VEHICLE CEREMONY

A friend of mine with the intention of buying a new car referred to his 'jathagam' (astrological chart) and a numerologist.. ascertaining that the stars, and the chosen numbers cum color codes are correct in favour of him.
He than proceeded to book a car. He chose a white colored 'Opel' and requested for the number JH2969 to be registered (all arranged with cash inducement).

Happy with this, he made a further arrangement with the salesman for the new car to be delivered next Wednesday at 7.32 am. After some serious arguments the matter was settled for an extra cash. The car was delivered at "Lord Murugan" temple for the vehicle blessing ceremony.

Ceremony commenced. The priest went around the car with incense, followed by lighted camphor and sprinkled some holy water on the car with some utterance of magical verses. He wrote the word "OM" on the bonnet with sandal paste. He placed a lemon in front of each tyre and told my friend to drive over it slowly so as to squash the lemon. My friend after mumbling some prayers of his own did likewise. The priest than broke a coconut in front of the car. Money was transacted, and that completes the ceremony.

My friend is extremely happy and jubilant that the car is of the correct color, correct number and blessed by Lord Muruga. Few months later, I met him in town and enquired about his well being. He lamented that in his hurry to attend a wedding met with an accident and his daughter sitting at the back had a small tear in the forehead requiring a couple of stitches.

He went to the temple to pray and was told that luckily no death has occurred and only some shedding of blood. Well again a simple ceremony was done. Again money.

Well, with all the precautions and steps that he had undergone to buy a car seems to be a wasted effort in time and money and foolhardy. I too have a car that did not do the vehicle blessing ceremony. I too had some knocks here and there and some breakdowns. This is normal for a car that runs on engine that fails due to wear and tear or carelessness of the driver. It is normal.

How about the public mode of transportation (bus, taxi, lorry, train, aeroplane,ship ) that did not meet any blessing ceremony of "gods, colour, numbers ) and yet we gladly travel on them. Why?

One should trust one's own driving skill and the proper maintenance of the vehicle and not the stars, numbers or blessings of 'High Power'.

NOTE: The spare tyre did not receive the lemon treatment - and greater danger is lurking when he changes tyre.
A diverted trust.

மகன்கள் பிரசுராம்

Life is a Turmoil, Take this New Day

As Your Own, The Seed is Sown

Persevere My Sons

THIS N THAT

அங்கமுத்து தோட்டத்தில் தங்கமுத்து தொங்குது
அது அடுத்து வாயில போட்டா
சிக்கு முக்கு ஆடுது
அது என்ன ? ? ஆன்சர் வேணுமா... கால் மீ..

நட பாதை விளக்கா நம் காதல்

விடிந்தவுடன் அனைபதட்கு

இல்லையேல் கண்மணி

நம் காதல் வானம் போன்றது

மேகங்கள் வந்து போகும்

இடி, வானவில் வந்து போகும்

ஆனால் வானம் அசையாது

நம் காதல் போன்றது

JOURNEY..by Rabindranath Tagore

I have got my leave.

Bid me farewell

My brothers!

I bow to you all and

Take my departure

Here I give back the keys of my door

And I give up all claims to my house

I only ask for last kind words from you

We were neighbors for long, but

I received more than I could give

Now the days are dawned and the lamp

That lit my dark corner is out

A summon has come and

I am ready for my journey

LIFE's RIDDLES..by Unknown

'Tis but a day we sojourn here below

and all the gains we get

is grief and woe

Then. leaving our life's riddles all unsolved

and burdened with regrets

We have to go

GYNECOLOGIST

A relative of mine, where both husband and wife are reasonably educated and holding respectful jobs. The lady was in early pregnancy. She decided that she should consult a "samy" to ensure a safe delivery. This is because in previous pregnancy there was a miscarriage.

One day we all paid a visit to the temple. We brought along 3 different types of fruits, a large piece of red and yellow cloth, incense, joss stick, camphor and certainly money. After the lady had narrated her views, the samiar started his rituals and the invocation ceremony. Certainly he created an atmosphere of serenity.

The samiar than took a betel leaf and chanted some more verses and smeared yellow paste in the centre of the leaf. He stared at it for a long time, than glanced to the left, than to the right, than stared back at the leaf, and vehemently shook his head indicating that the message he saw was bad and an evil omen.

After this he said in a deep base voice that there is an old man with a stick standing guard at the main door of their house. It is this spirit that disturbs the peace and would make trouble for the unborn baby.

By now the lady is visibly frightened. The samy blessed her and said that he can reverse this bad situation and ensured a protection for the baby, and a safe delivery. He than took a lemon wrapped it up with the red and yellow cloth and a further invocation of the gods, gave it to her. He instructed her very seriously, that the lemon must be carried at all times, until delivery of the baby. And the grand finale was to tie the magic yellow strings.
The money was placed under the mat as the samy refused to touch it. Thus concluding the ceremony.

The poor lady carried the lemon whenever she leaves the house and for an extra safety placed a broom and a parang (a long knife) in front of the main door at nights.

Much regrettably three months later there was a miscarriage. The lemon was thrown into a flowing river as custom required it. This time the forces from the dark side won. Whew! at least for once the bad guys had won. They do not intend to sue the samiar.

I am puzzled why they did not trust the advise of a medical doctor.
A diverted trust.

THIS WORLD IS ODD ..by Poet Bhartrhari

Clever men slog for a living

In some stupid prince's palace

How will their hearts renew

If fate sometimes bring

Swinging hips and lotus eyes

And large breasted women

To comfort them

To challenge the evanescence

Of the rising moon ?

Yes, it is true

Why should I lie ?

In all three worlds

(heaven, this world, and hell)

Nothing brings him

As much joy as a woman

But it is also true

That nothing brings him

As much grief as well

PONDERING FRAGMENTS

Art of Living - It is a difficult task to jump from one groove to another, but shall go on trying to see the other person as a human being first, without placing any descriptive words like, race, religion, rich, poor, educated or not, connected to somebody, etc. To live a life in all its simplicity and form. Avoiding politics and commercial games. Indulging in learning new things on completion of one subject, like after HTML go for JAVA, than maybe motor mechanic and so forth; but NEVER stopping to learn. My interest lays in reading, music, gardening, and Do it Yourself works. Pets nil. Do not wish to curtail their freedom.

Quotation - The rest of the world is not worried about us. It will act to take what it wants, and push us into a particular slot. It is our ingenuity to see through their ploy, that would give us a leeway of keeping one step ahead. In this instance being selfish is more prudent.

Why don't you belief in God - This is still a burning question is it not? I had not mentioned in my presentations that I do not believe in 'GOD'. Only that I do not agree with the definition of GOD. I will believe when my senses or intellect concurs in the existence of the REAL GOD and not in the meanings of the word
'God' or 'Goddesses' as currently defined in Hinduism. As for other 'GODS' does not concern me, nor do I want to delve in their doctrines.

THE SAYINGS OF THE BROOK _ by Khalil Gibran

I walked in the valley

As the rising dawn spoke

The secret of eternity

And there a brook on its course

Was singing, calling and saying;

Life is not only merriment;

Life is desire and determination

Wisdom is not in words

Greatness is not in exalted position;

Greatness is for he who refuses position.

A man is not noble through ancestry;

How many noblemen are

Decedents of murderers?

Not everyone in chain is subdued;

At times, a chain is greater than a necklace.

Paradise is not in repentance;

Paradise is in the pure heart.

Hell is not in torture;

Hell is an empty heart.

Riches are not in money along;

How many wanderers were the riches of all men?

Not all the poor are scorned;

The wealth of the world

Is in a loaf of bread and a cloak.

Beauty is not in the face;

Beauty is the light in the heart.

Perfection is not for the pure of soul;

There may be virtue in sin.

This is what the brook sang

Was some of the secrets of the sea.

NOT ENOUGH OF GODS

Whilst I was residing in Perak, a group of people approached me to know whether we wanted to book a bus to go to Penang to attend St. Ann's festival. I declined. On the given date three busload of devout Hindus proceeded to St. Ann's festival to receive blessings, cure some illness, or to solve some of their problems.

To me personally it is a mockery and a slap in the face. Isn't there enough gods, goddesses, demi gods, prophets and saints to satiate their faith. Then there is this magic yellow strings to protect them, the imported samiars (priests) who can commune with gods to grant favours...and many many more avenues to appease their desires in Hinduism alone. Why another. ?

Does it insinuate that the legion of Hindu gods is less powerful then other gods.
I don't get it. Do You.

Human minds are so flimsy and brittle that it can be swayed without any effort or an enquiry to reasons.

Everybody goes, so I follow, ideology is apt in this instance.
A diverted trust.

THOUGHTS THAT TINGLES

And life is what we make it, always has been, always will be,
you become the maker, of your fate and destiny, you no longer cherish, the mercy of others, heavenly or worldly.

Regardless of what we are involved in, if we want to instill quality efficiency and satisfaction in any performance, concentration of the mind is needed. But we also need health, peace of mind, pleasure in life, prosperity and knowledge.

Criticism is dangerous, because it wounds a person's pride,
hurts his sense of importance, and arouses resentment.

The happiest people don't have the best of everything.
They just make the best of everything.
In life just...
1. Live simply
2. Love generously
3. Care deeply
4. Speak kindly

It is not wise to manifest your emotions, however chaste it may be; as it brings adverse result.

Talents differ, all is well and wisely put, If I cannot carry them on my back, can you crack a nut said the squirrel to the mountain.

When the Nawab's bitch died, the whole village turned up to mourn her death. Than the Nawab died. Nobody came.

True love is neither physical nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of that is - has been - will be - and will not be.

KODI ASAINDHADUM..by Gopal

Did the leaves rustle And created a breeze ?

Or does the breeze lead the leaves into their dance ?

Did the flowers bloom When the moon rose ?

Or did the moon rise To see the flowers in bloom ?

Did the song create the beat ?

Or the beat inspire the song ?

Did you invent love ?

Or did love usher in youth ?

Did womanhood create femininity ?

Or femininity define womanhood ?

Did I see you ?

When you come before me ?

Or did your coming

Open my eyes ?

While Time Flits By

Today I sit here wondering
How I came to be old
Time and tide waits for no man
Maybe that is why I am not told?

There were a lot of things
I always wanted to do,
And many places
I envisaged of visiting too.

There are people moving in and out
Abiding in the arc of my family
Knowing together for a long time
Yet at times we only exchanged glances
To some maybe a simple ‘ennagga’

I have rescheduled my life,
Learning as much as I can,
Going and seeing,
Meeting and greeting,

Remaining time is mine to waste,
To enjoy and relish as I choose,
Giving me days of pleasure,
As to my dreams I admire.

Always looking forward,
Not pondering over the past,
My life's embers I keep blowing
My farewell comes most unseen

Sundaramoorthy Rajamanickam
August 2010
Rawang, Malaysia