THE LAW OF LEAST EFFORT

REALLY? 3 POINTS TO A GREATER LIFE?

I do not think so...but who I am to say...I have not practiced it yet.

So according to this law, if you observe nature at work, you will see that least effort is expended. Grass doesn’t try to grow, it just grows. Fish don’t try to swim, they just swim. Flowers don’t try to bloom, they bloom. Birds don’t try to fly, they fly. This is their intrinsic nature. And it is human nature to make our dreams manifest into physical form, easily and effortlessly.

Least effort is expended when your actions are motivated by love, because nature is held together by the energy of love. When you seek power and control over other people, you waste energy. When you seek money or power for the sake of the ego, you spend energy chasing the illusion of happiness instead of enjoying happiness in the moment. When you seek money for personal gain only, you cut off the flow of energy to yourself, and interfere with the expression of nature’s intelligence. But when your actions are motivated by love, there is no waste of energy.

So back to the case in point.

There are three components to the Law of Least Effort — three things you can do to put this principle of “do less and accomplish more” into action. The first component is acceptance. Acceptance simply means that you make a commitment: “Today I will accept people, situations, circumstances, and events as they occur.” This means I will know that this moment is as it should be, because the whole universe is as it should be. This moment is as it is because the entire universe is as it is.

When you struggle against this moment, you’re actually struggling against the entire universe. Instead, you can make the decision that today you will not struggle against the whole universe by struggling against this moment. This means that your acceptance of this moment is total and complete.When you feel frustrated or upset by a person or a situation, remember that you are not reacting to the person or the situation, but to your feelings about the person or the situation. These are your feelings, and your feelings are not someone else’s fault. When you recognize and understand this completely, you are ready to take responsibility for how you feel and to change it. And if you can accept things as they are, you are ready to take responsibility for your situation and for all the events you see as problems.

Responsibility

This leads us to the second component of the Law of Least Effort: responsibility.

Responsibility means not blaming anyone or anything for your situation, including yourself. Having accepted this circumstance, this event, this problem, responsibility then means the ability to have a creative response to the situation as it is now. “This moment is as it should be.” Whatever relationships you have attracted in your life at this moment are precisely the ones you need in your life at this moment. There is a hidden meaning behind all events, and this hidden meaning is serving your own evolution.

Defenselessness

The third component of the Law of Least Effort is defenselessness, which means that your awareness is established in defenselessness, and you have relinquished the need to convince or persuade others of your point of view. If you observe people around you, you’ll see that they spend ninety-nine percent of their time defending their points of view. If you just relinquish the need to defend your point of view, you will in that relinquishment, gain access to enormous amounts of energy that have been previously wasted.

When you become defensive, blame others, and do not accept and surrender to the moment, your life meets resistance. Any time you encounter resistance, recognize that if you force the situation, the resistance will only increase.Completely desist from defending your point of view. When you have no point to defend, you do not allow the birth of an argument. If you do this consistently — if you stop fighting and resisting — you will fully experience the present, which is a gift.

If you embrace the present and become one with it, and merge with it, you will experience a fire, a glow, a sparkle of ecstasy throbbing in every living sentient being. As you begin to experience this exultation of spirit in everything that is alive, as you become intimate with it, joy will be born within you, and you will drop the terrible burdens and encumbrances of defensiveness, resentment, and hurtfulness. Only then will you become lighthearted, carefree, joyous, and free.

This is all according to Deepak Chopra.I have never had any interest in anything close to religion or philosophy. So when I came across this article while researching Noetic sciences, I was a bit intrigued. I am not saying that I will start practicing the law. I am too grounded in daily chaos to think and analyze everything I am doing, but I have to admit, its an interesting theory and for those who go into the trouble of practicing it...Kudos.

Definitely not for someone like me.I am happy,I think, with my ego, my arguments and my life. In general. I hate accepting my faults, being defenseless and apologizing for anything, even if its my fault.

I am everything that this article tells us not to be. AND I love me. AND I guess according to Deepak,I will never be lighthearted, carefree and free.

Bah.

good music for the soul - Veitnam?? NAH !!!!!!

Is it too much to ask? everywhere in the world, there should be a TC.

For those who do not know what I mean - TC aka Turquoise cottage is a very well known rock bar in New Delhi, India. That was where my life began and ended...That was where I met all my friends...Hell, that was where I met my husband...

Here in Hanoi, which is like a village compared to Delhi, its obviously too much to ask for. People go out here, sit by the lakes, eat bun Cha and pho and if they really want to party, go to karaoke. Or to the countless clubs here which continuously dish out vapid soulless music.

The only half decent bar is the Irish wolfhound( lets face it - The Irish rarely disappoint) but even that is not a full out rock pub.

AND - let me admit it now, once and for all - I HATE KARAOKE.

EVEN if its rock, Even if its by my good friends.

I hate any kind of live music in bars.

Let me clarify - I love live music per se...I would love to go to concerts...Going to a Linkin park concert is my dream. But I cannot stand even the rock bands that come and perform in bars. They may be good but nothing beats the real thing.

I want a place, a real place, not youtube, where I can listen to great music. Do not get me wrong, I have nothing against other genres - I like hip hop, trance, sometimes even Damien Rice. But I cannot stand this utter disregard for music in bars and pubs. I am not built that way. For me to enjoy myself and get high and have a great time, I need a pub atmosphere, cool people who understand music, not wannabes, good beer and some Linkin park. Not too much to ask for...right?

Wrong.

its next to impossible here in Hanoi.

If there is anything I miss about Delhi - its not my family, not the food, friends. I miss my watering hole, my music haven, the most.

The thought is pretty disturbing.

But thats what it is.

my wish list

Its not that I cannot go and buy all these things right now...its just that I have other things to buy...thats how things work, right. You have baby things, you have swimming lessons, emergencies and impromptu trips to places around Hanoi. All of which results in me NOT indulging in what I have to get...and that list has grown and grown. Now I have decided to get a credit card just to take care of all of the below listed things, once and for all. I know, I know. Drastic. But if I do not do this, I will never, AND I mean NEVER, get around to buying all this...at least not in the next 2 years....so here goes.

1. a good cellphone: an HTC touch
2. clothes: dozens and dozens of dresses, tights and shoes - flats, slippers and heels...everything
3. rings - i love wearing huge rings on my fingers and I seem to have lost all of them
4. get my hair styled and colored in a nice salon
5. a pedi, mani and a face massage and the works - you will not believe the courage you require to walk into a salon here in Hanoi...you never know what they will end up doing to you and what they will use. So maybe, for this , I have to wait until I go back to Delhi
6. a lovely expensive big bag- with studs and leather / crocodile skin- man, are they expensive
7. i lost my ipod and my sony usb cum player...so need music on the go...
8. I have a mac...from my office...its mine as long as I stay in the job...obv...but i want one...of my own!!!SO i can have the freedom to quit...hehee...sounds like I work because i have a mac...maybe true.
9. buy more and more books...well...let me clarify...its very difficult to get english novels here...sorry..let me rephrase...its very difficult to get anything english here..Hence my yearning for some good reading material
10. Lasik surgery (and in Hanoi, its cheap- only 13 million for both eyes. And oh, 13 million is the denomination here and it converts to 637USD ONLY)- I do not have very poor eyesight, but i fear I am getting there - My head and eyes have started hurting regularly and I fear I might become one of those people with huge bottle glasses
11. going to the james blunt concert in Shanghai...I know he is a whiner and is always singing depressing songs.. and he's so so gay...but hate me for it...I like him..so would love to go.(Note: my dream is to go to a Linkin park concert...but do not know of any upcoming ones in Asia)
12. AND finally, the energy that i had when i was just a few years younger...like 26-27.Okey, just one night on the town...after i have slept the whole day, or spent it relaxing , alone. AND, then , i have the night all to me...AND I know I will have to energy and stamina to drink up all night...

I know some things cannot be bought...Can only be wished for...Love, care and yearning ...to be better!!!!!

the little monkey: my dear daughter!!

Today, I feel very motherly. I have this urge to be with her all the time, sometimes.

She looks so innocent and sweet...right? There is a little monkey inside that tiny body of hers', waiting for release.

She is on the go from the moment she opens her eyes, to the moment exhaustion finally gets to her.She is my life and I guess nothing or anyone can take her place.

But that is the same for every parent, for the kid to be all...so much so, that we forget to take care of ourselves, to forget about the need for a pedicure( I would love one but am usually too exhausted to go looking in Hanoi for a clean place),the need to cut my hair and to color - my hair has now officially more greys than blacks, the want of new clothes and also a nice massage. There, that is my wish list.

Pretty simple, right.

Wrong.

Whenever I have the slightest free time, I prefer to relax at home and also to sleep rather than go looking around this god forsaken city for a good but cheap place which would do all this for me. Also, if SW is around, I cannot seem to leave her side. There seems to be a inner me which does not tend to follow my outer self, which screams at me every time I look in the mirror - get a makeover.

I am a fashion designer, I am supposed to look great, follow fashion and be dressed to the nines. Unfortunately, I can give all the advice and all the knowledge, but if it comes to personally being an inspiration to my students, I fail miserably. I have morning breakfast stains, I have grey hair which desperately needs care and attention, I have not waxed in 2 weeks now and need one badly...I need a pedi and mani as well...Urgently.

I am just tired. Somehow.

Is there a way one can do all the chores, do their job, take care of the kid and still be dressed to kill... I think people can manage that...why cant I??

And I cannot blame SW for it all... She is a dear and who would not want to spend all their time with her...

Even when I get time even when she is in school, I do not go.What is this new weird thing to be unkept all the time??Is it Hanoi? This place is so dirty and polluted all the time and I guess I figure...What is the point?

Also, we are in this major budget and saving mode all the time..since we have never saved up before...We are now on super save mode...trying to save every bit we can...So that we can travel and also for emergencies. So now, even when we have money, I feel compelled to save it up. Have I become miserly??I used to be a person who would blow up everything by the 20th of every month and then wait out the remaining few days for the next salary...Now whether it is because of people around me, whether its for my daughter, or whether its just me...I have not a clue. But I sure know this....My life has changed!!! Drastically!!! And I would give an arm and a leg to have what I had in my college days - a great bod, A devil may care attitude, great sex life and a well groomed ,well coifed head of hair...

And I started this post for SW. Shit!! Well, I guess, another time and place...

PS: the pic can stay though...cute, isn't she?!!!!!!

lucid dreams part 2

For those who are into lucid dreams: here are some plants which can help you...read NOT dope or DMT....

there is a herb in dear old Me - he - co(Mexico) which the tribes use to achieve the most beautiful lucid dreams possible..or so they say!

Calea zacatechichi...so the dream herb, as it is called is used by the tribes to lucid dream. these are the plants which have effect only when you are asleep.

There are several other plants used in Indian communities of Mexico to obtain divinatory messages from dreams. Several puffball mushrooms (Lycoperdon spp.) wrongly reported as hallucinogens are eaten fresh by Mixtec Indians before going to bed in order to dream. Nahuatl Indians use an as yet unidentified species of Salvia, known by the name of Xiouit, for the same purpose. The Tarahumara Indians use a plant called "Bacana", which has been reported to be used as a divinatory agent, was later confirmed as an herb to help induce dreaming.

there are some plants in Africa as well, which are used by shamans in their rituals to induce a dream state.

So the thought process here : All the hocus pocus that you thought was usually associated with the rituals in Voodoo and other shaman religions have a base...And its interesting that normal people like us also experience this - of course without any plant induced haze...Though, I would love to try it out...No turning back on experiencing new things, right!!!??

The elusive lucid state...

I was just doing some research on, well, nothing...I sit and look up things on youtube when free because you stumble upon some amazing things. And today I did. Today's find: I came across this Dutch guy who is an electronics music composer and he has put his music online...btw, he does not have a CD or is he well known...But his work...I cannot begin to tell you how talented he is...and I was researching on dreams...I remember now.

My point????

Let me start over.

I started my research with lucid dreams... I love having them, obviously. They totally give you an experience to remember and when I wake, I feel like I have done something...had a great time, usually. I sometimes get my creative ideas from my dreams. So, coming back to youtube: When free, I go to National geographic or Discovery to see what they have in store for me. Today morning, as I had a wonderful lucid dream which I unfortunately remember nothing of, except the fact that it was wonderful, prompted me to do some research on the subject.

This is what I came up with: we can train our minds to have lucid dreams every night and they have helped people come up with creative inputs, solve problems and also to have a great time. As some guy put it, this is just a state of mind where the brain is unfettered by logic, leaving it to roam free and experience things like flying, dreamscapes etc...

The best part - the biggest inventors of the world - Einstein, Dali - all admitted to having dreamt up the solutions and ideas. Even today, NASA scientists get their ideas from lucid dreaming.

Would it not be wonderful if we could do all our thinking in the lucid dream state, wake up and then just start working. it will such a lovely utilization of time and imagine the ideas one can get. Dreams have always gotten crazy for me and I have had dreams from me being a spy to the proverbial flying experience...All I can tell you is that when you wake up, you actually feel like you did it and so disappointed that you are awake now.

What a lovely idea for a game, isn't it?We have X-box today and 3D games, but imagine a lucid dream box....takes you where you want to go and what you want ot do...all while sleeping. And my thought is not so far behind...the scientists have already developed a sleeping eye patch called the dreamer which helps a person have lucid dreams. You can teach yourself to recognise that you are in fact dreaming and all this is not real. after that is done...you can steer the dream into any direction you want.

AMAZING ...is it not?!!!!

Dying to sleep?Tell your brain to lucid dream...apparently the command helps as well..

Have fun!

Inner Mongolia and Xilamuren! crazy must see!!!

THE CRAZY FAMILY...

This trip was another end result of my continuos needling to go to Inner Mongolia...I mean who would not want to go to the endless grasslands, where horses ran free and no civilization for miles around, right? Ro was finally convinced and we booked our tickets from Beijing to Hohhot(pronounced Hu-he-ho-te), the capital of Inner Mongolia. From there, it was a long 2 hour drive to the grasslands.

En route, Ro decided that the taxi guy was fucking around and we had a fight, which resulted in him dumping us, baby and all, miles from any yurts. Yurts are the small tents that are put up on the grasslands and the only places you can stay in.

We had to walk for a good hour to get to the huts that you can see in the distance. That is the thing with these grasslands...you can see it and you think 'ohh..its so close,' but distances and time loose value. Its just open fields and it looks quiet but actually the noise in this place was deafening...crickets, the size of small mice, all singing away and the sheer numbers were staggering. I wager there was one cricket per inch of ground. We squished quite a few as we walked through this cricket land.

We decided to stay in small yurt settlement where the price for one night was a mere 100yuan..peanuts. The accomodation was not fancy either... but comfy. The whole yurt was basically a bed - with a hard cement rectangle to serve as the bed,on top of which countless pillows and mattresses were thrown, to make it really cosy. The top of the yurt had a small opening, through which the yurt received its ventilation. Apparently, this was very scientific and imperative to keep the yurt cool during the hot day and warm and cosy during the cold nights.

The couple who managed the 5 yurts were very sweet and had an old tattered picture of Genghis Khan in the common eating room. Wow...All my history lessons just come flooding back to me as I realize that these people are perhaps direct descendants. They had 3 horses and whenever they wanted to get some supplies, they would clamber on and ride to the nearest village - Damao.

This place is so much better explained with pictures...have fun!

SW..perfect beauty. I wish I was this lucky when I was young...

Posing away...

Birds on a wire.

Show off...

We went to the nearby village - Damao, for a look. It was such a cute place,with a really old monastery and some even older looking monks. The wind here is so strong and dusty that even the younger lot look 10 years older. We wandered around for a while and then started looking for ways to get back. It was going to be dark soon and we had no transport back. An old guy kindly offered us a lift at the back of his tempo...We were so pleased but when he opened the back, I almost threw up. You see, the tempo was used to transport goat meat around, and there were kidneys, entrails and large amounts of blood. If he wanted us to get in there, he must be joking.

We finally found another tempo, no cleaner, but at least there were no body parts around.

The night at the grassland was a full moon night...the beauty has to be experienced - i can try to convey in words but it will be futile. I will leave it to your imagination.

Next morning: clean up and shit time before getting back to ol' Beijing. The only problem - there are no toilets in the grasslands - the whole place can be used...'go anywhere'...we were told. Now there is one small hut that people apparently went to, to relieve themselves. I decided to check it out, and was greeted to the replay of the potty scene from Slumdog Millionaire. Before this, I had just thought that these kind of places were made up, not real. But Hell, I can tell you, whatever urges you have, automatically stop.I decided to hold it in till we reached the airport. Not ideal, but way better than that.

All in all, I have to say that Inner Mongolia was a trip high on my list of best places visited. The experience was so surreal and other-worldly that there cannot be any comparisons or words to describe it. You have to go there to see it.

Footnote: When we were leaving, the old Mongolian couple in all seriousness, took me aside and told me whether I can leave my baby with them - for ever. They wanted to keep her and take care of her. They could not have children and they wanted my beautiful baby...' nu er piao liao'... was their reason...'girl very beautiful'(btw, in China and in most places, people go nuts when they see her...I have had crowds gather around me and follow me around, all the time, ogling at her.The attention is frustrating and irritating...esp...Ro with his temper, can be quite rude and a situation always develops). Needless to say, it was pretty freaky.