1. Spiritual
1.
When You Are Aware, Life Is a
Movement of Joy
Someone met me recently and said, “I find it
difficult to listen to my spouse; he speaks so much, most of the time, I don’t
understand what he is saying.” I told her, “Listening to your spouse is like
reading the terms and conditions of a freeware you want to download from the
internet. It is long, and you don’t understand much, but still you click on
agree.” In the same way, to build a rapport with your spouse, just agree, and
when he calms down, try to discuss. Next time, when you find your spouse giving
a long lecture, and you need to convince him, do not be in a hurry. Wait for an
opportunity to explain your point of view.
We should learn the art of handling
difficulties gracefully. There is no one way. We have to be alert and let the
purity of alertness and goodness to guide you in handling difficult situations.
Our past knowledge is trapping us often. At the same time, we have to transform
gracefully. Our past should be a point of reference for increased awareness,
rather than a block.
Our past knowledge, conclusions, opinions,
hurts; they influence our listening and thinking. Our unconscious is leading
our life mechanically. When we are alert, we become conscious of our
unconscious and that enables us to lead a better life instead of bitter life.
Are you conscious of the fact that one is
unconscious to oneself? You say this is mine or that is mine. But, if you are
alert and conscious, you will realise that all that you have said as ‘mine’ is
not yours. You are riding a dream.
What you think is mine is not in the true
sense yours. You are using them for your need in a remarkably subtle sense. You
say your son is yours, for you have a dream that he will do this and that to
you. But, your son also has a dream and he feels this or that will make him
complete. So, one is using the other for fulfilling one’s dream, and in that
sense wants others to serve him.
All things and persons can be snatched away
from you, and what is capable of being snatched away is not yours. What cannot
be snatched away from you is your consciousness. Your body is given to you by
your parents. Your knowledge is given to you by books and other sources. These
can be snatched away from you.
Only our consciousness is intrinsically
ours, and in the true sense, we are not unaware what this consciousness is. We
are unconscious of our consciousness. When we are dependent on the things that
can be snatched away, and when it is snatched away by time, we feel cheated and
betrayed. It is our error in understanding.
If one understands that all things are
capable of being snatched one will not depend on it emotionally. Hence emotions
will have clarity and is free. You will be a giver of life, and not a beggar of
life. You will put your energy in understanding yourself, and when you
understand yourself as conscious, you will realise this consciousness, which is
your nature, is fullness and completeness. With fullness when you live life,
your life will be a movement of joy and not wanting joy.
(Source: Times of India dt 14.03.2017)
2.
Social
2.
Hawking won the world’s respect
– and gave disabled people like me hope – Frances Ryan
Growing up disabled, I had few role models.
But this brilliant, witty scientist helped shift the negative stereotypes many
face. As with most of the famous figures whose passing now hits us via a news
alert on our phones, I never met Stephen Hawking. In the vastness of the entire
universe, you could say I was one speck and he was another. And yet I thought
of him as a continual presence in my life, who – perhaps paradoxically, in the
light of his illness, not to mention of his work on time – would always be
there, somehow.
Growing up disabled in Britain, I didn’t
have many role models. There are hardly any statues of disabled leaders, no
great lives with chronic disability documented in the history books. As a
child, it’s easy to believe that disabled people have never really existed, and
that when they did, it was as cripples to be pitied or burdens on society. In
Hawking, we had a figure – brilliant, witty, kind – who confounded the negative stereotypes and the low expectations
so often forced on those of us with a disability.
He wasn’t without faults (accusations of
sexism were notable). He was also afforded opportunities – from wealth to
healthcare to being non-disabled throughout school – that clearly enabled his
success, opportunities too few young disabled people, facing cuts to multiple
strands of support, enjoy today. But his groundbreaking research, as well as
tireless commitment to the NHS and concern over Brexit, established him as
someone who, though physically stripped of his voice, should be listened to.
In the rush to eulogise a figure such as
Hawking the risk is that the media coverage either fails to acknowledge his
disability – and to ignore him being a disabled person is as regressive as a
white person saying they “don’t see colour” – or falls into condescending
cliches and objectification. Within hours of the news of his death breaking, I
saw headlines that reflected the (often well-intentioned) negative attitudes
that so often plague discussions of disabled people: ones of “inspiration”,
“overcoming disability” and references to “tragedy”. BBC Radio 5 Live asked
listeners if Hawking had “inspired” them – a question unlikely to be posed
about non-disabled academics. The Daily Mail referred to his “total disability”
while at the other end of the spectrum, John Humphrys used Radio 4’s tribute
segment to ask: “Did the science community cut him a lot of slack because he
was so desperately disabled?”
Even the Guardian’s obituary mentioned how
“despite his terrible physical circumstance, he almost always remained positive
about life”, as if it was a surprise that a world-renowned scientist with a
loving family could ever find happiness. Cartoonists illustrated him in heaven
– a place Hawking did not believe existed – standing up, as if finally free
from his wheelchair (an invention, much like his voice synthesiser, that
actually empowered him to engage with society). Even sentiments such as “He
didn’t let his disability define him” – as Marsha de Cordova, shadow
disabilities minister (and herself disabled) tweeted – verge on repeating the
ingrained belief that disability is an inherently negative thing: a part of
identity that, unlike race or sexuality, should be played down.
This is not to say that Hawking’s disability
didn’t help shape him. The thought that he had a sharply limited life
expectancy – it was originally believed he would die within two years of his
motor neurone disease diagnosis – by all accounts inspired Hawking to enjoy the
present, and spurred on his hunger for scientific discovery. But to reduce a
world-famous academic’s existence to one of tragedy and pluck respects neither
the reality of a disabled life nor the love, success, humour and fulfilment
that clearly marked Hawking’s. It is reminiscent of the countless “inspirational”
memes and posters that throughout his life featured Hawking’s image – often
using his body as inspiration for non-disabled people (“If he can succeed, so
can you!”) or criticising “lesser” disabled people (“The only disability is a
bad attitude”). Hawking, like all of us, deserves more than lazy, ableist
tropes.
Amid all the tributes to Hawking’s
contribution to scientific discovery, I would like to remember what he
contributed – perhaps unknowingly – to many disabled people: a sense of pride,
encouragement and hope. This was a genius who gained the world’s respect from
his wheelchair. Hawking’s achievements alone will not have begun to overturn
deep-seated prejudice, but he has played a significant part in shifting the
misconceptions that still routinely mark too many disabled people’s lives.
Hawking’s lesser-known lesson is one I hope others growing up disabled will be
left with: we can all reach for the stars.
(Source: www.theguardian.com)
3. World News
3.
Plastic particles found in
bottled water
Tests on major brands of bottled water have
found that nearly all of them contained tiny particles of plastic. In the
largest investigation of its kind, 250 bottles bought in nine different
countries were examined. Research led by journalism organisation Orb Media
discovered an average of 10 plastic particles per litre, each larger than the
width of a human hair.
Companies whose brands were tested told the
BBC that their bottling plants were operated to the highest standards. The
tests were conducted at the State University of New York in Fredonia.
Commenting on the results, Prof Mason said:
“It’s not catastrophic, the numbers that we’re seeing, but it is
concerning.” Currently, there is no evidence that ingesting very small
pieces of plastic (microplastics) can cause harm, but understanding the
potential implications is an active area of science.
(Source: bbc.com)
4.
A cheap Chinese TV threatens to
topple LG, Samsung & Sony’s India apple cart
Can Xiaomi replicate its smartphone success
in televisions? Its entry into the segment with TVs priced at as much as half
that of the top three —LG, Samsung and Sony — has taken the market by surprise
over the past few weeks. The leaders don’t yet have a strategy to counter the
Chinese company’s disruptive pricing, four senior industry executives said,
asking not to be named.
“While it’s a wait-and-watch scenario right
now, we have been asked to keep our ears to the ground to closely track
Xiaomi,” said a senior executive with one of the largest television makers.
“The scope to react right now is also limited for they are selling models at
almost throwaway prices which, if we have to match, it will completely disrupt
the pricing strategy.”
In less than a month of its foray into
televisions, Xiaomi has launched 32-inch, 43-inch and 55-inch models — sizes
that together account for 80% of the total television market by volume.
Its 32-inch set is sold at Rs.13,999
compared with a starting price of Rs. 24,000 for a similar specification model
from one of the three top brands. The 43-inch set is priced at Rs. 22,999
compared with Rs. 36,000-plus for a rival model while in the 53-inch segment,
Xiaomi’s model is tagged at Rs. 39,999, about half that of one from the top
three. The executives cited above said the top three brands are hoping that the
Chinese company won’t be as successful in TVs as the business calls for sales
and servicing strategies that differ from those for handsets.
(Source: gadgetsnow.com)
5.
Wipro chairman unveils 3D metal
printing facility in Bengaluru
Global software major Wipro’s three
dimensional (3D) metal printing facility was unveiled by its Chairman Azim
Premji in this tech hub on 14 March. “The 12,000 sq.ft. centre has various
capabilities that include building up technology, post-processing, research,
characterisation and validation facilities,” said the city-based IT major
in a statement here. The company, however, did not disclose the cost of this
high-tech facility.
The software major’s 3D printing business
unit, Wipro3D, has been providing services to aerospace, space, industrial,
automotive, healthcare, oil and gas and heavy engineering sectors in the
country. Wipro3D was set up in 2012 here under the Wipro Infrastructure
Engineering, a hydraulic cylinder manufacturing unit of the software major. The
company soon plans to take its 3D printing services across the world, said the
statement, although no details were specified of its expansion plans.
(Source: firstpost.com)
