Eclipse of the Soul

Does eclipse have an effect on us? Whenever there is an eclipse there is also a huge debate on this!
I wont comment on whether there is an effect of eclipse but I will admit that I do believe in truth to astrology (unlike most Christians), though.... I do not put my 'trust' in it rather I put my trust in the power of faith (like Christians) . Christian or not, one has to acknowledge the possibility of effect of heavenly bodies on life forms just like the moon has an effect on the sea (after all we are around 90% water!).
The Bible, as I know it, only implies not to put 'trust' in such things but rather have faith in God (as God is above all such things).It does not say that there is no truth in astrology, but rather asserts, that believing in its effects should not make us surrender to it, making no effort of will or faith to force a difference.

We are affected not only by heavenly phenomenon, but also by our genes, our hormones, our culture, environment and upbringing..So many factors!Knowing and acknowledging all the factors that effect the physical body does not mean to surrender to being slaves of it but to be empowered by the knowledge to recognize when our reactions or moods or circumstances may have been under an 'influence'. And so neither take credit nor slave it, rather we could use it for the best depending upon the context. (Also for those who change place a lot, knowing the birth signs of new people can help to connect more quickly and be better prepared on what could be expected and how to deal with it.)

Knowing and awareness of all influences on us can help us to decide to step out and think clear when the influences are negative- by the sheer power of the soul's free will as the soul cannot be effected by physical influences on the body.

Therefore being aware of the truth does not mean putting all faith in it or surrendering to it. Rather "the truth as always can set us free" ..in a way that the soul can step out from being eclipsed by the forces on the body.
When the influences are bad ..step out.. when the influences are good.. why not let the awareness be a little help? That is the proper use of knowledge, awareness and free will.

The Mighty Sun can be eclipsed surely but there never can be an eclipse of the Soul.. unless we forget this truth...

Homosexuality, and other Identifications.

Animals, I had thought, do not have homosexuals, and I believed that is because they are creatures of instinct; but a friend corrected me informing that 1500 species (such as fruit flies, lions and primates) exhibit homosexuality. He also wrote to me that most large animals that exhibit homosexuality live in groups and sex is used as a form of bonding mechanism and conflict resolution tool.

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 I am including here the facts (shared by my friend) that requires to be noted before forming any definite opinions on the subject of homosexuality.

'Homosexuality was considered as a pathological mental illness in 19th and first part of 20th century, but empirical and scientific studies failed to produce a basis for regarding homosexuality as a disorder or abnormality. So American Psychiatric Association declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1973 and American Psychological Association soon followed suit in 1975.

So it is not an abnormality similar to Down’s Syndrome but more of a rare physico-genetic trait such as left-handedness. It is estimated that 2-3% of human population is homosexual and they have minor genetic, prenatal/ embryological and neurological differences from others; though the biological basis of homosexuality is not foolproof. So sexual instincts may not be as inherent as we assume because 10% of all humans may be bisexual (capable of sexual relations with both gender) and 1% is asexual (incapable of sexual relations with any gender) without having any physical or mental abnormalities.'

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While I agree that instincts are innate, I also suspect that in some cases, it could be a malady of the mind. For example, narcissistic love may lead to disinterest in the opposite and magnification of interest in the self and the 'same'.  This is just speculation on my part. The Bible does not explicitly explain whether sexual immorality includes masturbation, but, in any case, I no longer subscribe to interpretations of certain Biblical verses as implicitly speaking against masturbation. I personally feel masturbation has to be more acceptable than abusing another for ones needs! 

Nevertheless, becoming a slave of the body is not good. Those who feel their mind taking control of their will should consider the warnings in the Bible in order to avoid being led by the waywardness of the mind. This line of thought makes me feel that instilling fear of punishment in those earlier times must have been considered better than explaining, probably because explanations can also become seeds to waywardness to weak and susceptible minds. It must have been seen as better than leaving everything to trial, error and self-correction because some mistakes are too costly and difficult to correct.

I would pursue the point that man with the superior mind sometimes follows more the mind than the instinct. In today's world, where too much media  information, excessive freedom and exposure prevail in society with hardly any effort at training minds to sift through information with discretion, chaos can be expected. With repeated attention to the wayward thoughts created by the idle mind, its dictates may be misread as instinct, sexual orientation or identifications. Here I would like to stress that man being oriented towards living in civilised society, sometimes requires its people to prioritise the purpose of keeping society civil and healthy, and avoiding unrest within society, such as by discouraging abnormal situations like peer group indulgences for mere fun and for killing boredom.

men women

There are certain conclusions that I have drawn regarding men women and I am making the generalized observation in accordance with my perception of how the men women world is working. The understanding could be most useful when the two worlds meet.

Men have to a varying degree 'the sadistic instinct'probably provided by nature (could be the effect of testosterone which only biologists could confirm or find out)so as to become the agressor in procreation..to inflict pain if required to attain pleasure.

Women are made out to be more or less dreamers and self lovers again to varying degrees which possibly is also a hormonal effect..so that there is 'strutting' and seeking for appreciation though it might require or result in pain.

These nature endowed factors in both, though help in procreation are blocks in the spiritual search for true love. The 'body' thus may be obstructing the experience of true love.

These factors in men lead to love taking backseat and pleasure front seat even if it be often tinged with sadistic pleasure. In women these factors could lead to insecurities and jealousies taking precidence over unconditional love. Depending on the Yin Yang ratios, both men and women may have these blocks in the ratio of their own Yin Yang.

That is why physical love is shallow where the soul stands away as a mute spectator.The spirit needs to rise above these 'bodily' or physical blocks to unleash the experience of true love. Only when the two can come together out of spiritual love alongside the physical (or which generates the physical)..can the bonding be complete..awakening true love and true happiness in both the participants and enriching the spirit. In such a bonding the soul participates and only then do two really become one enriching each other in the meeting.

Homosexuality

The article 377 has been amended and of course the hardcore christian will have some worries concerning this, particularly because the Bible has a negative stance about 'unnatural acts'. Agreed that homosexuality is not in with the natural instincts of the majority. Let's say that it is one of nature's aberrations, but even so, it seems to be not a small population with the homosexual inclinations, be it among human or the animal world! 

Maybe we can think more clearly on this matter if we think on it a bit laterally.

If out of 10 children a mother has one abnormal child, (could be any abnormality.., say mental retardation) would it be proper for the mother to expect that child to behave like the other 9 do? Abnormalities are a 'normal' phenomenon in nature. And the behaviour that such a child shows is "natural". The abnormal child can, and has to be allowed to be his/her natural self, because it cannot be altered! And it cannot, in any way, be criminal to be born abnormal. 

Thinking in parallel terms, sexual instincts are, largely, inherent, and cannot be developed or influenced upon (mostly). As long as it is inherent, it is 'natural' though not 'normal' natural instinct.

Not criminalising homosexuality means accepting it as an aberration, rather than crime. However, while we accept aberrations, celebrating it  can make it appear to be a normal social behaviour rather than an aberration. In my personal opinion, it may not be desirable to celebrate an aberration of nature even though we spare it any judgement, specially because it could give the wrong message to influenceable young minds. Take for example how excessive freedom in society has led to new, previously unheard of, identifications arising in society. Transracial, trans-abled and what not. Some of them say they remember that they were that way in a previous lifetime. I wouldn't argue with that, but isn't it important to live the current lifetime in the manner we chose to be born?

Maybe now we can understand why the scriptures kept sexuality in black and white. It's because freedom without discretion can lead to chaos. 

Perhaps we should rethink how far our education system is successful in enabling youngsters to think clearly and rationally.  How much importance are we giving to teaching thinking skills? Can our children understand the difference between accepting their natural inclinations and allowing the monkey-mind to flit about unrestrained? Or are we still like our ancestors who needed to keep aberrations under the carpet to prevent it from becoming an epidemic?

Changing Love and Law

Pune Mirror, tuesday June 23 ran an article "Vow for Now!" which talked about newly weds ditching 'till death do us part' wedding vows with pledges 'as long as our love lasts'.
Having for most part been a conservative person I still cant help thinking that it is best if marriage does last even if love does change in many ways,.. but at the same time happiness too is important. If one is not happy with a relationship, it can pull down the whole family into unhappiness, for unhappiness only begets unhappiness. It would be better then to seek happiness, and if it becomes just impossible to be happy and maintain happiness in the family while staying in the marriage then it is probably only best to release the whole family from misery by ending the relationship.

Being a christian, it is tough to erase the black and white of issues and adopt the newage greys but I guess it is the colour of the times. I do think it would be better to take easier vows while hoping that the love lasts for ever than make big vows and become guilty of breaking them. Even a study of the Old testament of the Bible shows up a difference in terms of nuptial do's and dont's with the size and nature of the population or with the need of the times.

I personally feel that in the past few years there has been a very drastic change in terms of the social structure of much of urban India. If a seer had come in this new world then would have provided us with a new law of love and marriage. Since nothing like that has happened what do we refer to? We have to refer to the law being rewritten in the hearts of the whole of our community.

Born of an age of the hardcore dreamer, and religious idealists, I found it unexplainably traumatic to accept the rewriting in my heart. But now that I have accepted it,I am at peace. The heart is to be trusted above all else while looking for the TRUE and CURRENT answers floating in the Cosmic Space.

Running from pollution

I had thought there was no real pollution issues near around my peaceful home in kerala where I love to retreat to for sometime every year..., until I realized that paraquat(non selective, contact herbicide) was occasionally sprayed to control the weeds in our clean compound. I had assumed till then that the little that pushed up from beneath the gravel strewn over the mud were mostly hand weeded. Well, often hand weeded but not possible always, its true... I looked at the well in our compound.....Paraquat....., does have a bad enough half life(time taken for half of the chemical to decompose) which is at least more than a year.Hmm.. but has less mobility in soil so lesser chances of ground water pollution. There are only occasional rains in this season to push it down too much towards ground water and so degradation in the sun can be faster too. Not too bad then.
And..there is no place to run from pollution I guess...

Among all pesticides, I understand 'insecticide' exposure quite well enough, but I moved away from anything connected to Agri after graduation... but not really away from pollution as I soon realized. Env studies opened my eyes wider than I cared for. Can I now be happy that the vegs are free of worms, can I be pleased seeing a 'white' clean looking cauliflower? what sort of milk did I give my children. What of the packet milk my children are provided with... I used to look at the milk glass and wonder.. not some concoction of urea I hope. What sort of History does the water coming in the taps have? What combination of air have I been breathing in, each time, as I moved around over years in my country.
There is only one thing to do..Do the little, with the awareness, that I personally can do and stop worrying. because there is just not the option of running away from pollution and the possible effects. No point in worrying about what one has no control over.
Live peacefully without worry as long as we manage to live.. thats all there is to it

being taken care of

Today in church, the priest asked the parents 'not to put children to sunday school when they are not yet of an age to understand the lessons. Parents put their kids when they are just in UKG thinking that by 9th standard they will be free of sunday school and can concentrate on board exams.' He asked not to think in that manner because 'isnt it God who will take care of our needs.'

I believe that last line with my whole heart because I know it beyond doubt to be true. Even when parents, relation or friends or spouse become the medium, I can recognize quite distinctly in the manner the needs are met, as to who actually the provider is.

The signs are all there..
-Even I was not aware I needed it.
-or there is a whole lot of events that take place on which nobody has control of in which few people come together and meet a requirement I had, that I personally didn't bother about.
--the way I or those responsible for me are led to make choices that bring to me something that I had thought was not for me.
-the way certain things I am led to do (sometimes wrong in the bookish sense) and in the process learn, are so clearly the very lessons that help me understand and manage the immediately following perplexing scenario!

I am sure everybody has had similar experiences.
At the same time I know how I enjoy giving to someone who is thrilled by even a small gift, or who cherishes it more. I feel like giving more to that person.And so I feel that a person who has a grateful heart that sees the value in the seeming little things; gets or maybe recognizes or remembers more of such 'being provided for' experiences.Whereas,a person who does not recognize even an immensely valuable gift as being so, looses it (or does not derive it's benefits in the fullest sense), and nobody but that person's ingratitude is responsible for the dearth in his/ her life.

The more a person loves or values a 'need met' as having been given by God, the more are all sort of such 'small and big' needs of the person found met with.

What sort of person has this- much required 'Gratitude'?;
I am compelled to believe that gratitude comes easy to a person who desires to do the will of God in all circumstances, even when there is not the surety of what the will of God is. Such a person, I am sure, by the mere power of the honesty of the desire,will end up making the right choices and thereby getting the 'right'things in life. Surrendering to the will of God even when the results are painful makes for a genuine person who is grateful about everything received from the hands of God;'whether joyous or painful'. And so everything received attains immense value and benefits pour in due to the value assigned.

That would also be what is meant in the verse 'Seek the kingdom of God first and all these things (that you desire/need) shall be yours.'

P.S
I think sometimes gifts come with a duration and trust that it is so because such a gift holds its value only within that duration.
The one who truly desires the will of God, I guess ought to accept willingly the pain of loosing it despite having cherished it; just as readily as was accepted the joy of having found it...