Category Flights of ‘Thoughts’

Editorial Note – Happy New Year

Manish 'Pakhi' Leave a comment
Editorial Note – Happy New Year 

Happiness in Daily Life

 
 

 

Happiness in Daily Life

Wish you all a very Happy New Year!! 

The New Year invites us to pause, reflect upon our journey, and envision the path ahead. This year, I’ve again been privileged to forge meaningful connections with readers spanning the globe—from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, and France to Sweden, Ukraine, Hong Kong, Singapore, Portugal, Latvia, Finland, Luxembourg, Canada, Colombia, Poland, and Israel. These bonds have enriched my life immeasurably.

My deepest gratitude goes to each reader whose encouragement, thoughtful feedback, and wisdom have sustained this journey of writing. I treasure your presence and sincerely value your feedback and insights. 

In my last editorial note, I talked about reflecting on the spaces and times around us; the dimension of ‘Tangible Illusions’. Today as the year of 2025 gives way to ushering in the new year of 2026, I reflect back on the ‘Intangible Realities’ that run the entire world starting from our individual interactions to group behaviours and to collective consciousness of beliefs and misbeliefs…I find the world is getting increasingly aggressive, loud and unapologetic about the soulless acts and profanities committed at all levels and at all places… 

‘Intangible Realities’ referred to are the torrents of negative energies and the upheavals of unseen positive forces…The subliminal battles of evil and good in the planes of our consciousness…. Are they decisively leaning to the victory of the evil side!!  Are we facing more negativity than a few decades back? Are we feeling more insecure and unsafe… If not, then why are bad behaviours going unchallenged, why evil acts are finding complicit and why impostors are being hailed in our daily lives…in families, social circles, at work or in larger regions…Is toxicity the only new normal. Is humanity buried…The invisible currents of jealousy, resentment, and anger from those around us can gradually erode our peace like a subtle poison coursing through our lives. 

People find themselves inexplicably anxious, drained of energy, troubled without apparent cause – Unnecessary conflict: Disputes in the home without any solid reason. Bitterness in speech despite love being present, Uncontrolled thoughts, Lack of concentration and Self-doubt. 

This is how invisible energies, the hidden emotions of others, and our own carelessness make us unhappy.  We understand how poison can be hidden inside a golden vessel and how a burning ember burns the one who catches it more than the one who throws it. 

We navigate through an immense energetic ocean, constantly interacting with invisible forces. We are shaped by our thoughts yet equally important is recognizing how profoundly the mental currents of others influence us. harmful energetic patterns. Contemporary science identifies these as “negative vibes,” while traditional teachings described them as unwholesome mental formations or afflicted consciousness.

When someone experiences anger in our vicinity or secretly nurses envy toward us, their inner turbulence doesn’t remain contained. These individuals continuously radiate disturbance outward—invisible waves of unrest that permeate the surrounding atmosphere. This raises an essential question: how can we safeguard ourselves from these disruptive energies?

1.Influence of association is inevitable:   We cannot escape it, no matter how hard we try, unless we are fully enlightened. We often think that if we haven’t harmed anyone, no harm will come to us. This is an illusion. The Tathagata emphasized the importance of Sangha or good company. He used to say that it is better to walk alone than to walk with fools. Here, “fool” does not mean someone with low intelligence. Rather, it is the person who is unaware. If we are surrounded by people who constantly complain, blame others, or curse their fate, we will gradually start doing the same. Their negative energy will diminish our own.

2. The Principle of the Burning Ember: How does negativity work? By holding on to the burning coal of another’s anger. The person who harbours jealousy towards us, who wishes for our destruction, is the first to destroy their own peace. They make their own body and mind sick. But if we are standing near them and we are not careful, the heat of that ember will burn us too. 

3. The Golden Urn and the Poisonous Sweetness: It is easy to avoid an open enemy because we know they are an enemy.  We can see it. But what about the person who is an enemy disguised as a friend? Many times, someone speaks to us very sweetly. They smile. They praise us. Their words are gentle. But sitting near them, we feel a strange fatigue. We want to leave . Our mind feels heavy. Why? They say, “I am our well-wisher.” But inside their minds, the poison of envy, malice, and ill will is present. 

When someone speaks sweetly but harbours evil thoughts in their mind, a conflict arises within their being. This conflict generates a special kind of negative energy. Our highly sensitive consciousness senses this danger. That’s why we feel uneasy around that person. Our body and mind are giving us a signal: Beware, there is danger here. Get away from here. But we often ignore these signals. We get caught in a web of words and drink that poisonous liquid. As a result, we become victims of depression, anxiety, and conflict. Buddha says that truth is not seen with the eyes, but with inner intuition. Words can lie, but vibrations never lie. 

4. Five Doors and Protection: How does this negativity enter us? Our body, like a fortress, has five main gates. Our senses: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin. Of these, the eyes and ears are the largest gates. What we hear is like food. If we eat contaminated food, our body will become sick. If we listen to contaminated things—criticism, gossip, pointless complaints, news of crime, frightening discussions— our mind will become sick. 

    Often, we think, “I’m just listening. I’m not doing anything.” 

    What do we see? Violent scenes, feelings of inferiority arising from seeing the wealth of others, or angry faces. When we see a disturbed person, subtle waves of fear or anger begin to rise within us as well. This is the principle of the mirror. Our mind begins to reflect the emotions of the person in front of us. Similarly whatever words enter the ear, they become a seed in the subconscious mind. In time, that seed will sprout and release poison into our behaviour. 

Most People believe they are above these influences and their understanding of worldly matters is expedient and deep. Yet, an awakened mind can clearly see through their veneer of false bravados, feigned knowledge and assumed personas. 

Every year brings us some revelations on the limitless potential of human capability – Sadly it is limitless on the negative side too. 2025 was one of those years which strengthened my belief in the principle of Three Obstacles and Four Devils in Buddhism. In Nichiren Buddhism, the Three Obstacles and Four Devils represent internal and external hindrances that inevitably arise as one nears enlightenment. The Three Obstacles include earthly desires (greed/anger), karma (opposition from family), and retribution (interference from authority). The Four Devils consist of physical/mental disharmony, earthly desires, the fear or disruption of death, and the “Devil King of the Sixth Heaven”—manipulation by those in power or authority.

But are we helpless? Are we merely puppets in the hands of others? No. let us  learn the art of remaining pure, like the lotus flower, even while rooted in the mud. These challenges are viewed not as failures, but as proof of spiritual progress. By maintaining strong faith and courage, practitioners transform these obstacles into catalysts for profound personal growth and “human revolution.”

Regarding the protective shield and inner purification, Gautama Buddha said, “Be a lamp unto ourselves.” When darkness surrounds us, cursing the darkness will accomplish nothing. What is needed is to ignite a light within  ourselves – अप्प दीपो भव. To protect ourselves from negative vibrations, we don’t need to change the outside world. We need to strengthen our inner system. 

Eight powerful principles that can free us from all kinds of negativity and achieve Victory over Devilish functions are: . 

1.The Shield of ‘Observance’:  When someone shouts or insults us, they are directing their negative energy towards us. If we react at that moment, if we also become angry, it means we have taken that ember into our own hand. Now we too will burn. When hostile energy targets us, our refusal to engage leaves that negativity with its source. Protection comes through mindfulness: observing our emotional responses without immediate reaction, creating space between stimulus and response. In that sacred pause lies our freedom. When someone is negative towards us, we should say to ourselves: This is his anger, not mine. This is his unrest, not mine. I do not accept it. When we don’t react, the other person’s negative energy finds no basis. That energy bounces back and returns to them. 

2.The Empty Boat Principle: There is an old story that Buddha’s followers often tell. Once, a monk was meditating in his small boat on the bank of a river. The river’s current was calm. Suddenly, he felt another boat collide with his boat. He was jolted. His concentration was broken. He became very angry. He thought, “What fool is this who doesn’t see that I am meditating here?” He turned to shout and curse at the person in the other boat. But as soon as he opened his eyes, he was stunned. The other boat was empty. There was no one in it. It was simply drifting along with the wind and the current of the river and had collided with his boat. All his anger vanished in an instant. Whom could he be angry with? 

There was no one there. Buddha says that the people in society who are causing us pain, who are jealous, are all like that empty boat. They are not masters of their own minds. They are being carried along by the winds of their old habits, their conditioning, and their circumstances. They are not colliding with us intentionally. They are simply drifting unconsciously. If we consider them as individuals, anger will arise. If we understand that they are merely slaves of circumstances, that they are suffering, then we will feel compassion for them, not anger. And where there is compassion, negative energy cannot enter. The next time someone shouts at us, consider them an empty boat. Consider that the poor person is caught in the storms of their own mind. Sutra 

  1. Cultivating the Opposite: When there is darkness, we don’t try to remove it with a stick. We bring light. Similarly, to remove a negative thought, we don’t fight it. Rather, the goal is to cultivate a positive thought. This is called “Counteracting Emotion” in Yoga and Buddhist philosophy. If we feel anger towards someone, forcefully bring forth feelings of friendship and goodwill towards them. This is difficult, but not impossible. Buddha had a very profound principle: hatred is never appeased by hatred; hatred is only appeased by love. If we silently pray for that person, wishing them well and peace, we have created white energy, white light. This white energy will instantly neutralize the other person’s negative energy, just as adding an alkali to an acid neutralizes it. This is the best weapon to defeat our enemies. Respond to their negativity with our positivity. This will shake them to their core and also protect us. 
  2. Inner cleansing: We often say, “That person is very negative. I feel bad when I’m around them.” But a bitter truth is that a fly only lands where there is dirt. If our house is completely clean, a fly cannot stay there. Similarly, if there is already anger, greed, or fear hidden within us, only then does external negativity affect us. If there is no wound inside, we, sprinkling salt on it will not cause pain. Pain only occurs when there is already a wound. Therefore, before trying to change others, we should cleanse our inner self. Every day, sit in solitude for some time. Focus on our breath. See what is going on inside us. Are we still frustrated about something from the past? Have we not forgiven someone? Get that old garbage out. Forgive, and be free. The emptier and purer we are within, the more external vibrations will pass right through us; they won’t even be able to touch us.  we will become transparent. Buddha says , just as a strong rock is not moved by the wind, so too a wise person is not disturbed by praise or criticism. The average person runs away from negativity. They want people to praise them. They want everything to be in their favor. But the seeker, the awakened one, knows that adverse circumstances are necessary to refine their strength. 

 

  1. The Enemy is the Friend: The Enemy as the Catalyst. This may sound strange. But consider this: If there are no angry people in the world, how would we practice forgiveness? If no one insulted us, how would we practice tolerance? When someone spews negativity towards us, they are giving us an opportunity. They are testing us. They are seeing how alive our ego is. If their insult hurts us, it means that we still have a wound of ego within us. That enemy has only revealed that the wound has not yet healed. Therefore, Buddha says that we should be grateful to our critics. They are our free teachers. They introduce us to our weak points that we cannot see ourselves. The formula for transformation: The next time someone creates an obstacle, say to yourself, “This is not my enemy, this is my trainer. This person has come to teach me patience.” As soon as we think this, the effect of that person’s negative energy will disappear.

It will become fuel for us.  We will use that energy to make our patience even greater. This is called ‘Changing poison into medicine’. 

  1. The Power of Silence: Negative waves often spread through words. We talk too much. We waste our energy in useless arguments, explanations, and gossip. When we argue with a negative person, we descend to their level. We mix our high energy with their low energy. This is a great loss.The Buddha often remained silent. When someone asked pointless questions or insulted him, he would not respond. His silence was so profound and powerful that the other person would become calm on their own. Silence is not a weakness or Passivity. It has the power to unsettle unhappy people. The calmer and more silent a person is, the more influential their presence becomes. Practice speech fasting for at least some time every day. Do not speak when it is not necessary and do not speak unnecessarily faster or louder; both reveal your weaker and vulnerable self.

 

  1. Compassion to defeat negativity:  Buddha says that hatred cannot be overcome by hatred, but only by love. When we understand that the person before us is not evil but rather suffering, that they are burning in the fire of their own anger, then compassion arises in our heart for them. Buddha said to Angulimal, the bandit, “I have stopped. When will you stop?” Buddha’s immense compassion melted Angulimala’s hardness. This is the power of positivity. If our positivity, our peace, is greater than the anger of the person in front of us, then that person will be defeated. They will have to change. Darkness cannot stand before light. Therefore, increase our radiance so much, expand our compassion so much that   when a sad or angry person comes to us, they become calm.  we don’t have to say anything. Our presence itself becomes medicine for them. 

 

  1. Emptiness and Liberation – Revealing your true identity: Why are we unhappy?  Because we consider ourselves to be a limited identity. “My name is this. My position is this. My honour is this.”  When this small identity is threatened, we become disturbed. Buddha says we are not the body.  we are not this name.  we are like that infinite sky in which clouds come and go.      Whether the clouds are black or white, it makes no difference to the sky. The sky is never tainted. The day we experience this truth that I am merely an observer, I am not this body, on that day no power in the world can make us unhappy. This is called the state of emptiness or Nirvana. Emptiness does not mean nothingness. Emptiness means completeness. When we renounce everything from within, all prejudices, all hatred, all attachment, then we become infinite. Then there is no difference between us and this universe. Then wherever we go, we become a source of peace.

Protect that sacred space within our heart. Be an Observer. 

I pray you gain mastery over your mind, develop profound insight into others’ inner worlds, and help awaken humanity to its highest potential. May we collectively transcend our fundamental ignorance, conquering greed, anger, and jealousy—ensuring these destructive patterns don’t infect Artificial Intelligence, which would merely amplify our shadow selves.

Let us pursue enlightenment urgently, before creating autonomous machines wielding tremendous influence. Our consciousness must evolve before our technology does.

Wishing you a truly magnificent New Year filled with transformation and light!

 

From- “Manish ‘pakhi’

Conscience vs Con-Sense

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Conscience-keepers are the people who uphold the moral values, sense of right and wrong and justice.

These are the people who have depth of character and a grounded view of life.

Conscience-keepers are the people whom others look up to as leaders and GO-TO persons. In an organization, if one feels there is something going wrong or against the norms, they can go to the conscience-keepers with the firm conviction of finding support and help.

Conscience-keepers practice the high standards of conduct and inspire confidence in others to do so. They act as the moral backbone of an organization and help develop a culture of mutual trust and psychological safety.

They advocate positive human traits such as sincerity and compassion.

They are the true parent figures who encourage people to practice professionalism and also discourage unethical behaviour.

Conscience-keepers are the people of magnanimous stature and benevolent gravitas. They are stalwarts and pillars of the organization.

Conscience keepers are rare now.

They exists in memories of the past. With the changes in society, they became fewer and fewer. So have  people,  who sought them and their values.

Their diminution  led to the growth of a Pseudo-Conscientious breed of people who would do all that they could discourage sincere and well bred, well-meaning people. Such people are called Con-Sense Creepers.

Con-Sense Creepers, invest their time and energy into building a network of like minded people ready to connive and put up a show of lofty talking hiding their ulterior and mean intentions.

They combine their opinions and voices to falsify the truths and creating deceptions. They coalesce easily and creepy as they are, base their actions to usurp power and fame thru Con-ship.

Con-sense-creeper ;  the most pernicious, fecund and thriving cohorts of self-serving individuals hiding behind their feigned egos and masked cunningness.

They are charlatans and possessor of shallowest beliefs.

Con-Sense-creepers demonstrate  majoritarian decision making putting up a show of democracy. In this process they first gather likeminded people in their inner circle to pursue matters of share interest silencing any conscientious voice.

On one hand they do everything to promote the interest of their likes thru unethical methods and unfair means, on the other hand they systematically discourage and distance good intentioned people.  Con-Sense creepers would undermine the efforts, achievements and visibility of good intentioned people while exaggerating the achievements and visibility  of their likes.  When unchecked , They  plot against good people to drive them away and to establish impregnable circle of Yes-sayers which can reward people of their types and punish or sideline people who are not their types.

Con-Sense creepers are perfect liars behind their glib façade.  They threaten the people who are in lesser position and become overly charming and friendly to their authorities. It becomes difficult for the authorities to identify such chameleons and they consider them to be people basically  good at heart with some inexperience and immaturity.

Con-sense-creepers become extremely insecure in testing times. While they do not hesitate to put good people on spot or throw them under the bus,  for themselves, they may feign illness or injury as justifications to  anticipated unfavorable outcomes of a testing situation. When they are under pressure, they do not hesitate to expose  the unethical acts of their likes to save their skin.

Con-sense-creepers have grown desperately leaving no tenet, rule or ideals unbent.

The third category of people are By-Standers. These people have no particular principles or tenets in life of Conscience-Keepers and neither the  unsatiable greed and jealousy for self-advancement like Con-Sense-creepers. 

We can call them, Conscience- Sleepers.

Conscience sleepers   keep their conscience in check to avoid undue struggle in life. They easily align with people on either side i.e. Conscience or Con-Sense. They selectively apply pragmatism and idealism and chose words or actions without being passionate about them.  They align with majority  in public and with minority  in private.

They do not let themselves be identified with any polars. They feed on both sides equally and thrive.

Look around you and find the people, patterns, plots and potpourri of politics of inevitable characterization. Most Conscience-keepers are seasoned and discerning and believe in the good side of the people. They suffer persecution for their beliefs and mercy too.  Most Con-sense Creepers are hardened and brazen. They pursue wrongdoing to a flashpoint often ending in upheavals. Most Conscience sleepers remain passive and gleefully ensconced in their noncommittal sub-human indifference.

Lets pray for all Conscience Keepers to grow stronger and stronger to lead humanity with humanity. They are rare gems in a decrepit society. May them all protect each other and save the world.

(c) Manish ‘ Pakhi’

Another year passes by to bring us to another moment of reflection, reckoning, anticipation, resolution, hopes and dreams… We as human beings have our destiny tied up with space and time inextricably. I have a growing realization that many a times what we consider as an individual approach to change in our lives, our mental models or preferences is nothing more than effect of the time and space we belong to… A country being economically, socially and technologically less evolved might exhibit Family Values, Professional Ethics and Societal Norms of what an evolved country exhibited 20 years earlier when they were at that stage ….Same things apply to individuals….when you observe a change in behavior of a certain person, check whether the person has different circumstances now as compared to earlier times… People living in small houses with lesser amenities often exhibit closer family bonds then the ones living in larger houses with all luxuries… it is the adversity that fosters humanity or kindness; good times seems to foster alienation, aloofness and distance… There could be exceptions but generally, there are patterns to our behavior. We tend to focus on the person while in fact it is the time that has changed and not the person. The person might only be reflecting the effect of the change in time… Very closely observe the space around a person which would mean their affiliates, friends, acquaintances, their locality, possessions, and the times they are in their life.. sad times, happy times, affluence, penury, fears, insecurities etc.. There is a concept in Buddhism called  eshō-funi which means Oneness of Self and Environment. This typically means that the environment acts like a perfect mirror to one’s inner state of life…While to an individual it provide an opportunity to understand the changes to be internalized in order to improve their circumstances; to an observer it means; watching and understanding the environment of a person and uncover the Inner state of life of that person with perfection and accuracy… unmistakably…Many a times we find that the people were getting materially elevated while experiencing (and accepting) free fall of their moral values and sense of justice.. and both were manifested in their environment as a true reflection of their inner life states..

New Year gives us an opportunity to reflect on our spaces and times and look back and ahead.. We wish each other a promising future and surge of positivity suffuse the planet earth. I also take this opportunity to open a new chapter of my writing journey by launching ‘Delta-To-Sigma’ in its new outlook. The journey that started more than a decade back has been a truly rewarding experience of my life. I was able to connect with many readers from across the geographies and make some everlasting friendships. The stats shows a widespread reach across countries like US, UK, Germany, Russia, France, Sweden, Ukraine, Hongkong, Singapore, Portugal, Latvia, Finland, Luxembourg, Canada, Columbia, Poland and Israel.

I am thankful to all my readers for their constant encouragement and insightful feedbacks and guidance. I cherish each one of you and truly hope for your continued patronage.

Wish you a very very Happy new Year!!! May god bless you all with great health and vigor to dream big and make every dream come true. May this new year bring you more awareness of your own space and time. May you master your minds fully and become keen observer of the inner life state of others and awaken them to their true selves. May we all evolve to be free of the fundamental darkness and conquer greed, anger and envy so that our biases do not pass into a generation of Artificial Intelligence creating a magnified versions of our lower selves. May we all become enlightened before inventing machines that are self governed and have immense power to influence.

!!!Happy New Year!!!

(c) Manish ‘Pakhi’

Editorial Note – Happy New Year -2025

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My Expressions – The New Normals

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It is said that change is the only constant. It is also said

that with time everything changes…people, their needs, their behaviors and their
relationships. There are changes in societal norms, acceptable behaviors and
values. Almost everything undergoes change. These changes occur in our
surroundings sometimes in a gradual manner and sometimes in disruptive ways.

Changes whether gradual or disruptive influence us!! Our
personas, our lifestyles, our thinking, our unique ways of rationalizing and
finding a survivable balance between joy and sufferings of life…everything is
influenced.

The extent of influence on us is driven by our ability to
retain and let go. At any given point of time, we carry the traces of past and
future…A sense of deprivation and anticipation…and in the midst of this
chaos, we try to adjust ourselves to what is called “The New
Normal”.

Some of us are ahead on this curve of acceptance…. Some do
it no time and some people take forever…

In my life, I have seen many changes like anyone of us. I
keep ruminating about them from time to time in our daily conversations with
friends, colleagues and families. Today I thought, I will reflect on few of them
that occur to me rather more often than others…

In earlier times, it was generally believed and accepted
that a person working harder than others diligently and studiously and with good intent, would be able to gather skills and knowledge and (humility) to lead
(help) others grow. Then the changes swept in and there was sloganized push to
‘Work Smart’ instead of ‘Work Hard’. In-fact work hard at a point of time
became tantamount to being unimaginative and dumb and work smart at a point of
time became suggestive of not minding even being clever, self-serving and
cunning to achieve a position. Now in the new normal, both work hard and work
smart have lost relevance and the new normal is to work in “Network”.
Networking implies a quid-pro-quo understanding between two people to share and
exchange favors. There are networking slots especially organised during any
major event where there are a few busybodies who keep sprinting from one person
of importance to other.

In the new normal, person with a big network of people
is considered more accomplished even though the person may individually possess
lesser virtues or qualities.

Likewise, in earlier times, a Leader in any sphere of life
used to be an Inspiration in a certain field. It was understood that the
elevation to the position of leader would mean that the person carried both
knowledge and experience of a certain field and the breadth and depth of it
would lead others to align and manifest their potential in the best possible
ways. In certain fields where the subject knowledge was not central, the leader
would demonstrate a superlative conduct or depth of perspective that would elevate
the spirit of masses to look up to that person and emulate. With time, the
changed perspective provided a new outlook to the leader – It was that of
becoming a person who is able to collaborate successfully with many and is able
to remain accepted by many. In this new framework Students started rating
teachers, contestants started rating judges, Team members started rating their
leaders and, in many cases, children started rating their parents.

In the new Normal, a leader in many many situations is
seen to be becoming a person who is able to adjust excellence to team’s
average, thrive on majoritarian views and build a team that can support a majoritarian
illusion. 

As a child I learned that written word had immense value.
People were warned of giving it a good thought before providing anything in writing
to someone. Writing was characterized by Handwriting and the Signatures
endorsing it. For legal matters, the written document was further vetted
by a judicial notary. With time and technology, it became possible to duplicate
documents, so photographs and video became the source of dependable truth. For
many years, a photograph of an event, a video of a person would have sufficed
to be the key evidence. Technology continued to advance and soon every person
started carrying a printing press on palm. This printing press or the new
“Mobile Phone” could take Photo graphs, Documents and Videos and had all
the applications available to morph them. In earlier times a publishing
something in a newspaper or social publication would require tremendous responsibility
of researching the facts which meant that a published word was completely
reliable and believable. With the advent of technologies, contents became rife
over the myriad social platforms without a shred of credibility.

In the new Normal there is no concept of credible content.
It is difficult to differentiate between Truth, Fake and Deep Fakes. 

As a child I was told to practice hard as practice makes
some one perfect. It is because by practicing  the same musical notes every
day  – a musician became adept at it to an extent where the symphony was
perfect to play out, by practicing the same sports every day , the athlete
would reach to a point where they would perform flawlessly, It is because by
climbing the same stairs every day, a person could climb the stairs even with
closed eyes…All these were so because practicing a certain act led all mental
and  physical faculties of a person to programmatically connect and
orchestrate. All these examples accentuate the power of experience. In
corporate world, a successful negotiator would know exactly where to pull and
where to push to win the deal, because that person has the experience of having
gone thru that situation many times in past and also its various nuances. As
the time changed, there was a sloganized push out to Experience by calling it a
liability. Experience became less important as the cost of hiring an experience
person was shown to offset the loss of errors made by less experienced people.
With time, we started seeing more and more leaders in different walks of life
belonging to the very younger age groups and obviously with lesser depth of experience
as statesman, corporate heads and celebrities. We also started seeing larger
nos. of institutional failures, governance breakdowns and corporate
collapses.

In the new Normal Doing it Right First Time is replaced
with “Experiment to Fail’ at scale. 

In my younger days, I used to have a secret diary where I
would write my most personal thoughts and reflections and so did many of us. I
remember those friendly fisticuffs between brothers and sisters, or two friends
or husband and wife upon finding someone’s personal diary and one person trying
to read it and second person trying to snatch it back before the first could
read even a single word. What were those secrets and where are they gone now!!
Now a days we communicate more on social groups than in personal chats, we don’t
whisper in each other’s ears but message it knowing that the serve storing that
message could be accessible to some hacker or bad actor. Our devices are
tracking the sites we surf, the keys we click, the roads we turn, the words we
speak, the medicines we take and the food we eat. The world is no longer having
any space that is private.

In the new Normal, we have developed a shell of
indifference to our secrets being visible and known to a no. of people who are
unknown to us. It does not bother us anymore. There are no fisticuffs for
protecting the personal space. No more. There is only stoicism left…stoicism
that craves for Thumbs ups, Hearts and Raise Hands 24X7.

The list of new Normal would go on as we see more far-reaching
changes coming our way. Artificial Intelligence, IoT, Space colonies and what
not…Moment by Moment, Day by Day, We will keep changing our habits and I
wonder very deeply what will become of us in the end..

If you too have reminiscence of something that has changed
unrecognizably over these many years, please do share in comments .. Lets help each other not forget of what we were..

By    Manish ‘Pakhi’

Editorial Note – Happy New Year

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Editorial Note – Happy New Year 
“As we usher in the new year, it’s worth noting that
AI has made significant strides in the past year. AI has been used to solve
complex problems and make our lives easier. From self-driving cars to
personalized medicine, AI has the potential to revolutionize the way we live
and work. AI is a giant leap for humankind, and it’s exciting to see what the
future holds. With AI, we can make better decisions, solve problems faster, and
create a better world for everyone. The possibilities are endless, and I’m excited
to see what the future holds! 🚀🌟

 In 2023,
the topic of AI evolution was a hotly debated one. While some
experts warned of the potential risks of AI, such as the possibility of
destabilizing civilizations and escalating misinformation, others were more
optimistic about the benefits of AI, such as its potential to transform the
labor market.

In March 2023, over 1,000 technology leaders working with AI signed a letter warning that AI technologies
present “profound risks to society and humanity.” These experts suggest that
research should be paused, and new regulations considered before any further
development of AI bots like Chat-GPT.

It’s important to note that while AI has the potential to revolutionize the world, it is still in its
nascent stages and has a long way to go before it can replace human
intelligence. As such, it is unlikely that robots will take over humanity
anytime soon.

Wow!!! What a great reflection of the last year and anticipation of the new year completely created
by Generative AI …I thought of starting my editorial note using this great
technology   to co-create the Headline picture and Opening passage with
GenAI tools. It is indeed thrilling to see the enormous power it adds to our
imaginations and capability as humans. I think the debate of AI overtaking
Humans could be shelved and all fears vanquished with more communication around
it and world leaders taking lead to collaborate and lead Responsible AI
initiatives across the globe to benefits all citizens of Earth equally instead
of using it to destructively against each other as a tool of intimidation and
subjugation. Humans have misused most technologies to create divides but the
potential of AI as a technology is too big to be left for ungoverned use and to
be mishandled. 

I thank all the readers from United States, India, Russia, Germany, France, Ukraine,
Portugal, United Kingdom, Poland, Israel, Canada, Indonesia, Australia, Latvia,
Sweden, Romania, Singapore, China and other countries for sharing their
comments. It feels nice to note that there are many posts which are liked by
people across the globe and that the world longs for peace, humanity and love
to be the values to cherish. 

This year was overwhelming in my personal experience as an observer. Being an observer,
fills me with immense curiosity about changing values. I observe an unstoppable
urge in people to shun any heavy lifting of emotional commitments – I saw
family members immediately after the funeral of their elder bursting into laughter’s
and jokes and all kind of small talks, I saw family members posting their
pictures of dancing with joy within a week of the death of their loved ones. I
was at loss whether it was growing insensitivity towards any human connection
or just a culture of being in constant high all the time or just self-centeredness
and indifference under the delusional growing up followed by denial of incompetence.

I saw great leaders ensnared by the fawning retainers into taking unfair sides and losing
their stature…I saw people talking in groups rather than connecting
personally… I saw appreciation becoming a greed than being a need… I saw
many sincere people living under constant stress and discomfort and I realized
there were fewer guardians of their Psychological safety….Being nice, duty
bound, sincere, well meaning, respectful, honest, truthful, simple, hardworking,
committed, scrupulous, intelligent was no longer appreciated as much and people
were emphasizing the importance of being street smart, connected, networked and
mutually thriving on common interests….I saw the sense of right and wrong
losing its relevance.. with too many eloquent people around anything could be challenged,
questioned and  destroyed and virtues of great achievers were the soft
targets for the colluding minds…Very sad but the optimism prevails and hope
never dies in me for a better tomorrow…

 The year
also proved that the collective wisdom of  human minds was getting ready
for achieving greater outcomes…It appears that space shall be next big thing
where thinking of travelling and even settling will become a practical reality
soon…Machines are getting embedded more in our lives and soon we shall see
transformative effects of another quantum leap of human evolution of merging
with machines…It appears that very soon, we shall not have to train ourselves
into some skill until a quarter of our life to be able to earn our livelihood…
This job could be easily done by Machines…Humans shall be ready to take a
different role…a role of making choices and making and contributing ideas
that could be executed with the help of machines at a much larger scale
transcending the boundaries of our planet or galaxies…. making real advances
in connecting with other civilizations in the solar system …Expanding our
power by multi-fold and becoming super humans. 

From the loftiest heights to the bottomless abyss…. we have unbelievable swings as a
human being!!!

Please keep sharing your views and blessings. Please keep sharing the messages of
humanistic values. 

Please protect good people. They are the hope.  

They keep the world going amidst all absurdities. 

Wish you all a very Happy new year once again!!! 

 Stay Optimistic, Positive,   Kind and Compassionate to give hope to everyone around you!!

 
 
                                                                                                           From-     Manish ‘Pakhi’  

Editorial Note 2023

Manish 'Pakhi' Leave a comment
 

 

 
Warm wishes for each other for a very happy new year float around. There is celebration and joy and a sense of looking forward to a new year so vibrant and illuminating that every soul on this planet earth is healed in its light. For a moment , for a day we become all so very different…so very benevolent…so very well wishing… so very kind …so very joyful!! May this Bon-homie last forever.. May this bliss never end.. May we all rise above our lower selves and lend a helping hand to the needy. May all of us ” Humans” uphold ” Humanity” and live in a “Humanitarian” way. 
 
Once again, my deep gratitude to all my readers from across the world. The stats shows that the no. of readers from United States are becoming equal to the no. of readers from India. This is followed by Russia, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Ukraine, Portugal and United Kingdom as the top ten countries in readership. I thank all my readers for liking the blog and sharing your feedback and comments.
Today I would like to talk about Aging and the Attitudes about aging. My mentor Dr. Daisaku Ikeda has stated and I quote
” None of us is immune to old age. Shakyamuni once spoke of the need to conquer three forms of pride…pride of youth, of health and of life. Drunk with the pride of youth, people have an aversion to those bent with age. Drunk with the pride of health, people have an aversion to those suffering from illness or disease. And drunk with the pride of life, people have an aversion to the dead. But by looking away from the realities of aging, sickness and death, we deny our own future; we reject or inevitable fate…….
The rich life experiences of older people constitute a precious and irreplaceable resource. It behooves us, to pay attention to the way we view aging and to create a society in which the elderly can experience fulfillment and live out their lives as they wish. ….  
It is terrible when the aged, who most likely grew old during long years of service to their families and to society, feel cut off from that very society. Often, they respond by closing their minds and isolating themselves. The elderly, aware that they cannot do many things as they once did, understandably find the problems and limitations difficult to accept. ” 
Unquote. 
Today we find people increasingly becoming intolerant to aging and elderly. Intolerance to elderly manifest in different ways such as Admonishing, Ignoring and  Abandoning. I see young people  insulting elderly with a smug and complacent air as if they are immune to age. They seem to disparage the wisdom of the Elders and mock at it. I find many well to do children are not able to find time to visit their elders, talk with them, nurse their needs and help them to ease their anxieties into a sense of fulfillment. Even when they talk, the arrogance in their tone and pitch speaks of their uncivilized mind first. Why cant’ they be a little humble, polite, well mannered and cultivated? Why..Are their hearts so full of grudges for their own woes of life that they want to blame their elders and make them pay for it with their disrespect…how pitiful..
If it is not about elderly, in general I find there is growing intolerance towards aging people. Elders are being challenged by their younger ones not today but from ages…The difference is that earlier this challenging was a part of growing up to assert one’s individuality and evolving identity with a shade of youthful innocent protest…now the innocence from the protest is gone and replaced with a haughtiness….I find the younger ones addressing their elders in the most disrespectful manners, talking over them, taking precedence and main  stage rather than humbly standing aside….I remember a gathering in the recent past when in a condolence meeting for a deceased relative, the younger brother opened the address instead of respectfully bowing down  the  occasion to the elder brother who was also present. The solemnity of the occasion, the dignity and the grace were all taken away by this very act of insolence. On another occasion I saw a young person admonishing the father on who knows the medical science better.. ” You or Me”!!  and the father felt  devastated  remembering all those efforts he did to make that child a doctor. I also find that in social chat group many youngsters address their elders not by their salutation or relation but a sign of @ appended to their names. This simply reduces the person to a Variable Name as if in a programming code. Such way of addressing each other has no feelings in hearts but only big hollow voids…. How Vacuous.. !!
Such intolerance is intolerable and unpardonable..
Why is so that the some younger ones do not want to take their elder’s advice, guidance and directions. The answer is simple and a bitter truth.. They have grown up with years but their experience with life and its vagaries is very limited… The pretend to be grown up.. mimic to show their wisdom.. They are not grounded and live in fantasy of their own minds.. They lack understanding of real life, real pain, real sorrow, real joy, real loss and real gain…In other words, their limited knowledge and exposure make them believe into know-it-all disposition in a very unreal way.. They are not Connected…
I wish the coming year brings lots of wisdom and understanding of the role of elderly in our lives, in our families, in our workplaces and  in our societies.  Wish to see the youthful spirit combining with the elderly wisdom to create the most beautiful world  around us. A world of compassion, Concern and most genuine care…
Wish you a very Happy new year once again!!!
Stay healthy, safe and let your spirit soar the highest to a life condition of unparalleled compassion!!
                                                                                          From- Manish ‘Pakhi’

Editorial Note – Happy New Year

Manish 'Pakhi' Leave a comment
With great hope and optimism, we usher into another new year!!
The celebrations may have shadow of precautionary refrain in view of the pandemic scare, yet the human spirit stays undefeated. There are new year wishes charging and unleashing an undeterred life force across the battered face of Earth that needs healing.
Healing … Healing at its own pace for each individual… Healing of the scars of losing loved ones, losing one’s livelihood, losing one’s dreams. We need  to be lenient to provide space or time for us to heal..  The phobic and morbid narrative need to be replaced with compassionate and  caring reassurance. The unprecedented evil afflicting humanity need to be countered by  a resurgence of goodness.
Our children are still unprotected from the virulence and one can imagine the insecurities taking roots in young minds hearing the apocalyptic news all around.  Elderly are forced to bear the hardships of quarantined subsistence. I pray that the world finds a new order for itself which give first importance to  protect the humanity than anything else.
I thank all the readers from United States, India, Russia, Germany, France, Ukraine, Portugal, United Kingdom, Latvia, Sweden, Poland, Israel, Canada, Indonesia, Australia, Romania, Singapore, China and other countries who have been sharing their valuable comments and suggestions and impressions about the posts in this blog.
Many readers shared their experiences during these difficult times of the 2021. It gave me a deep sense of satisfaction and hope hearing about complete strangers reached out to help each other without thinking of their own welfare. On the other hand it was equally shattering to see elderly being abandoned by their well to do children  in the name of  social distancing.  On one hand it was very heartwarming to see people connecting over phones and video calls to feel every moment of togetherness, on the other hand it was disappointing to find people not being able perform the last rites  for the loved ones lost.  There are many anecdotes demonstrating the pinnacle  of human camaraderie and nadir of blood relations. Adversity brings the best and worst of human behavior both.
 
Social networks played an important role in connecting people, bringing help and medical aid during the year. The power of these platforms was seen at their constructive best. Technology has huge benefits if put to positive use. However, there were still people who kept waiting for a single call from the ones they considered their family or close friends. It makes me wonder what could possibly keep people from staying in touch with their loved ones, relatives, acquaintances and friends even in such times when the uncertainty of tomorrow is staring into the eyes. Lets pray for the goodness of the heart be kindled by the memories of the good times and become stimulant enough to shatter all darkness taking possession of ignorant souls. 

Please keep sharing your views and blessings. Please keep sharing the messages of good conduct and humanitarian values. That is what keep the world going amidst all absurdities.

Wish you a very Happy new year once again!!!
Stay healthy, safe and let your spirit soar the highest to a life condition of unparalleled compassion!!
                                                                                                            From-  Manish ‘Pakhi’

Editorial Note 2021

Manish 'Pakhi' Leave a comment

The sheer power of the good wishes charges the atmosphere. We wish others who warmly reciprocates and a groundswell of benevolence   re-ignites hope. I am sure on such a day the planet Earth  must be looking different from afar in space. Hope that should never die…Hope for a better tomorrow for you and me and for us…. 2020 had been an year of unprecedented events….in a way reflective of where our collective consciousness is taking us…I am still shaken to see the barren streets, bazaars, schools, offices and the morbid stench in the air of a lurking fear of death..a helpless humanity coming to knees to a living dead’s lethal pervasiveness with nothing to guard us ..no medicines , no vaccines…Only faith…

 
I am thankful to the readers from United States, India, Russia, Germany, France, Ukraine, Portugal, United Kingdom, Latvia, Sweden, Poland, Israel, Canada, Indonesia, Australia, Romania, Singapore, China and other countries to take interest in my blog. Thanks for your amazing feedback and continued guidance. I thank all my readers for their valuable feedback and encouraging  support from the bottom of my heart. 
Today the onset of the new year reminds of another malady that is as pervasive and devastating as a pandemic…it kills stealthily..it is  degenerative and it kills the potential of the Victim..
It is called ” Bullying”  and I urge let this be the year  of ” NO BULLYING” as a new year resolution..
Bullying thrives on the weaknesses or vulnerabilities of people they cannot change… it locks them down, make them retreat in fear and succumb to an undignified subservience..Bullying happens to all the people of all age groups from kids to elderly, all the places from school, to work places to family and all the time…
Many people are not aware of the bullying happening with them out of their good and sincere nature..If you find following happening with you you may as well check if you are being bullied….
1/  You are not greeted, included and given due space in a gathering willfully by some people .
2/  Your work areas or personal spaces  are encroached with defiance of your dignity by some people.
3/   You are made to feel small of your achievements and compared unequally and unfairly with undeserving others.
4/   Your sincere efforts and sensitivity is exploited to keep you bereft of the recognition or reward or positive strokes deliberately.
5/   You are mocked and  ridiculed for your appearance, background, status, disabilities and even abilities ..things that you cannot change immediately.
6/ Your dignity is violated with harsh, abusive or abrasive words or actions.
The person being bullied are generally having stronger faith in humanity which makes them unable to retaliate.. their kindness is misunderstood as their weakness…They are powerless due to their innate  goodness and feel they can absorb the fundamental darkness of others…Many of them fall into a habit self abnegation only to break down completely some day….
About those who bully there are some who do it as a sport to derive pleasure and satisfy their ego… there are some who do it out of uncontrollable obsessive preoccupations for  some people like a sibling , possessions like a property or practices like a ritual……
Bullying is another living dead that kills …it too does irreparable damage to a person’s immune system, It too does not have a vaccine,  It too is contagious …It too is a pandemic ….one which is much more embedded, virulent and resistant …one which mutate into various strains making it difficult to identify by the victim…
Lets resolve not to bully anyone and see if there are any traces of bullying in the behavior we give and receive both…If this one malady can be wiped from the face of Earth, it will restore dignity of  many lives…it will foster bonds god tied us together with, It will make the 2021 wishes come true for many…
Most importantly…It will cost nothing!!
Wish you a very Happy new year once again!!!
Stay healthy, safe and let your spirit soar the highest to a life condition of unparalleled compassion!!
                                                                                                            From- Manish ‘Pakhi’

Editorial note 2020

Manish 'Pakhi' Leave a comment
Once again the new year wishes resound all around. Once again there is positive charge in the air. People wishing each other the best. Good vibes pervades our being. This is yet another amazing moment.
It is more than a decade of blogging for me now.  A decade of an avid readership following and liking the simplest things in life; poetry, music, writings, art and the inspirational vibes that touch the heart.
Readership extended to countries like United States, India, Russia, Germany, France, Ukraine, Portugal, Latvia and United Kingdom. I thank all my readers for their valuable feedback and encouraging  support from the bottom of my heart.
One thing that universally comes out from the myriad responses received from the readers all across the world is that how people across cultures, ethnicities and religions yearn for accumulating treasures of the heart. Accumulating treasures of the heart may not bring material gains but it certainly enrich your soul and nourish your inner self. This leads to expiation of karma and suffuse you with a feeling of joy.
The Joy of Life!!
The joy of being in rhythm with the universe!!
The Joy of helping others!!
How many lives did you help finding their goal? How many lives did you help bring a smile to their face? How many hearts did you illuminate with the rekindled hope?
The peril of being misunderstood, being hated, being shunned, being   envied, being slandered and being persecuted is inevitable when you selflessly help others or do good to them. It is unavoidable when you accumulate treasures of the heart.
Nevertheless, keep doing good, keep helping others, keep encouraging people and keep giving them hope: Undaunted and undefeated, with humility and gratitude accept undoing the ties of Karma knot by knot until emancipation.
It is not as over complicated as spiritual awakening or nirvana…
 It is just the simplest way to live life joyfully with effortless ease and no heavy burden of negativity and wrongdoing.
It is human, it is natural to our soul, it is most simple!!
Do it! !
Wish you a very happy new year once again!!
Manish “pakhi”

My Expressions : Soft violence

Manish 'Pakhi' 2 Comments
Soft violence

A slap, a punch,  or a  fisticuff is not a common site among educated people. However education does not necessarily inculcate a sense of poise and respect in all for others.The surge of inner rage in people manifest itself in the form of soft violence.  This soft violence carried out in subtle manner hurt the other person even more than the physical violence. Some such instances of soft violence commonly seen are :

1. Ignoring one’s presence selectively.
2. Not greeting a person selectively.
3. Not inviting someone while all else are invited.
4. Giving dull, subdued and discouraging response to one’s greetings.
5. Refusing someone’s invitation  with discourtsey.
6. Discussing financial gains loudly in front of a relatively less well off person.
7. Not answering one’s call or message despite being well known and related.
8. Talking over and keep talking without giving chance to other person to speak.
9. Discouraging a talented or capable person by impeding his/ her progress selectively.

Especially with elderly and senior people, soft violence is seen being committed by younger ones in following all so many ways:

1. Giving orders to them.
2. Making them / seeing them doing chores without the keenness to help or takeover from them.
3. Asking them to pick up articles to carry while traveling particularly and otherwise too.
4. Disappearing from the scene under some pretext at the time of work.
5. Showing  leisure or entertainment time to be more important than their even serious work.
6. Not asking their well being or truly taking full responsibility of their well being.
7. Leaving behind work for them and thus exploiting their orderliness to get things done.
8. Asking them for money instead of supporting them.
9. Not offering them food first.
10. Not leaving seat for them rather taking it keeping them standing.
11. Not giving passage to them first.
12. Belittling their age and physical limitations.
13. Talking to people elder in age in a mockingly patronizing manner. 

Soft violence against children may take the following forms:

1. Showing them down repeatedly for their mistakes.
2. Not giving credit to them for their accomplishments or talents.
3. Comparing them with other children.
4. Dampening their enthusiasm with cold responses.
5. Depriving them of the love, care and protective guidance.
6. Keep rebuking them for trivial matters.
7. Imposing choices upon them all the time.

Soft violence leaves scars deep in the psyche. Soft violence is unknowingly and inadvertently committed.

Watch out!! Do you commit soft violence too.

(C) Manish ‘pakhi’