Mann Ke Manjeere

Mann Ke Manjeere, by Shubha Mudgal - an old song, ten years old in fact. And it's based on a true story, which makes it that much more powerful.

It came up in conversation with Vishakha the other day, and she was like, do you remember it, especially the video, it's a lovely one, I'd sent it to you then (pre youtube days).

And you all over again marvel at how it's no more about finding the right cassette or cd or even email, and that it's just a click away. (And we actually wonder, and at that condescendingly, at why this generation is tuned into instant gratification :)

Here's some interesting information on the song from wikipedia:

Mann ke Manjeeré was a music video, and ultimately an entire campaign created by human rights organization Breakthrough which promoted women's rights. 

Breakthrough was launched with Mann ke Manjeeré: An Album of Women's Dreams, which won the 2001 National Screen Award in India for best music video. The full campaign, focused on promoting women's rights and bringing attention to domestic violence, is based on the music video and album of the same name.

The aesthetically and emotionally powerful music video was shot by Shoojit Sircar and Gary and tells the true story of Shameem Pathan, who courageously broke out of her abusive marriage and became a truck driver to support herself and her child away from her violent husband. 

It's sung by Shubha Mudgal, composed by Shantanu Moitra, with lyrics by Prasoon Joshi. Mita Vashisht, (another favorite), stars in the music video, which was viewed by over 20 million people worldwide. The Hindu described the impact of Mann ke Manjeeré saying, "Mann ke Manjeeré has made a breakthrough by claiming public space for women's aspirations."

Inner Engineering - A Yogi's Guide To Joy

'Inner Engineering - A Yogi's Guide To Joy', by Sadhguru

Having done the three day 'Inner Engineering Course' of Isha Yoga, I thought the book would largely consist of what was spoken off in the course. 

In fact you'd think he'd have someone write the book out of his sermons and talks, but you open the first page, and you know it's all him. Not just in terms of the depth and clarity, but the wit and paradoxically, irreverance too, (the very first chapter is titled 'The four lettered word') and the energy of the book itself. 

Though he says it's not a self help book, it's a book filled with insights and awareness, including the sadhna (practice) needed to gently get you onto a path of conscious evolution, and one that is based on the premise that it is possible for the human being to consciously evolve.

He says, unlike biological evolution, which happens without your conscious participation, spiritual evolution can happen consciously. All it takes is willingness.

It's structured and scientific in approach, he breaks it down into the physical body, the mind, the energy body and the spirit, and talks of what it takes to align and find synergy to evolve on the spiritual path.

The quality of our lives is determined by our ability to respond to the varied complex situations that we encounter. If the ability to respond with intelligence, competence, and sensitivity is compromised by a compulsive or reactive approach, we are enslaved by the situation. It means we have allowed the nature of our life experience to be determined by our circumstances, not by us.

The walls of self-preservation that you build for today are the walls of self-imprisonment for tomorrow. Boundaries that you establish in your life as a protection for yourself today will feel like constraints tomorrow.

In that sense it's also a book of psychology, as it talks of turning inward, rather than outward.

Yoga is not about being superhuman; it is about realizing that being human is super, says he.

Deepak Chopra says it nicely - ‘Inner Engineering is a fascinating read, rich with Sadhguru’s insights and his teachings. If you are ready, it is a tool to help awaken your own inner intelligence, the ultimate and supreme genius that mirrors the wisdom of the cosmos’

I recall one meditation workshop of Sadhguru's I'd attended years ago, and one of the things that stayed, is the simple analogy he used to talk of the relevance of a tool. He said, if you want to open a box that is screwed shut, you need the right tool. If you decided your hands are enough, or use the wrong tools, you will not only spend much longer at it, you will likely damage both your hands and the box in the process. The most efficient way is to use a screw driver. With a screw driver, it will seem like magic. 

While in the workshop he was talking of meditation as the tool to turn inward, I'd say this book offers several insights and tools, should we be willing,  to walk the path of conscious evolution, and walk the path in exuberance and joy.

Vignettes and Quotes - Judging

If there's one person who I think I would like to have met, and known personally, it is Carl Jung. The depth that comes through in some of his lines. They are almost like a beacon towards clarified thinking.

"Thinking is difficult, that's why most people judge"

Think about how much we all do this. Just pause to catch yourself on one day. Any conversation, about another, with another, with self.....and you'll realize there is more judging happening, than you want or intend or realize.

Judging others is so easy.

We all have a framework through which we look at the world. One that's been created of our own upbringing, exposure and conditioning. And everything perceived and thought of, is filtered through that framework.

Think about it. We have a sense of good dressing, religious beliefs, sense of success, acceptable behavior, relationship norms........ they create our entire system of 'right' and 'wrong'. Anything that fits is right...what doesn't subscribe becomes an aberration and something we don't approve of, and we're ready to judge. Worse still.......judge the person who holds them for even holding them.

When it comes to our own lives, we approve of our own actions. Not because they are right. There is no absolute 'right', but because it aligns with our own beliefs.

What would it take to accept that each individual similarly has their own worldview, and each will function from their own space. And at that a dynamic space....an evolving space.

We 'get' that, and I'd wager we've cracked something. The world could start to look different. Words like 'right and wrong', 'good and bad' could disappear from your frame. You'll likely only be left with 'what works for you' and 'what may not', and for the rest, what you'll feel is only love and compassion.

Imagine so much love and compassion in the world.

Musings - The How Of Things

How much the  'How You Say It' matters

Gifted - Movie Review

It's not a new story I guess..... yet it's so beautifully told.

Frank Adler (Chris Evans), a single man, is raising his seven year old niece Mary, a precocious whiz kid, a mathematical prodigy, in a small rural town in Florida. There's a beautiful relationship there, with some brilliant acting, loads of love and fun intelligent banter. 

An idyllic setting, intruded upon by Frank's mother, Mary's grandmother, who has high ambitions for the child, and there is the ensuing custody battle for Mary. A trans generational custody battle between the powerful and rich grandmother, and the reclusive and caring uncle. (the mother, a mathematical genius herself, committed suicide and left Mary in Frank's care)

Yes, that's a dead give away. The movie is that predictable, yet with a depth and freshness that's alluring, and all heart.

The relationship between Frank and Mary has some lovely moments. He wakes her up from bed and coaxes her out on her first day of school, saying he has special breakfast for her, and when she's eating her cereal, she recalls and asks whats's special, and he turns around the Kellogs box to show 'Kellogs special'. So cute.

A sequence in silhouette, against a setting sun, when she asks him if there's god. And he's like 'I don't know' and she's like 'just tell me, Roberta knows, how do you not know' and Frank's like " what Roberta has is faith, I can't tell you what to have faith in" "What about Jesus?" " Jesus, that's different, that guy's a rockstar, but god, I don't know'. Loved the level of thought and respect in dealing with a seven year old.

And then there's the perspective of her grandmother Evelyn "she's not a normal child, she's gifted, treating her as normal is negligence on a grand scale". The movie does bring out varying facets of dealing with a gifted mind, the moral dilemma I guess 'Is it about what such a mind owes to society, and if yes, at what cost to oneself'. Deeply relevant.

She forces a separation. And I'd be amazed if there's a dry eye in that moment. 

There's the sensitive and kind school teacher Bonnie played by Jenny Slate, who recognizes Mary's abilities right off, and in supporting it also gets romantically involved with the uncle. There's nice chemistry there, which apparently was an off screen romance too, so I guess that came through as well.

McKenna Grace as the gap toothed daughter, cocky and forthright was so absolutely cute. Frank is rightly described by a girl in the movie...... 'quiet, damaged, hot guy'.

On the aside, later in the day, I happened to sit with Dhruva for a while watching 'Captain America, The winter soldier' and it took me a while to put Chris Evans from the 'gentle uncle' into 'captain america'.

I said so to Dhruva, and he asked what role that was, and when I told him, he says...."don't know how different amma, he sounds as idealistic, as individualistic, as intense, just in different context". I was pretty stumped, now less by Chris Evans and more by Dhruva's reading. Loved it. And the movie too. :)

Intent ------ Action. The Gap

Baahubali recently, and Beauty and the Beast....and I was just reflecting on which my last movie before these was, when I realized I hadn't seen a single movie in six months. Not even on my laptop. And that took me by total surprise. 

I love watching movies (my kind) and I yet hadn't watched even one for a whole six months. I had to pause to ponder.  Was it the energy invested in the course? And then in the website? Did moving from B'lore to Hyd take away that space? Had I just gotten that busy?

In fact quite the contrary. My time was entirely my own. Not in a job, not in a course, house all set.......I had all the time I wanted.

I'm also wary of the term 'busyness'. Definitely don't want to be slipping into the default kind. I try to keep my days and my time, to the extent possible, at a conscious level. No newspaper and no TV was an aid towards that. No random socializing was again towards that. Lesser spaces of what happens to me, and more spaces of what I make happen to me. The phrase I like to use is 'space that nurtures the spirit'. So how did movies slip out.

That's the gap between intent and action.

There can be loads of energy, and focus on the intent, but if it doesn't translate into action, it's as good as nought. And if this can happen in so much conscious space, I can only imagine how much it can happen on auto pilot.

Reminds me of one of my favourite quotes " Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life, and you will call it fate" - Carl Jung

It was a wake up call. One that said, even what we want.......needs awareness, needs discipline, needs doing, needs follow up, needs checkins.

The path to getting to where you want to be, or the way of being the way you want to be, needs awareness, conscious awareness.

How Does A Moment Last Forever

One of my favorites songs from 'Beauty and the Beast'. It's Céline Dion, and almost carries the 'Titanic' flavor to it.

And for those who don't want to catch the movie, the video has lovely clips from through the movie.