the Way of Tao

The Gallop of Life
Do not cramp or constrain your will , as that would cause you to depart from the Way. Do not strive for consistency in your actions, as that would cause you to lose sight of the Way. Be firm with yourself, never making excuses for your shortcomings. Be gentle with yourself, never demanding of yourself more than you can give. Let your mind be as open to the ideas of others, as a field without hedges is open to the four winds.

All living beings are born and die; you cannot depend upon them. All events start and finish; you cannot depend upon them. The years cannot be held back; time cannot be stopped. Growth and decay, fullness and emptiness, birth and death - the rythm of change cannot be halted. Life passes at a gallop; it is like a headlong dash toward death. With moment and every movement your body ages. What should you do and not do to prevent aging ? Nothing.

Yet if you follow the Way, and thence acquire perfect virtue, fire will not be able to burn you, water will not be able to drown you, cold and heat will not be able to discomfort you, and wild beasts will not be able to injure you. This is because you will be indifferent to fortune and misfortune, good and bad.

(teachings attributed to the Taoist scholar Zhuangzi)
 from the book 366 Readings from Taoism & Confucianism.

Kung Fu Tzu (Confucius)

A scene from the movie Confucius (2010) starring Chow Yun-Fat as the great sage.

Thus spake Confucius :

- Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes.

- Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.

- Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.

- Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses.

- He who will not economize will have to agonize.

- I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.

- Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon and star.

- It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.

- Men's natures are alike, it is their habits that carry them far apart.

- Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.

- Respect yourself and others will respect you.

- Study the past if you would define the future.

- The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come.When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly,he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved.

- To be able under all circumstances to practice five things constitutes perfect virtue; these five things are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness.

from the book : 366 Readings From Taoism & Confucianism

The Spring Festival

Fatima Bhutto @ Kovalam Literary Festival

The famed Pakistani author Fatima Bhutto was the star attraction of this year's Kovalam Literary Festival. It was her first visit to the place where another renowned Asian author Mr.Shashi Tharoor is the elected MP of Thiruvananthapuram - the capital of Kerala. This ancient city was recently in the news due to the rich haul of temple treasure. Ms.Fatima Bhutto's itinerary included a visit to the ramparts of this temple (does she plans to write an adventure/mystery novel? ) and the near by sufi mosque. She also took time off to relax at the famed Kovalam beach.

At the press conference, Fatima refuted the stereotype that her nation is a failed state. She said her nation is rich in natural resources, but also added that successive politicians have let them down. Regarding the events in West Asia (known as Arab spring) she said the whole Islamic world is going through a transitional period, similar to the 18th & 19th century Europe. About her on-line presence, Fatima said she hates social networking sites like face-book due to lack of privacy. ( I can't agree with you more! After all, why should one parade your friends & well-wishers like a gizmo or gadget? ) Fatima denied that she has political ambitions but also added she's proud of the great sacrifices of her family. 'I'd rather stick to what I'm good at - ie. writing ' she concluded with a smile.

Tagore : a romantic ?

Danseuse Sudha Chandran and renowned Bengali actress Rituparna Sengupta in a recent event to mark the 150th birth anniversary of poet Rabindranath Tagore.

Interview with the great Bengali film-maker of yesteryears, the mercurial Ritwik Ghatak (Excerpted from the book Ritwik Ghatak On cinema.) :

Tagore music (Rabindra Sangeet) has an important functional role in most of your films. Could you explain your affinity to Rabindranath Tagore ?

I cannot speak without him. That man has culled all my feelings long before my birth. He has understood what I am.

In spite of the considerable influence of Rabindranath Tagore on you, we find that there is a qualitative difference between the works of Tagore and your films. Don't you think that he was excessively romantic ?

Romantic ! What do you know about him ? Rabindranath is not a romantic, his is a completely variegated affair. He is the performing monkey of Bengali literature. And you call him a romantic ? Have you read Chaturanga ? He is a mystic, agnotic, everything. He was also a great rogue and a great one for using vile language. He also wrote in the language used by street urchins. So do not try to sidetrack him as a romantic. Read the full range of the man's work. The structure of his writings is extremely tight. He is, as I said before, the performing monkey of Bengali literature. You must have seen the toy which has a ladder and a small monkey on the top. When you hold this toy upright the monkey rolls down. When inverted it slides down again. Rabindranath is like this toy monkey.

He can get to the top, step by step, and climb upside down as well. So, it is a great blunder to label him a romantic. There are some people who want to sell Rabindranath, and that is why you have this image of him impressed on your minds. You people have not read Rabindranath. You are yet to know of his anger. From the lowest rung of society to the highest he spared none. You can call me rogue, a rascal, but he was a greater one. Maybe he knew more four-letter words than I do. Do not have a distorted notion about him.

book : Rows And Rows of Fences - Ritwik Ghatak on cinema.

New Year

Across The Cultures



Gregorian[European] Newyear - January 1st


Chinese Newyear [Spring Festival] - February 3rd (2011)


Persian Newyear [Nowruz] - March 20-21


Punjabi Newyear [vaisakhi] - April 13-14


Bengali Newyear [Boishakh] - April 14-15


Jewish Newyear [Rosh Hashanah] - September 28-30 (2011)


Arabic/Islamic Newyear [Ras Alsanah] - November 26th (2011)