Training for Nirvana?

Came across this speech at NYTimes blogs. A brain scientist gets a brain strokes, recovers and talks about it.
One of the points she mentioned was that with her controlling the body part of brain shutting down she had almost a euphoric sensation for a while. She is detached from her own body- viewing it as some separate machine.
I've always wondered what do these yogis, mystics talk about when they talk about dhyan and euphoria and detachment from physical world. Is it that what the meditation unwittingly unlocks is a switch that shuts the rational mind off for a while leading to such an experience we often talk in terms of 'revelation', out of body experience, communion with God etc?

Equal society or Tyranny of the Clique?

Judging from what the fine intelligent patriotic intellectuals in our left politics (and across the globe) say about communism being the best politico-economics system that really fosters equality and liberates mankind from tyranny, I wonder why all communist countries so heavily repress their own people?
And to those who counter this by saying that no they don't its merely the pro capitalist media that spreads disinformation I'll ask if that is true why do countries like China have so much state control over media, do not allow foreign journalists (or human rights workers since journalists apparently are all rabidly pro-capitalist) to freely interact with people?
Why are communication channels so heavily controlled (China has a state firewall that actively screens content)? If all are so equal why do only communist party members have only real power in such countries?

Neemhakim Prescribes....

1. The key to success is ...temptation
2. Money can buy most things but not happiness ... say those who don't really know how to spend money
3. You can be anybody if you try hard ... thanks but I'm happy being me
4. There are some things money can't buy, for everything else there is ... dad
5. When sh@#t hits the fan, its time to ... run out
6. If you never succeed in first attempt... charge your patients before the operation
7. Nothing succeeds like... procrastination

Monk and Abbot in conversation 5/M&A talks 5:What organised religion can teach corporates

Abbot: A guest here had a query on how he can reconcile his quest for corporate glory with his deep religious moorings?
Monk: Master is the two related?
A: Child how many years have the major religions you know of thriving?
M: Master most of them for 1000 years or more!
A: How many firms you know of that are even 200 years old?
M: *thinking*
M: Not any master though there are some - a bank here, a shop there that might be 300-400 years old, but maybe only 1 or 2 I might have read about.
A: Assuming that there are even 100s of these they obviously are not thriving too much since we would otherwise know of them?
M: True master but can we really equate the 2?
A: Patience child.
Now do you think that the organized religions have a large base of followers and the base keeps increasing?
M: Yes master
A: And that is probably the purpose of the religionists- to increase their ranks?
M: Yes master
A: Also look at one of the most potent org. rel. concepts. You are usually born into faith if your parents were in it. Thought most have some ceremony to confirm your initiations. See the power?
M: Master can you shed more light?
A: The idea for corporate is that form such a bond that the children of consumers are born into the brand. Kids use it automatically because parents use it too. Hence a brand should follow similar concept. If it’s a product that can be used only say after a certain age, try being in segment where kids form an emotional bond with it seeing their parents use it. If selling shaving cream make it an aspiration to have the kid look forward to using the same cream as the father. Better still don’t just do shaving cream, do toothpaste.
A: So in short organized religions have very good marketing?
M: Now that you point me in the direction yes
A: Can you have mere evangelist succeeding if they have no backing? Without the means and souls/bodies?
M: Yes master, being an evangelist converting heather requires money, lots of money, free schools, hospitals, buildings, people
A: And we get others to contribute?
M: Yes master but we often have own resources too - villages attached to old monasteries, fees and so on. Some of the monasteries are very wealthy master.
A: So let’s look at corporate - they want people to know the brand and spend premium to buy the brand? Can we say that premium for a brand is similar to charity money in religion? Same idea of pay for satisfaction? It works even better for service industries.
M: Yes, yes and yes
A: So we already agree that the mode of operations of corporate and religions are same even if the intentions may differ.
M: Master but is mode of operation reason enough to count them similar?
A: Child that is not what I mean though I am not saying if they are similar or not. But organized religion is an example of very powerful organization practices that corporate can follow.
M: Enlighten me master.
A: Religion succeeds because they possess the target as well as employee segment. Which is more important to them is another question but by and large both segments need to be fired up for them to succeed. Which corporate will not give an arm and a leg to do that? That’s lesson number 1, both are important in order to move up the food chain- the consumer and the producer.
A: Now religions can be of two types - those that have an incontestable vision. It makes it easy for employees to adhere to it and u can force out non believers. One an organization makes it a policy to either fire or kill those who question the top management's vision it makes for very little employee turnover.
M: Master how will those who merely fire have high retention?
A: Child humans like their snug cocoon, given a threat most will prefer to like the directions than to be out in the rains naked? And what if most of what you learnt is being done by only your ex-organization which denounces you? Your chances of another job are low. So we see such org. rel. already lowers its training costs.
On a deeper psychology level once people start believing the vision they see it everywhere so we can now make them work overtime.
A: Other religions are those who do not believe in vision but prefer to think of new products depending on needs or same product customized. These are often better at engineering skills but suffer from a rather fickle employee base. Advantage that they get is that great innovators may want to become a part, but ordinary employees do not have the same level of commitment base.
M: So master what lessons are there for corporate? Vision is all powerful?
A: It seems yes vision makes things easier but do not underestimate the versatility of the other. If you are playing the innovation game or are in a market of people willing to try new things - it pays not to get wedded to a single vision. However the mass market is in vision thing. So most organizations should go in for 1st kind of approach.
M: Yes master.
A: So we looked at the supply side, lets see what the demand side offers. Organized religion plays on emotions or they play to spiritual. Similarly corporate marketing need to play on emotions or serve basic needs.
M: Is not spiritual and basic opposites
A: Not really child. Spiritual quest for humans is the basic quest. its about the what and whys of life- stuff that becomes 'necessary' once the basic needs are filled.
So corporate need to project their goods in such a way that an emotional bond develops. If your child does not use this toothpaste, his/her social life will be hellish and (s)he’ll end up in asylum/ if you don't buy our TV not only will u not know the latest happenings but you are forcing my workers to starve and their children to beg. No other brand of medicine can keep your loved one alive, in fact others will kill them and ours will make them do salsa within a week. That is the kind of image marketing need to convey.
M: Master apart from marketing?
A: Marketing is the mantra. Look at how most organized religions try to control life for consumers. Corporate can use similar techniques. Make products (this works very well for technology) that work with only your own products. Tie them in to your platform and make migration prohibitive. Once your emotive/spiritual marketing does its initial job just take over their life.
M: Master what once all our consumers have all our products, how do we earn more?
A: that is why organized religions have festivals, period meetings that are supposed to be mandatory. And mandatory charity- force people to keep paying you more.
Corporate should aim for subscription services. Consumers are tied to their products and they pay a period fee to you to keep them alive.
M: Master I never saw such possibilities
A: Corporate are new kids on the block, organized religions have perfected techniques over years. it helps that organized religions were also started and led by some of the sharpest minds of their time and beyond.
There are more learning
M: I'm all ears Master.
A: Most of organized religions aimed to convert the nobility to their cause. Corporate similarly should target the mind share leaders or those in power. it was not always easy to convert kings because they fight back. So org rel shed plenty of their blood too. Once the nobility was converted they either forced the serfs to convert or made it attractive to wannabes to convert. Who doesn't want to be on king's side? It’s the same for corporate. Get the mind readers. Make government/military your clients. The big business houses. Then they in turn force suppliers to use same products. Remember it pays to keep products incompatible to others. Sometimes corporate have to bleed in order to get the leaders (or even masses). The idea is that the enemy bleeds more. So if corporate is the one with most staying power, let there be blood bath all around.

M: Master why then has corporate not taken these lessons to heart?
A: Child they often lack courage. Org. rel. has often been cruel to extreme in order to win market share and then they turn benign. Corporate if they start ruthless can become big enough where the need to be ruthless vanishes.
M: Master but ultimately the aim of all religions is to find God?
A: No child, the aim of all religions is to find 'truth' but even then most espouse the vision as truth in the beginning! So that means that most org. rel. basically is aiming to be a monopoly. There is a lesson even here. Most corporate should aim to be monopoly.
M: Master what is the single biggest thing that org. rel. should teach corporate?
A: That I is the only 'true' one. Once you believe in that it makes it very easy to practice all other.

What am I?

I somehow have this notion that religion in particular and a lot of philosophy in general is trying to find out what is death and what happens to us when it happens. There is this whole new arena opening up as a result of medical researches and as already been seen a lot of it is challenging our beliefs in life, soul and so on. Newsweek has this interesting article on reviving the dead. The article argues how death is not an event but a process (itself a rather interesting notion) and its a complex biochemical process.
We have talked of some of these earlier in a couple of posts, so here i talk about some deeper issues and in keeping with the random sanity theme a couple of more frivolous but immediate ideas.
Religion is a mess and theologians will have a lot more thinking to do. I did read an interesting comment on Slashdot that talked of an ego-less state mentioned in some Hindu and Buddhist philosophies. The ideas of mind and body living but the "I" having died. Interesting indeed. But its not something I have heard before (and I cannot by any stretch claim to be an informed source on these philosophies) so if its there it indeed is an interesting idea.
So maybe the next great career is going to be in philosophy. Poor flock distressed at the whole unravellings of thousands of years of life-death- back to God rigmarole suddenly trying to fathom the implications of dead not being an event. So are the last rites really a way to ensure that the "dead" are not able to come back to life? Imagine that, its rare enough not to make it practical for most to wait days on end before the hope is gone but happens so that there is this thought that the loved one may not be dead even tho it looks like it? lets not even get into the resurrection theme.
So philosophy will again be in demand with a whole new era opening with its fresh fodder for thought. On a more deeper level what really happens to the whole idea of "I". Where am I while I am frozen - dead but not dead waiting to come alive. Now we are arguing that the person is not dead because death is not an event. But then what if its a process (maybe reversible) and I am 30% dead. What am I then? If I came back to life and maybe 100% life not just 70% am I the same "I". If not who am I? Or what am I? Its a shift in cultural notions of the Quantum types. Like in physics - Newtonian which is easy to understand and now quantum and relativistic which baffles almost all of us. Well its only a matter of time before the same happens to other branches.
Then there are the whole host of associated issues. What is consciousness? If all life is essentially a result of coding of genes, and so is our information, can we really put it all in some computer and have the consciousness live forever? Will such a consciousness be as "real" as in a person? When I talk of "I" do I mean this consciousness? Most fundamentally what is "I"? Is there life after death? When does it begin? The near death experiences documented have sometimes people saying they saw light or something? But were they alive at a cellular level (which they should right) then is life not really cellular? If it is not, then how come I can revive before or during cellular death? Can I force soul back in the same body? Can a soul be forced? If yes is it really that important?

In other news scientists have cured fear it seems. I thought death was the greatest fear. It couldn't have come any later :).

Innocent Villager and Monk: In conversation

Innocent Villager: O saintly one, tell me my future.
Monk: Why the sudden urge brother?
IV: I was taking a nap in the fields yesterday after lunch. I dreamt that I was digging and I found a pot full of gold buried in ground. It must be God telling me to go and find that treasure. Day dreams are always true. So tell me the future O S 1.
Monk: Get up brother. Future says tomorrow the Sun may rise again
IV: O S 1, tell me will I strike a buried pot when I did my fields tomorrow? Better still tell me where I dig to strike gold?
M: Brother dig the entire field, gold will be everywhere?
IV:How O S 1?
M: Just call me brother, brother? Do as I tell u and you'll get gold.
IV: Yes brother * eyes lit up like a child's on sight of a saucer of ice cream *
M: Take your best plow?
IV: Plow brother? not a spade?
M: Brother a spade does hit deep but you can dig only so much at a time?
IV: * wildly nodding * yes brother let me dig a lot
M: Hitch the plow to your sturdiest bull.
IV: Yup bro, I see light I can overturn the entire field
M: Yes brother, see that you get the tip in the ground at least 6 odd inches. Keep a watch on the thing, if there is an obstruction, immediately take your spade and have a look for a pot.
IV: Thanx bro
M: Wait, God has a wickedly funny sense of humor, many times you'll find stones, dig them out and since you've done that, use it to cement the water lines.
IV: Yup bro
M: Plant roots go deep into soil, grabs the pots and so when u pull them out, u can make out from the root if it was in soil or if it was clutching a pot.
IV: where is the plant if I've dug the field
M:patience brother, whats a few minutes of wait to a lifetime of misery?
IV: Tell me brother how to find this pot
M: Yes so after you have dug up the field, drop a few grains of mustard in the field?
IV: MUSTARD bro!
M: Yup mustard.
IV: * a bit disappointed * as u say bro
M: Then put some water in the field so that the seeds go deep, that ways the roots will be deeper. Then when the plants are a bit big, have a look, weeds are strong indicator of wealth. pull them out completely and check their roots. If no sign of pot wait till the mustard ripes, then harvest and see the seeds. Ever look at a mustard field in bloom? Its like gold strewn over.
IV: :O! Bro, thats months of hard labor. My dream didn't have months of wait in it.
M: Brother, u will get the gold, just after you sell the mustard, buy gold and bury it in the field and dig it up a few minutes later.
IV: Bro u jest!
M: Brother if u take naps during sowing time, the only place god can catch u is in your dreams. What God meant was that the gold in your life will come from tilling the soil. There alas are no shortcuts in life.
IV: Bro so many people have found buried gold so I heard. You just don't want to tell me where to dig.
M: Bro if I knew where all God is buried, why wld I be sitting here?

Abbot and Monk: In conversation III

Monk: Master the way of the world is tough
Abbot: What makes you feel so son?
M: Master there is so much sadness/cruelty/deprivation around. It is tough to be happy outside
A: And son if its sad outside should you be happy in the monastery?
M: Master now that you open my eyes yes its as tough here
A: So son you realize that the search for truth cannot come as an escape from the world. You have to live the world outside while still being in search for truth.
M: So master how do I reconcile my happiness in search of God to the sadness at misery around?
A: Is it immoral to be happy while being surrounded by misery?
M: I do not know. It sure looks selfish to be happy when around you are not.
A: So a poor child dancing with a puppy is essentially immoral?
M: Master it should not be so, its just a child
A: But a child is also human?
M: But it is innocent of the world. Its natural state is to be frolicsome
A: While innocence of the world may be a logical point, the misery for it is real. What is important is a natural state. Happiness is a state of mind, not of affairs. If you prefer being happy, be happy
M: Master, indeed I contemplate God and am filled with happiness.
A: Those moments you blank out the fog and get introduced to yourself. The way to happiness is to look inward.
M: will not people take it as a license to be selfish?
A: There is no harm in being selfish. But that is not the point that I make. Inward means that happiness need arise out of a 'cause'? Its the joy of life. Its about being one with yourself.
M: So I can be, climbing out of a chasm I fell into and feel wondrous joy at being able to come out. What if I am not able to come out and know it?
A: It can still be joy at being able to try climbing.
M: And if I am not able to try?
A: If there is no hope there is no happiness. He that has lost hope has lost it all.
M: Master I see light and it is joy.

Abbot and Monk- In conversation II

Monk: Master, a law has been broken
Abbot: What my child
M:They tell me that SWIFT broke privacy rules
Abbot: I pray for those who suffered anguish
M: Master I am sad, what happened to the trust?
A: Its a harsh world we live in child
M: Master I wonder if the righteous thing to do is to hit back at injustice
A: what would you like to do child?
M: Sue them master. We can get money that we can use Master.
A: You need to have big money to have an account with them first child
M: There always is a catch nah master?

Conversations with the Abbot

Abbot:Child, u had a drain clog, why?
Monk: Master, I cleaned the water filter.
A: Hola! where did u connect this water filter to?
M: Municipal water supply Master. Comes via the tank we built on top.
A: Hmmm, you know, you should be cleaning it often.
M: I tried master, I tried
A: And why did you not succeed?
M: Master, You need the hands of a child, the strength of 2 oxen, dexterity of an eagle in order to open and clean the bottle. Not to mention some custom size screw driver.
A: We should have the skills of their service guys
M: Master, we are mere philosophers searching for truth, God and everything, while those are Water Filter Technicians
A: You mean the entry barriers are low for us?
M: Master, you know so much more. I'll say these guys find a few folks and design the product accordingly.
A: But their manual must be mentioning what do to to clean?
M: Master, what the manual reveals is substantial, what it does not, is vital.
A: So its all cleaned now?
M: Yes master, its sparkling clean but now doesnt power on.
A: Maybe shd we start making water filters?
M: Master what do I know, I'm a just monkie.