Sanjay Dutt goes back to prison for another five years today. It is going to to be tough for him this time. The last years has been a roller coaster ride for him. Never in his career has he touched the heights as much as he has today. His Macho image has completely vanished and in its place a compassionate, sympathetic persona has taken over. But destiny is inevitable. He had to pay the price for he foolishness of possesing arms and the stupidity of giving it to underworld criminals. No one is above the law. Yes, a touch of pain is there to see him disappear from the scene in his prime. Things will not be the same when he returns. Last time around he had his father’s support - both moral and political, but this time around it is going to be a pretty lonely sojourn in prison.

I have often wondered why people sometimes do what they do?. A single moment of indiscretion can ruin’s a man’s life.The only answer that I could fathom is “destiny”. Try as we may to overcome it, it finds a way to creep into lives. One feels very scary to think of it but thats the truth. Ramesh Balsekar - a renowned sage , often used to say that dissolving into the cosmic will is the only thing then we do. Now, what that will is? or where will it take us? is something that we cannot find an answer to. But sometimes, i feel it gives us a lot of peace to accept this fact. No matter what we do, it is not going to make a dime of difference to the world. So why not keep doing whatever we are doing with fun and passion and leave the rest to destiny.

The problem with this attitude is that it can very quickly turn into a fatalistic way of thinking. But fatalism means inaction, whereas what I am indicating is total action as needed in the moment. This is the principle of Zen buddhism. In fact the entire refrain of the Bhagavad gita is also the same. The concept of Good and Bad, right or wrong is only for those who seek an end. But the moment has no beginning or ending. It is one continuous flow and there is no way to dissect it. Since all of us are used to linear thinking,physchlogically we want to believe that there is a past and a future. Destiny lies in the moment. The thread of life is pristine pure. Those of us who can find anchor in it will find peace in the most adverse conditions and a complete acceptance of the cosmic will.

Well , Last time around, when Sanjay dutt came out of prison; he was a changed man. The travails in the jail had mellowed him. I hope, this time he will take this burden in a more matured way and come out and continue the good work that he has been doing.Five years is a long time, but one never knows what awaits him after the time frame. Whatever happens I am sure Sanjay would still be welcomed with open hands by the people and his fans. Knowing our judiciary, he may be let out much before the official period of time. Well, thats what we will call as destiny!!!!!!!!!!!cheers.

Touch the horizons – My friend

This is a different article from those that I have penned for this blog. It’s a bit personal and about a close friend of mine who is flying abroad for a year on a project. Over the last many years that I have been in Bangalore, I have forged new relationships with many people at different levels, but if there is one that stands apart from all the others it is my association with Varada. I met him for the first time at the gates of NIIT – a lanky six footer with a lot of ambition and fire in the belly. When people misunderstood him to be arrogant and abrasive, I found a gentle and kind human being who wanted to do well in life and would cross any hurdle to reach there. Ambition always seems arrogance to others.

I took a little while for us to break the ice, but once that happened we got really close to gether. I understood the fact that his family wasn’t educationally inclined and he wanted to cut loose from the crutches of filial burden and soar upwards in search of a dream. What endured him most to me was his commitment and hardwork. Many a sleepless night has he spent mastering Java, which incidentally became his love after I formally introduced it to him years ago. He wanted a vision in life and a path to follow, which fortunately I was able to show him. But once he knew that, there was no looking back. He completed all the international certifications required in quick time to get him placed in a reputed Software company. The rest in history, as one would say. He has proven himself beyond doubt that he is a quality developer material and has an intuitive insight into software. Never once have I solved a problem for him. I gave only pointers and he would come up with the answers. That is classic developer material for me. Despite immense personal problems, he never let it affect his professional life. Many in his place would have become a mental wreck, but he stood his ground and never once wavered from his ambition or commitment.

When I came in touch with for the first time, he was a machine room coordinator at our center with a very nominal salary. And years later when I see him now, Happiness wells in my heart. He has grown beyond recognition. Varada is to fly to Australia for a year with his family. When he flies, a part of me will go with him. I am not being emotional here. The relationship that I have shared with him and the time that I have spent with him are for me to cherish forever. I will miss him, but I am sure this is just the beginning of a illustrious software career for him. He is destined to do well and he will do well. I wish him all the best. My prayers and blessings are with him in whatever he endeavours to do.
I hope to see the day when he reaches the pinnacles of glory and be able to share it with me as we do today. Cheers!!! Young man. May the horizon prove to be a lesser target for you. God bless!!!!!!!.

The 2007 Wimbledon championships yet again proved genius lies a sphere of its own, untouched by the the gross. Watching Roger federer play was wittnessing an artist at work at the height of his powers. The Staunch commitment, the languid grace of his ground strokes, the lissome movements on the court and above all the buddhist like temperment - was a treat to watch. He is arguably one of the finest grass court players who have ever graced the game.

What amazes me is the consistency of the performance. Its one thing to work hard and reach a certain level, but it is really difficult to sustain that over many years. Unless one really enjoys what he is doing , such levels of perfection can rarely be attained. In every game, In every profession, one would find people who will the deliver the goods time and time again. One may argue, that they are innately gifted, but still genius needs to be nurtured and channelised to achieve an end. One can never take away the fact long hours of toil and commitment that has gone into making them what they are today. True champions.

The real challenge for all these champions is to overcome the sense of complacency that can set in after reaching a level . The distractions that accompany success can be a great deterrent in pushing them forward. The constant public appearances and the limelight can tarnish the resolution of many. But thats precisely greatness is all about. The ability to rise above the circumstances and plung forward into the dizzy heights of glory. No doubt, a lot of sacrifices are needed to achieve this. Family life takes a beating, Socializing happens anly to satisfy the unending demands of the public and media. Every move is watched, commented and criticized by millions of people. Despite all that one needs to find anchor in our talent. Thats what we mean by the word professionalism.

it is my opinion that true professionalism cannot be developed without the inner joy that accompanies it. Unless one is able to love our job, greater heights cannot be reached. The fire of passion must burn intensely within us. Once that is there, no amount of sacrifices will a burden on us. Every genius exemplifies this. Vincent Van gough, the great dutch painter died in penury pusuing his artistic abilites. His life was a mental and physical wreckage, but the inner fire plodded him along. Winston churchill - the great English statesman, worked twenty hours a day,smoked cigars endlessly, fought a war and found time to pen eight fabulous volumes on the fate of the second world war - which is unsurpassed in literary and factual brilliance even till
today. Andre agassi, played tennis with flawless intensity,mesmerized public with his attitude and style, found time to flirt with three female celebrities and finally settled down with arguably the best female player of our generation - Steffi graf. History is replete with lives that have lived their destinies with joy and fun and yet have left an indelible mark in the history of time. A warren Buffet who started with dropping news papers; rose to become a financial wizard the likes of which the world has never seen; but still chooses to live in a house that he bought forty years ago and drives his own car.

These people aren’t unique because they were born to be unique, but because they chose to be unique.it is in our capacity to rise to these levels, but we are hindered by our own selves. Nietze spoke of the superman that lies in all of us. The dormant greatness that resides untapped in each one of us has to be woken out its long slumber. What we lack is the commitment to pursue our dreams. Every dream is indicative of our unconscious talent and fire,but we ignore it because there is risk involved in it. Pursuing a dream means breaking out of shackles, facing life face to face and plunging headlong into the swirl of it. It takes courage to do that, but that is where our true destinies lie. We live in a mirage and take that to be our fate, but for those few people who dont mind doing the bungee jump, there is an oasis of peace that is waiting out there, a panacea for all the pain and sacrifices that they have had to bear to get there.A fulfillment of life.