When I don't understand...

You are as hungry as a bear and before you sits a burger,
But tied are your hands and taped are your lips,
You prepare madly for the IIT-JEE and make it to the IITs,
But the government suspects foul play and orders a re-examination,

How would you feel?.......You would feel the way I feel,
When I don't understand something, when something is not clear,
The agony, the pain, the frustration, the confusion, the anger,
That's what I get when I don't understand something,

The head starts aching, the muscles contracting,
the wrinkles appearing, the smiles disappearing,
The reason for that becomes an object of hate,
and unless I begin to understand, it doesn't abate,

That's how its been all these days, be it studies or movies,
understand when I don't, I feel uncomfortable,
to understand I'll be able, but only if I brood over it,
so just help me understand, or at least let me understand...

I Ain't Spiritual!

"I am not spiritual." - A statement blatantly made by a person who is a believer.
Call it whatever you want - blasphemy or heresy, but I don't get impressed by spirituality...I don't understand it...the eternally confused person that I am, I'm sure I'll never understand.And where arises the need to understand spirituality?

I'm comfortable and satisfied with what I am - a religious guy...I'm a devout Hindu...I love Hinduism...and before you accuse me of parochialism or label me as a right winged extremist..let me tell you that I'm not against other religions...In fact I love religions - Christianity for its serenity (and for Santa Claus!), Islam for some of its principles, Sikhism for its leaders(the Granth Sahibs),Buddhism, Jainism,Taoism,Confucianism,and even Pagan religions(thanks to Dan Brown for throwing some light on the worshiping of a female power)......

On why I'm Religious

Talking about my religion, I love it...The gods and the goddesses (they have become an integral part of my life - each God being called by me every minute for some silly want of mine!), the mantras and chants(they are pleasant to hear)..the rites and rituals( havan or yagna, the splashing of holy water with leaf-spoons! )...the devotional songs(from Om Jai Jagdish Hare to the popular South Indian devotional songs...I rarely listen to them, but I like them when they are played early in the morning or in the evening in Temples)..................and ofcourse I also fear some of the practices(I used to shudder at the thought of somebody in a state of trance near me...I was too afraid to go near those people when I was small - at the temple festivals in my hometown during summer hols.Even now I fear them.I don't go close to them for fear of getting killed by strangling or with a spear or trishul....lol) and am also amazed by the devotion of those people who walk on fire, pierce spears everywhere through their body....the colourful heavy kavadis...the celibacy and fast observed by those who wear Maalai(a sacred garland worn around the neck as a mark of purity ).......

I luv the epics(one of the best literary works, I believe), the Essence of the Gita(best thing to read when you get depressed),and the Vedas,Upanishads, puranas (this is too much..Honestly, I've never read them!....they Sound good na!)The worshiping of nature...trees, animals, sun, mon, planets and wind,rain, river, sea....

My religion (and any religion to its follower) energizes me, encourages me and teaches me to live...its a sort of cultural link with all those ancestors of mine...and also a form of connecting with my Creator...whereas spirituality is not...

On why I'm not Spiritual

Spirituality is abstract, vague and confusing...Its too complex and when I hear of all that people speak or write on it, I get a feeling of hollowness, a sense of nihilism, and all the energy gets drained out of me..so that is why I don't like to get involved in it...I don't understand the concept of cycle of life and death...abt Moksha n all that stuff!...And I get a strange feeling that all these spiritual leaders are quacks and charlatans(sorry,if I've hurt anyone's sentiment..but thats what I feel like)... How can a mortal, who looks like any other human being, have special powers and... how could he be so great that he or she could be worshiped as the omnipotent Almighty?

To conclude

Spirituality makes me feel insecure,confused and small while religion makes me feel confident, peaceful and Big!
Religion is for the layman like me, while Spirituality is for the saamiyars,saadhus,saadhvis and their like!

I'm worldly and materialistic !

So, I'm in favour of the colourful, lively and vibrant religions.....the more diverse, the merrier!

Die deutsche Technik vs. 日本工学

The Question that is on every engineering maniac's lips!-

German Engineering or Japanese Engineering!

Lets get set 4 the big debate -

Is German Engineering the best in the world..."Yes!"-say those who believe that German Engineering is a brand name.U think of the Engineerig Giants like Robert Bosch,Volkswagen,BMW,..n agree.Just then the Japs come n remind u of Honda,Toyota,Sony...n u r stuck in a dilemma...Whom do I support?

Well,the Japs r sharp industrious people n their products r extremely reliable...their manufacturing is the best in the world(in terms of quality,management n precision..remember that they r knoen for their Robots,electronics,Toyota Production system n all)...they complete their entire designed lifecycle sans problems...The Germans on the other hand r the best in the world for mechanical/chemical/process engineering n their cars r more powerful n fun to drive...their machinery are the most purchased in the world...though now challenged by the electronic prowess of the Japs

Now, to conclude go Japs 4 reliability n German 4 functionality.....for Design n Styling u have the Italians...don't forget the Swedish 4 product development...China 4 cost...Russia 4 technology...America 4 Brand(though this is no more valid)...

Commented about the world...Now what do I say about my Sweet India? Please do not say "India for Software n BPO"...Don't u feel we must excel in Design & Manufacturing (Core Engineering)to be the complete engineering nation!
We have a long way to go...we have the largest engineering workforce...Can we do it?
Wake up Indian Engineers(stop selling ur brains to America n Germany, they have enough intellectuals there!).....We need to compete..."Its the survival of the fittest!"