Why are you what you eat (Challenge 6 / 18)
Manasa, is my conscience keeper. I would shudder at the thought of confronting her. This 18 year old, N.I.T (National Institute of Technology) student is a vegan. She would rattle out facts of how 50 billion livestock are butchered every year, to feed this rapacious planet. It included 25 million buffaloes & 4 million horses.
Why Churchill wouldn’t like the sound of it (Challenge 5 / 18)
Heard about the term VOMITORIUM? Rome had conquered the known world and opulence led to decadence. Excess of wealth took consumerism to an extreme. What happened may shock you. The Romans would throw up lavish meals. Gluttony was the order of the day. After imbibing the drink & consuming the food, the Romans would vomit […]
How ‘the power of sex transmutation’ works (Challenge 4 / 18)
Today I step into treacherous waters. Challenge 4 is about ‘sexual abstinence’ for 41 days during the Ayyappa Challenge. No motivational / leadership training talks about it, so why is this a part of the 18 step Challenge? Let’s recap a story that we all know – Lord Shiva (metaphor for inner-world) was in deep […]
3 Stories on why honesty is not the best policy (Challenge 3 / 18)
Ajith (Thala), is superstar of Tamil Cinema. He is lauded by his fans for his integrity & car driving skills. Acting is the last of the skills in his repertoire. In a recent Blockbuster, Mangaatha this vanguard of Tamil Nadu, keeps saying Ethanai Naal thaan Na Nallavana Irukkanum? (how long do I continue being good?) […]
Life is Smoking Mirrors – Challenge 2 / 18 Continues
A Khalil Gibran story – there were two wells in a city. One for the commoners, one for the wise men. One day a sorcerer poisoned the common man’s well. The folks after drinking the water, tore their clothes & went around the city like mad men. They saw the wise men well clad & […]
‘PHUS’ Your Mind – Challenge 2 / 18
Back in 2004, this is how my day went – my sun rose at 7.30. If coffee was not ready in the next 10 minutes, I had a template of the choicest of words which I would cut, copy & paste on my family. Office was fun. My staff and I played the I Spy […]
Mariamman beats Tony hands down – Challenge 1 / 18
You are in Sydney. You buy a thousand dollar ticket to the Sydney Opera. The setting is majestic.You take your seat at the balcony to soak in even the minutest of Gods. The members of the Philharmonic are bedecked in the finest of dresses. The conductor wafts his hand to synchronize the music and set […]
Have you ever got into a rut?
We were watching Charulatha, the iconic Sathyajit Ray movie at Metro theater Kolkatta. Once scene was particularly annoying. The leading lady kept combing her hair for a complete ten minutes, while all the while looking out of the window. Did I have to waste all this evening just to see a lady comb her hair? […]
Am I good or bad?
You can judge the nature of man by how he behaves with people who do nothing for him. This seemed like an apt quote in good times but is it relevant to how things are shaping up in our life currently? Are people really good or bad or do circumstances make them so? Philosophers state […]
WHO AM I?
A million sperms tracked an ovary, only one hit the target and that came out to be me. I was instantly labeled, given a gender, a nationality, a caste and a social status. So, who am I? I have listed below a few explanations through which I have tried to define myself: Psychologists say that I […]