About Me
I'm joining Service Space because ... it's a space that nurtures values worthy of strengthening, not just for ourselves, but also for the ones coming after us
A good day to me is when ... I have the awareness of what wants to emerge from my core, and the wisdom to let it come the way it will
My hero in life is ...my grandmother for living a life of strong laddership
My favorite book is ...Gora
One thing I'm grateful for is ... an awesome world where everyone is my teacher of something
Awakin Readings In French Now!
Mar 10, 2020, 1 comments, 14 smiles
One of the quiet features of Awakin Readings are the weekly translations, used in circles around the globe. Just Hindi and Spanish have 500 translations! There's a rotating crew of about a dozen very dedicated volunteers just for those two languages. German, Gujarati, and Turkish are among the various other languages. Romanian started recently and already has 82 translations, courtesy of Marius coming on board recently.
And newest in the list is French! Olivier, Jasky and likely the "French Gang" have just started spreading inspiration in French ...
...
The Boiling River
Aug 08, 2019, 3 smiles
This is a recent radio program I heard about The Boiling River. The story is of an American geoscientist with Peruvian roots, Andres Ruzo. He heard from his grandfather incredible stories about a "boiling river." When he became a geoscientist, he wanted to find it and everyone believed it to be a myth. He persisted, and went to find it with the help of a shaman. He found that he was getting terrible insect bites while no one else in his group was being targeted in that way. The shaman said, "Oh yes, the jungle is protecting itself against you. It's because of the knowledge you bring -- people with that knowledge have hurt the jungle in the past."
He joined the shaman in a ceremony to connect with the jungle in a different way. The next day, he had no insect bites!
He ended up finding the boiling river and it ... Read Full Story
The Last Poem
Jul 16, 2019, 2 comments, 11 smiles
I was in Tagore's heartland last weekend on my second visit to Shantiniketan (translates to "Abode of Peace"). This is where Tagore setup an international university called Vishva Bharati (which translates to "Global India") in 1921 using his Nobel prize money received in 1913.
There are many things of note here. Tagore rebelled against education that was confined within walls. A hallmark of the classes here is that they are often held in open air under the trees. Tagore and Gandhi both had a low opinion about the British model of education that arose from industrialization and employed a factory and batching model.
Santinketan has given India two of its Nobel laureates -- Tagore for Literature in 1913 and Amartya Sen for Economics in 1998. Here is Sen reminiscing on what education was like here in his formative years:
.. it was mainly in Tagore’s school that my educational attitudes were formed. This ... Read Full Story
Inspiring Link
Dec 25, 2018, 1 comments, 1 smiles
For some Christmas cheer, here is an article on the Stanford Police Department drawn from my dissertation research.
The Good Samaritan and the Police Department that Insourced Compassion
Jesus echoed the teaching of his scriptures, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” After a little silence, a listener asked, “Who should be my neighbor?” Jesus responded with the following story. A Jew…
The Light In Your Heart And The Way Back Home
Aug 14, 2018, 2 comments, 3 smiles
Last Sunday, a Chinese lady at the Palo Alto farmer's market stopped me and shared about an upcoming play. I was surprised to read the content -- they were touching stories about values from Japan and India, including one from the Lotus Sutra.
I attended the performance today and was touched. It is in Chinese with English subtitles. A humble offering presented with deep messages and conviction.
The next one is on Aug 18, Sat, in Berkeley at the Jewish Community Center of the Easy Bay, 1414 Walnut St, and it is open to the public with free admission. Here are some quick pics I took of the flyer:
Three Learnings From Doing Nothing
Jul 22, 2018, 10 comments, 14 smiles
Just returned from a vacation in India where I felt my roots had been watered. While many things beyond the reach of enumeration led to that feeling, three interactions stood out for their common thread.
As an engineer, I have always wanted to make the world a better place. Usually, and perhaps erroneously, I would assume this meant "doing something." And yet, there are times in one's life when one cannot "do" anything. The three interactions on this trip helped me go deep into doing and being, and the dance between them.
A meal of love
Perhaps as old as I am is a term of endearment my aunt uniquely used for me. Every time I've heard her call me in that way, I have always been connected to her in love. The interregnum between the last time I saw her (three years back) and this time has been punctuated with devastating personal ... Read Full Story
Yuval Noah Harari And Vipassana
Jul 15, 2018, 2 comments, 8 smiles
Yuval Noah Harari, author of Sapiens and Homo Deus, shares his experience with Vipassana. Many gems in it. Like the sign of something being real is whether it suffers, "In a war, nations don't suffer. Soldiers do. Civilians do." He calls nations unreal - a fiction.
Inspiring Link
Jun 07, 2018, 1 comments, 3 smiles
A wonderful story on KQED about Voluntary Action by moms in the tenderloin district of San Francisco:
Creating a Safe Passage for Kids in San Francisco's Gritty Tenderloin | The California Dream | The California Report | KQED News
The Tenderloin is notorious for drug use and sales on its streets. But it's also one of the few affordable neighborhoods left in one of the nation’s most e
Awakin Readings, Now In Turkish And Romanian!
Feb 20, 2018, 13 smiles
For our weekly Awakin readings, we typically get five language translations each week: English, German, Hindi, Gujarati, and Spanish. Few weeks ago, Aslinur added a six language: Turkish. And as of this week, Ashima's circle in Bucarest has now become our seventh language: Romanian.
Facing Sadness The Mindful Princess Style
Jan 25, 2018, 3 comments, 18 smiles
My 6-year old daughter Samani was sad that a friend had spoken a little harshly to her. After the sadness lingered over two days, we tried talking her out of it, but it didn't work. Finally, I had this conversation with her.
Me: Are you feeling sad?
She: Yes.
Me: Would you like to stop feeling sad?
She: Yes.
Me: Then you will have to let it go.
She: How?
Pause... Suddenly, I remembered a conversation with my professor.
Me: Ok -- you will have to repeat what I say, and then the sadness will disappear. Will you?
She: Yes.
Me: "I am feeling sad."
She: "I am feeling sad."
Me: Actually, I am having the thought "sad".
She: Actually, I am having the thought "sad". [Her expression partially changes from sadness to one of curiosity]
Me: Actually, the thought "sad" is having me!
She: Actually, the thought "sad" is having me! [Her expression fully changes to curiosity and astomnishment]
Me: It is eating me up! ... Read Full Story
