twenty minutes. The cool air from the air conditioning was indeed welcoming from the sweltering scorching heat of the sun. The curator gave us a briefing about the various shows and programmes of the day. We decided
to have a tour of the aquarium and then see the movie at 6.30 p.m., “The
Living Sea”.
After having a mug of cappuccino each and a slice of lemon cheesecake, we set out to see the aquarium. Though not as large the ones in the USA and Australia, it is a world in itself, showing living species of the various insects, reptiles and animals and aquatic creatures in the land of Kuwait. Let in its natural habitat, artificially made, shakes, bats, racoons, cuttlefish, devilfish and sharks all presented a wonderful view. We did not notice the hour go past.
Exiting from the aquarium, though not apt to call it so, we went to the IMAX theatre to see the movie. We were given special headsets to hear translations in English, because the commentaries and explanations were in Arabic.
The movie started by around 6.35 p.m. It started by describing how the seas were formed as according to scientific theories, thus starkly opposing the biblical data. It stated the seas being formed due to a tremendous explosion, volcanic in nature and the vapours condensing to form the ocean we see.
Filmed in Hawaii, Florida, Pagau, Canada and such exotic locations, the movie was a wonderful treat to the eyes and the mind as whole. The background music of Sting’s was the dash of pepper, need to flavour the show.
It showed and explained in detail the various algae, plant and animal forms in the ocean – from the fragile jellyfish to the ferocious whales. The show though of only forty-five minutes duration was a mind opener. The sight of the waves surging one hundred and fifty feet high, the US Coast Guard trainees fighting it, the surfers using it and the tourist enjoying it was simply wonderful. It included a research conducted by a Dr. Laura, who wanted to study the three layers in a particular sea, the three layers being, the sea water which we see, the red layer consisting of red algae, and the toxic layer – 5 minutes there could prove fatal.
As I saw the wonderful sights flashing in the screed in front of me, my thoughts went to the person who was responsible for all this. It was not the high technology and the complex technicalities involved in making the film which astonished me, but what really astonished me was the person who created the wonders that was filmed. The Bible says that God made the sky, the land, the sea, the sun, the moon, the stars, and the plants, the animals and man in seven days. All the plants and animals in the land and the water, according to the Bible were made on the fifth day. What the God Almighty made in one day is vast and tremendous, so much that, even after centuries and centuries of probing and finding, much is left to be understood and found.
Walking out of the theatre, we went for a short walk along the seaside. As I walked, I thought about that great invisible force, which made whatever we see, and whatever left to be seen in a matter of a week. As I saw the vast sea in front of me and the waves lapping the rocks, I placed myself apart from the rest of the universe. On doing so, I found myself to be smaller than the smallest grain of sand – so weak, so powerless, so small. I found myself humbled. I felt myself grow so small that I feared I didn’t exist. In the presence of the vast creations of the God, I am nothing! Yet, I, in my smallness am a miracle. I am a work of God, an infinitesimal part of his wonderful work. God who made the heaven and the earth, who made the beautiful sunrise and the hauntingly mesmerising sunset, who created all the living beings, from the smallest humming bird to the large albatross, from the tiny ant to the giant elephant, from the microscopic algae to the mighty whale, is the greatest architect, artist and above all, the ultimate creator. The works of God are uncomprehendable. Man may search and find; yet a lot remains undiscovered.
I used to enjoy, and still enjoy, the setting sun and the waves crashing on the beach, but never have I thanked God for his wonderful works. Never in my 17 years of life in this world had made me so aware, so near the presence of the invincible force. For the first time in my life, I saw the world in a new perspective. As I saw the clouds skimming through the skies and the waves fluttering through the ocean, a sense of awareness dawned on me, one that I never had. I found myself wondering about the God who made it all.
When we were walking along the shore and got into a pier used for fishing, I stopped and gazed out into the sea, the vast, huge, tremendous sea, the dark sky above it and the twinkling night lights of the city, I marvelled at the strength of the force who made the water splashing underneath me, the ground on which I stood and the sky above, providing a roof for me. I felt a chill running down my spine, a chill of astonishment, a sense of wonder, a feeling of understanding something new. I thanked the Lord God for the wonderful works.
I looked up into the skies. I saw the moon shining down at me all silvery and bright bathing the whole land and sea, with a soft glow. As I stood looking at the skies, a soft, cool, breeze blow. Some might say the breeze was due to the waves, some might say it was due to the tides, but for me that soothing cool breeze were the fingers of God, touching me and embracing me, comforting me and reassuring me about what I found out making me feel at home – a part of this wonderful work. The chill I felt before was gone. I felt strangely relaxed and soothed. God did not leave out a single thing when He made this world, giving each and everything, a place of its own, along with its own superiority and inferiority over others.
I can very clearly say that, the ‘me’ who went to the see the aquarium was not the ‘me’ who came out. I came out with a little more knowledge and understanding than what I had already. A little sober and a little more wiser. But yet, borrowing from Tennyson, knowledge is like an arc, the more we feel we are near it, the more we have to go to be near it. In fact it is endless. But most importantly, I understood the value of myself as a person in front of God and His marvelous works and learnt to enjoy them and thank Him for His wonderful gift.
Ps : This was written 7 years ago, when I visited Kuwait... I saw this article in among the many docs in my comp... one of my fav articles i've ever written...!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Chocolate...!!!!
What is the one gift you can give a child, a teenager, your lover or your other half, parents, grandparents, your boss, friends and even strangers alike? That does sound as a tall order doesn’t it? One gift which is acceptable by anyone? A gift that when they see, automatically brings out a smile. A gift for all seasons. Still no clue?? Come on guys…! Give a guess… No. it is not a picture frame!! Roses…? Do you give it to your boss?? Balloons..? For your husband??? That’s it! All three chances over…
It's sophisticated, silky and sublime. It's scrumptious; it's soothing; some say it's downright sinful! Something so indulgent that it was once practically banned by the Catholic church, and so luscious that it was once considered an extraordinary "gift of paradise". A small bite of which can make any bitter moment sweet. A small chunk which when melts in your mouth fills it with an explosion of the sweetest flavours. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls… I am talking about the ultimate in comfort food. Yes dears, its our Chocolate!
Chocolate deserves its repute, because behind the rich, bewitching taste, the smooth, exotic texture, and the ultimate variety of ways to enjoy chocolate, you'll find an incredible history, which is infact as old as history itself! Of course we all know that chocolate comes from the cocoa plant, a God send, which is native to lowland, tropical South America, and has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Central America and Mexico, with its earliest documented use around 1400 BC. The word "chocolate" comes from the Aztecs of Mexico, and is derived from the word ‘xocolatl’, which is a combination of the words, ‘xocolli’, meaning "bitter", and atl, which is "water". The Aztecs and the Mayans associated chocolate with their goddesses of fertility. Chocolate was also an important luxury good throughout pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, and cacao beans were often used as currency.
You sure can’t eat cocoa in its pure form. Only after the beans are harvested, fermented, blended, conched and tempered (phew) that they can be made into those delectable chocolate you and I enjoy! And higher the cocoa content, the bitter the chocolate is.
Enough of the boring stuff… now for some fun ways to enjoy chocolate!
***** Melt a Diary Milk bar in a cup of boiling milk and enjoy a chocolate drink like no other!!
***** Cut your favourite fruits into bite size pieces and insert clean toothpicks through them.
***** Melt a bar of chocolate. Dip the fruits in them and keep it to chill. Enjoy flavored chocolate treat!
***** Add a bar or two of broken chocolate to your favourite ice cold fruit/milk shake and taste the difference.
***** Break chocolate into your morning cereal and taste the twist.
***** Call over your friends over for a chocolate party… and serve only chocolate!!!
***** Dump your morning coffee for a hot cup of chocolate. Not only will you feel nice, but you will get your daily dose of caffine too! And no stained teeth! But remember to work it out!
***** To those souls in love, all I can say is there are endless ways to enjoy chocolate. Just use your imagination!!
***** The best fun way to enjoy chocolate is to share and eat it with someone you love!!!
Regarding which chocolate tastes best, I’ll give a selection of my favourite ones.
* Our good old Cadbury’s Diary Milk. Whichever corner of the world you are, it is there!
* Ferro Rocher. Nuts, crisps, wafer, chocolate. All in a delectable bite sized chocolate coated ball. * Hershey’s Kisses. Shaped like a flat-bottomed tear drop, they come in a variety of flavours and can be substituted for a real kiss anytime.
* Quality Street. A chocolate assortment from Machintosh, wrapped in a bevy of colored foil, they are a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds.
* Galaxy range. True to their name, they offer a variety that can be challenged only by the stars in a galaxy! No chocolate I’ve ever eaten is as smooth as a Galaxy!
Then again… this is just a list. Explore on your own to find out your favorites and stock them in your fridge, as you will never when you or anyone else will need a chocolate!
As am writing this, I couldn’t help but eat a bar of a Crispy Galaxy Milk Chocolate. The temptation was too much to be held back! As the rice crisps mix with the velvety chocolate, my hand reaches out for yet another one, all thoughts of loosing some pounds, gone with the wind!
Romantic… glorious… exotic..! from the cheapest ones available, to the most expensive gourmet ones, chocolate remains in the realm of inspired tastes that transcend the ordinary!!!
Dear fellow chocoholics…
Join me and shout out loud, “Viva la Chocolat!”
ps: more such fun & serious articles can be found in a monthly newsletter "Samsmrithi". Drop in a post if you want it.
It's sophisticated, silky and sublime. It's scrumptious; it's soothing; some say it's downright sinful! Something so indulgent that it was once practically banned by the Catholic church, and so luscious that it was once considered an extraordinary "gift of paradise". A small bite of which can make any bitter moment sweet. A small chunk which when melts in your mouth fills it with an explosion of the sweetest flavours. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls… I am talking about the ultimate in comfort food. Yes dears, its our Chocolate!
Chocolate deserves its repute, because behind the rich, bewitching taste, the smooth, exotic texture, and the ultimate variety of ways to enjoy chocolate, you'll find an incredible history, which is infact as old as history itself! Of course we all know that chocolate comes from the cocoa plant, a God send, which is native to lowland, tropical South America, and has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Central America and Mexico, with its earliest documented use around 1400 BC. The word "chocolate" comes from the Aztecs of Mexico, and is derived from the word ‘xocolatl’, which is a combination of the words, ‘xocolli’, meaning "bitter", and atl, which is "water". The Aztecs and the Mayans associated chocolate with their goddesses of fertility. Chocolate was also an important luxury good throughout pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, and cacao beans were often used as currency.
You sure can’t eat cocoa in its pure form. Only after the beans are harvested, fermented, blended, conched and tempered (phew) that they can be made into those delectable chocolate you and I enjoy! And higher the cocoa content, the bitter the chocolate is.
Enough of the boring stuff… now for some fun ways to enjoy chocolate!
***** Melt a Diary Milk bar in a cup of boiling milk and enjoy a chocolate drink like no other!!
***** Cut your favourite fruits into bite size pieces and insert clean toothpicks through them.
***** Melt a bar of chocolate. Dip the fruits in them and keep it to chill. Enjoy flavored chocolate treat!
***** Add a bar or two of broken chocolate to your favourite ice cold fruit/milk shake and taste the difference.
***** Break chocolate into your morning cereal and taste the twist.
***** Call over your friends over for a chocolate party… and serve only chocolate!!!
***** Dump your morning coffee for a hot cup of chocolate. Not only will you feel nice, but you will get your daily dose of caffine too! And no stained teeth! But remember to work it out!
***** To those souls in love, all I can say is there are endless ways to enjoy chocolate. Just use your imagination!!
***** The best fun way to enjoy chocolate is to share and eat it with someone you love!!!
Regarding which chocolate tastes best, I’ll give a selection of my favourite ones.
* Our good old Cadbury’s Diary Milk. Whichever corner of the world you are, it is there!
* Ferro Rocher. Nuts, crisps, wafer, chocolate. All in a delectable bite sized chocolate coated ball. * Hershey’s Kisses. Shaped like a flat-bottomed tear drop, they come in a variety of flavours and can be substituted for a real kiss anytime.
* Quality Street. A chocolate assortment from Machintosh, wrapped in a bevy of colored foil, they are a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds.
* Galaxy range. True to their name, they offer a variety that can be challenged only by the stars in a galaxy! No chocolate I’ve ever eaten is as smooth as a Galaxy!
Then again… this is just a list. Explore on your own to find out your favorites and stock them in your fridge, as you will never when you or anyone else will need a chocolate!
As am writing this, I couldn’t help but eat a bar of a Crispy Galaxy Milk Chocolate. The temptation was too much to be held back! As the rice crisps mix with the velvety chocolate, my hand reaches out for yet another one, all thoughts of loosing some pounds, gone with the wind!
Romantic… glorious… exotic..! from the cheapest ones available, to the most expensive gourmet ones, chocolate remains in the realm of inspired tastes that transcend the ordinary!!!
Dear fellow chocoholics…
Join me and shout out loud, “Viva la Chocolat!”
ps: more such fun & serious articles can be found in a monthly newsletter "Samsmrithi". Drop in a post if you want it.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Nothing & Everything
I just finished reading "The Mastership Game" by Scott McBain It was the title which actually caught my attention in the first place. The back cover summary promised it to be a "compelling thriller - the race against the clock by the best players to achieve what they most desire". Seemed interesting and I hoped it would be.
It was a real catchy read and soon i was immersed in the pages as the story raced across countries and continents, a game to be played and won, to be the Master, man who holds the most powerful position in the World! As in a game, there were rules and contestants. The catch being, the rules are uncertain, just like who all are playing for the ultimate position of power!
Full credit to McBain for this awesome book! He includes quotes from Machiavelli, Sun Tzu & Lao Zi. At times though the book drags a bit when it reaches the thought processes of the contestants, the way the minds f men are shown is just genius.
It was a quote from the book which prompted me to name my blog.
NOTHING & EVERYTHING!
True Opposites, but undeniably interlinked.
Usually a novel hardly has any effect on me. I read it for fun and the pure thrill of knowing how the author weaves a spell to catch u unawares, to make u hold on till the very last page, to know how ultimately the good guys win or how the lovers are inevitably united! But this book, "The Mastership Game", made me turnpages, to learn more what prompted the the most powerful Chinese emperor to give up his kingdom to the ultimate truth about life he found out in the exquisite puzzle box, the most diofficult one ever made, at his special order, by a master craftsman - a man knowledgeable not only of art, but also of the true value of life. And how that guides the contestants who could see the truth
How can anyone who has nothing have everything?
Is it possible? even remotely??
In today's world, man tries very hard to get Everything. He is powerful, rich, successful, with a high paying job, a trophy wife, kids in international schools, villas in different places, the latest luxury cars... You name it.. he has it! But does he have Everything? Does he love his wife and kids and give them the attention they so desire? Is he happy with his job or is it just for the sake of money that he works? Is all the matters to him is money, power & prestige?
Can someone who wants nothing, gain all? Very much laughable!Each and everyone of us want something or the other. My last want was a mobile phone and after i got that, right now, its a pure white cut work Saree! :) material stuff aside, i want to be successful in my career, i want a good life, with a man who loves me, i want kids, i want their lives to be secure.... the list is endless. Wants and Needs is an unending list for any human! And at the crux of it all is the want to be richer and more powerful.
But, asking a very hypothetical question... is there a single person in this world, who wants nothing?A person, who has understood himself as a human being?
And that was what was the most difficult puzzle for the Emperor too! To Understand Himself as a Human Being!
Puzzle boxes are usually made with a puzzle on the top,and if solved correctly, the person who does it, can open the puzzle box and claim the precious gem kept inside as the prize. But when Chang gave the emperor an empty puzzle box, richly painted and beautifully decorated on the outside, he was trying to show the Emperor that
"To understand himself and his place in the universe, all his outward riches and power
would not help him but that if he looked within his own being, there he would
discover what he truly sought. Only there would he find real happiness and
fulfillment that wouldnt pass away, like his empire!"
Though the Emperor gave Chang all his Empire, Chang refused. For Chang "by giving him an empty puzzle box" had helped the Emperor have an "understanding of the Universe and an insight into his own being as a human soul". Thus "Chang, by wanting nothing, gained all".
As I read that, I asked myself, do i know who i am? Do i know what i truly want? A moment of contemplation occurred then (2nd time while reading a book, 1st being while reading Cohelo's Alchemist) and I looked at myself, as a human being! At my thoughts and dreams and ideas and imaginations. At what will make me happy and feel loved. At my desires and needs and wants. and trust me, never had I felt so ashamed as i was then, at that moment, when I found out to my utter dismay, as to how frivolous, materialistic, greedy and needy i was! All this, when i could easily find real happiness and fulfilment, in my daily life!
To be a better citizen, grand daughter, daughter, sister, cousin & niece.
To give without expecting.
To love without wanting back.
To care without reason.
To do things that make me happy - write, draw, cook - and which makes others happy too.
To be satisfied with what i have and to find the true joy in that.
To count my innumerable blessing and Thank God for that.
All those, by wanting Nothing!
That Dear Reader, is my New Year Resolution.
To find happiness and fulfilment in my daily life, as long as i shall live, by wanting Nothing!
By wanting Nothing to gain Everything!
NOTHING & EVERYTHING!
Adios .... !
It was a real catchy read and soon i was immersed in the pages as the story raced across countries and continents, a game to be played and won, to be the Master, man who holds the most powerful position in the World! As in a game, there were rules and contestants. The catch being, the rules are uncertain, just like who all are playing for the ultimate position of power!
Full credit to McBain for this awesome book! He includes quotes from Machiavelli, Sun Tzu & Lao Zi. At times though the book drags a bit when it reaches the thought processes of the contestants, the way the minds f men are shown is just genius.
It was a quote from the book which prompted me to name my blog.
NOTHING & EVERYTHING!
True Opposites, but undeniably interlinked.
Usually a novel hardly has any effect on me. I read it for fun and the pure thrill of knowing how the author weaves a spell to catch u unawares, to make u hold on till the very last page, to know how ultimately the good guys win or how the lovers are inevitably united! But this book, "The Mastership Game", made me turnpages, to learn more what prompted the the most powerful Chinese emperor to give up his kingdom to the ultimate truth about life he found out in the exquisite puzzle box, the most diofficult one ever made, at his special order, by a master craftsman - a man knowledgeable not only of art, but also of the true value of life. And how that guides the contestants who could see the truth
How can anyone who has nothing have everything?
Is it possible? even remotely??
In today's world, man tries very hard to get Everything. He is powerful, rich, successful, with a high paying job, a trophy wife, kids in international schools, villas in different places, the latest luxury cars... You name it.. he has it! But does he have Everything? Does he love his wife and kids and give them the attention they so desire? Is he happy with his job or is it just for the sake of money that he works? Is all the matters to him is money, power & prestige?
Can someone who wants nothing, gain all? Very much laughable!Each and everyone of us want something or the other. My last want was a mobile phone and after i got that, right now, its a pure white cut work Saree! :) material stuff aside, i want to be successful in my career, i want a good life, with a man who loves me, i want kids, i want their lives to be secure.... the list is endless. Wants and Needs is an unending list for any human! And at the crux of it all is the want to be richer and more powerful.
But, asking a very hypothetical question... is there a single person in this world, who wants nothing?A person, who has understood himself as a human being?
And that was what was the most difficult puzzle for the Emperor too! To Understand Himself as a Human Being!
Puzzle boxes are usually made with a puzzle on the top,and if solved correctly, the person who does it, can open the puzzle box and claim the precious gem kept inside as the prize. But when Chang gave the emperor an empty puzzle box, richly painted and beautifully decorated on the outside, he was trying to show the Emperor that
"To understand himself and his place in the universe, all his outward riches and power
would not help him but that if he looked within his own being, there he would
discover what he truly sought. Only there would he find real happiness and
fulfillment that wouldnt pass away, like his empire!"
Though the Emperor gave Chang all his Empire, Chang refused. For Chang "by giving him an empty puzzle box" had helped the Emperor have an "understanding of the Universe and an insight into his own being as a human soul". Thus "Chang, by wanting nothing, gained all".
As I read that, I asked myself, do i know who i am? Do i know what i truly want? A moment of contemplation occurred then (2nd time while reading a book, 1st being while reading Cohelo's Alchemist) and I looked at myself, as a human being! At my thoughts and dreams and ideas and imaginations. At what will make me happy and feel loved. At my desires and needs and wants. and trust me, never had I felt so ashamed as i was then, at that moment, when I found out to my utter dismay, as to how frivolous, materialistic, greedy and needy i was! All this, when i could easily find real happiness and fulfilment, in my daily life!
To be a better citizen, grand daughter, daughter, sister, cousin & niece.
To give without expecting.
To love without wanting back.
To care without reason.
To do things that make me happy - write, draw, cook - and which makes others happy too.
To be satisfied with what i have and to find the true joy in that.
To count my innumerable blessing and Thank God for that.
All those, by wanting Nothing!
That Dear Reader, is my New Year Resolution.
To find happiness and fulfilment in my daily life, as long as i shall live, by wanting Nothing!
By wanting Nothing to gain Everything!
NOTHING & EVERYTHING!
Adios .... !
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