Karma

“Karma” the book is a very nice read about Karma – what it is, what it is not and why it matters – as it is subtitled. The lucid explanation of such a profound phenomenon was indeed a reminder about the many misconceptions surrounding the wildly used, often quoted term.

The author traces the history of karma beginning from its Indian origins rooted in the Hindu tradition to the Buddhist ideas on the same and how it differs even among the various branches of Buddhism.  Originally the term meant just “action” and it was mostly used in the context of performing actions/rituals by the Vedic priests. It took on different flavors/meanings along the years and began to be strongly associated with cause and event especially with the introduction of Buddha’s ideas. The author reminds us that karma is not to be associated with the idea of a single cause creating an event/result. Instead, it is the interconnection and interaction of a multitude of causes and conditions that actually result in an event or one’s state.  One’s thoughts (and words) can have a profound effect on another’s life. It is not static but dynamic. It is not a simple concept but rather a complex phenomenon.

A clear demarcation between Hinduism’s reincarnation and Buddhism’s rebirth is drawn along the way since karma seems to be intrinsically tied to reincarnation/rebirth. Reincarnation maintains that an indestructible spirit-soul remains even as the physical body passes away. Buddha’s concept of rebirth does not endorse an eternal spirit-soul. Buddha saw everything including one’s thoughts, feelings and emotions to be ever changing, never constant. Therefore at the time of rebirth everything is anew, including one’s thoughts and body while certain karmic impressions - tendencies/propensities – may be carried over to the next life. In fact it is the “left over” karmic impressions that is the reason for rebirth. The concepts of good karma and bad karma is explained and that the ultimate aim is to rid oneself of both good karma and bad karma to attain nirvana and freedom from the cycle of birth and death and (re)birth and death and (re)birth…

The author encourages exploring karma as a basis for our moral and ethical values. For it is only when an inner understanding or conviction of our wrong doings occur that true transformation of one’s life can happen. Embracing the idea of karma might easily lead one to that. The author encourages people to have open-mindedness towards the idea of karma, not to reject it as some superstitious, archaic stuff. He is very much concerned that “modern” Western philosophers, scholars, secularists are rejecting/downplaying this significant and active and ever present truth of karma in our lives.

It was a very good, uplifting 150 pages read! The author is Traleg Kyabgon.

Surgery Notes - Personal; Jan 2015

Never ever imagined that the first few days after a open heart surgery would be pretty painful & render you with very limited mobility even as I was being wheeled into the operation theater. Perhaps it was because for the last few weeks (had been on vacation for more than a month) I had been hearing about the ease with which people - neighbors, family, friends - recovered and got back to normal following their angioplasties. Guess now I know that the two are not the same!Anyway, the junior anesthetist on the left hand side said "a small injection" and then after a second the senior anesthetist on the right hand side said the same thing and added "you will now go to sleep". The bright (or was it dim?) yellow light on the ceiling was the last thing I remember seeing until the nurse woke me up saying "operation over; it went well; open your eyes" after more than 24 hours.
Where was "i" was during that time? Does consciousness ever separate from an anesthetic filled body? Perhaps the behavior of consciousness during near death experience (NDE) and surgery are different. Not that I've had any NDE experience but have read countless accounts/analysis of body-separated consciousness during NDE and had wondered if "i" would experience something like that!

CT-ICU
Got wheeled into the ICU after the apparatus filled with chest fluids was removed from the mouth. This took some time since the doctor/anesthetist had to come since it appeared that the nurses were unable to do on their own. They attempted once or twice (i think) & then heard one saying "we better wait for the doctor".
3 hard days in the ICU - the daily early morning sweeper, the X-ray man with his huge machine, nurses scrambling & scribbling patient notes before the doctors arrived for rounds, brush, sponge bath, breakfast, lunch, dinner, painful coughs, sleep or attempts of it, nurses on night watch (bringing spit-pans on cough, adjusting pillows and slanting heights of bed on hand-raise), cold, feverish, 1-minute daily visit of brother, wife, mother, complain from old fellow patient for multiple visitors on single day, steam, spirometer, attempt to mobilize, 3rd day to room...

ROOM
Father, mother, brother took turns as night-attendants. Brother and mother were awake for the most part of the first night. Then slowly it turned out to be snore-playing nights while I tried to find my way out myself. Multicolored tablets (7 of them) had to be taken in the morning and night. They were my rainbow in a room in which hardly any sunlight reached. Nurses came and went in shifts of 8 hours with twice a day measurement of temperature/pressure and medicine fillings. On the clock/dot visit of medical officer everyday at 7:45 AM for 2 minutes was an amazing experience - 2 smart knocks on the door, brisk steps straight towards the bed with "how do you do?", tie the pressure band on the right arm and do 8 pumps, keep the stethoscope at 3 spots on the chest & 3 spots on the back, untie the pressure band & then tap on the shoulder and say "good, sir" - the clinical precision with which these steps were executed was the amazing part. Meals and menu were regular and repetitive. I started hating idlis. On one or two days there were live cricket matches on TV which made the day a little bit brighter (even though the TV was hazy). Otherwise the 14 room-days were by and far mostly boring with just newspapers and magazine to read. Almost had a prison feeling to it. Did get opportunities to check email (thanks to brother) the last few days which was a breather. Did have a couple of visitors too. As I stepped out of the hospital building on the discharge day, there was a great sense of relief and thankfulness.

REFLECTIONS
- The marvels of medical science and man's achievements came to mind some time along the way. To detect such a faint murmur deep in your heart, amplify it / watch it on a screen, take precise measurements of the blood leak, surgery procedure to repair (or replace) the faulty valve - what are these but the results of countless hardworking men and women's dedication to save a life, their passion for their work, their sacrifices? It truly reflects the spirit of the human nature.
- Old age came to mind too during recovery. The slow, tentative walking-steps, the pain to put on a shirt, sleepless nights, difficulty to rise up from bed without help, the slow paced, messy chewing/eating, the helplessness of being bathroom-assisted. Had seen my grandfather go thru such hurdles towards the end of his life. Guess now I know a little better how he must have felt, until it is my turn again...

A Journey - incomplete

A new year (2014) begins with new hopes and joys awaiting. Let us continue to learn the lessons of Life through the various experiences that come our way.

"The Journey Home" by Radhanath Swami (formerly Richard Slavin) was an amazing read last year! It traces the remarkable physical and spiritual journey which Richard/Radhanath makes, starting as a young teenager (19) from US in 1969 to Europe through Middle East to India. The inner call that drove him from the comforts of his home to the wretched and poorest areas of India remains a mystery for the author himself but something/someone kept tugging him towards God right from a very young age. The shedding of the hippie/revolutionary culture to enter into the arms of God seemed to be the journey that the author made.

Along the way, the simple lessons learned and presented to us from his various experiences was indeed refreshing.

Note:
**Logging in after more than a year, I find this still sitting in "Draft"! Unfortunately I don't have much to add given the fact that I've forgotten much of what I read in the book. All I can offer my readers is Radhanath Swami's official website:
www.radhanathswami.com