Thoughts and Quotations by Jayaram V Part One

A Peace Quotation

Quotations by Jayaram V

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What is left in the end, except memories? Even they fade away as the time goes by. After certain age, it is necessary that you begin to withdraw from worldly preoccupations and  turn inward to review your life and spend time in the contemplation of higher truths. In Hinduism we call it the life of a forest dweller (vanaprastha). It helps you prepare for the alienation and isolation you will feel as you grow older and the world begins to drift away from you.

A calamity like an earthquake rudely wakes us up from our illusions and reminds us how vulnerable and precarious our existence upon earth is.

On the positive side symbols help you make sense of the inexplicable, inexpressible, and intangible complexity of truths that life presents.

On the negative side, Symbols are the means to the myth of life and denial of truth. They create a narrative that protects you from truth.

At times symbols also mess with our minds and twist our reason whereby we come to accept them as real rather than what they represent.

Religious symbols are deeply embedded in human consciousness. They create powerful emotions and often lead to wars, conflicts and violence.

For the fanatics the symbols are more valuable than life itself. So for the sake of symbols they don't mind to destroy life.

Criminals are opposed to law. You cannot expect them to be nice and civil. Cops are expected to be tough. You'd not expect them to be soft.

Democracy will not fail humans. Humans will fail democracy by electing family dynasties and helping few concentrate power and wealth.

Democratic systems seem better only from the perspective of authoritarian and totalitarian systems but are inherently defective and chaotic.

Discretion in Sanskrit is called Buddhi or intelligence, Nature's highest manifestation and guiding star in the space of your consciousness.

Even in decisions consciously made you can not rule out the role of chance in creating the opportunity, ability, resources and alternatives.

Every religion to some extent is institutionalized superstition and falsehood. Without discretion you'll be led like sheep over the cliff.

Familiarity is key to electoral politics in democracy. If you elected husband, most likely you'll vote for the wife son brother or daughter.

For many B.C. Really means Before the Confusion.

If a teacher asks you to use discretion, listen to him, but if he says believe in me I am there for you, run away before you're enraptured.

In 20th century three developments happened. Journalists became entertainers to people, sycophants to leaders and dishonest or insincere to themselves.

In democracies as well as dictatorships people who are conditioned to fear and respect authority follow those who tend to abuse them and exploit them.

In democracies popularity and familiarity keep leaders in power as people form attachment to the known. Hence you always've more of the same.

Infinity may exist theoretically but infinity of the material universe's a mathematical impossibility. It's infinite 'cause we can't measure

Internal enemies to a nation are far more destructive than external. No army and weaponry can defeat them as they remain cancerous and amorphous

It appears after elected to the highest office some people delegate common sense to the people down the line and lose touch with reality.

Leaders and political groups that rule for long and lose influence become very destructive and use deception and class war to create unrest.

Life happens imperceptibly by chance. It starts and ends by chance only. The causes we attribute are afterthoughts we refuse to acknowledge.

Life is tough. Everyday we live is a victory for each individual against forces that are intent upon testing the limits of our endurance.

Natural calamities are also opportunities to be human, to do good and be good for people who otherwise remain occupied with their own welfare.

Once you choose anything and identify with anything you become its champion defender because you don't want to know you made a mistake.

One of the greatest myths is that the year is 2015. How is that? The Earth is over two billions years old and humanity at least a million and half. We are talking as the Romans are still our rulers and one person who has been largely mythicized has made all the difference to the world.

Our laws and morals are relative. Hence there are always two sides to a story and justification for every crime, corruption and violation.

Reason is seldom used by people to reason anything but mostly to rationalize the irrational, false and unworthy actions, causes and choices.

Religions thrive in groups while spirituality goes with individuals. Hence religions become part of group dynamics in leadership struggle.

Separating AUM from Yoga is like separating breath from life and God from a scripture. Yoga begins and ends with AUM just as life with breath.

Sometimes endurance is an apt solution to a problem except that you're clear headed and not expecting a miracle to happen.

Thanissaro Bhikkhu said emptiness is looking at things with the emptiness of mind without presuppositions. How true and how difficult!

That people love fiction not just in books movies and literature is well evident in the myths and illusions they create and worship as truth.

The biggest failure in anyone's life is failure to acknowledge the failure.

The essence of some seemingly pious doctrines is you can drink blood and eat flesh if somehow you can bake them into bread.

The history of the world has been that the humanity has always been ruled and exploited by small bands of utterly selfish, ruthless and shrewd people.

There's so much violence in the urban areas that it's unimaginable what'll happen if cops go on mass leave for a day. Leaders should focus on reforming criminals not cops, unless there is clear evidence.

Those in power must be honest and impartial and those who support law breakers must do soul searching. Otherwise this nation will let chaos rule

What many of these leaders are saying is if there is a burglary, blame the house owner for his negligence and let the criminal go to party.

What's ailing Indian farmers? They habitually elect their caste leaders who do not (de)serve them well. This's been going on for long.

When people stop seeing the difference between criminals and law abiding citizens, street violence in public becomes a normal TV event.

With each interpretation truth becomes distorted a little until it becomes other than what it truly is.

I do not have statistics to support this, but it appears that most people die rather unhappily, even if they have achieved a lot in life. To others they may appear successful, but within themselves they remain unhappy about their missed opportunities and failures. It is because by nature people remain dissatisfied with their lives as they focus upon what they have not achieved rather than what they have achieved and keep comparing themselves with those who are more successful, prosperous, and better positioned than them. The negative attitude continues until the end. Since, there is no end to human achievement, it is difficult for anyone to come to terms with their achievements and feel fulfilled. It is therefore necessary that occasionally you review your life and remember your achievements. While it may not universally cure your despair and dissatisfaction, it may give you a temporary relief from the negative feelings.

For the human mind, perception is reality. Perceptions keep changing. Watch the same painting for a few minutes. Every time you look at it, you see something new. Then is it right to live by surface thoughts, borrowed opinions, unverified experiences and assumed truths?

I am fortunate that I am born as a Hindu. I have learned to tolerate my own ignorance and that of others.

Freedom of speech does not mean freedom to lie. Unfortunately some people think so.

We learn from Hinduism this. Your religion does not have to have a name. God does not have to be the center of it. What you believe in is important. If your beliefs can set you free from all that holds you back here in chains, consider that you are blessed and you have come a long way in the journey of your liberation.

The more I read the newspapers, the less I believe in history

When it is dark do not light a candle. Close your eyes and sleep.

Darkness is eternal. Light is just a temporary phenomenon.

Do not speak to the silence. Listen to it.

No one envies your success in this world, unless one happens to be your friend or relation.

When you choose not to walk on a straight path, do not complain that you are seeing only twists and turns.

With a thousand lies you cannot create even one truth.

When you want to climb a mountain be prepared to slip and fall.

If you live in the past, you will be history sooner than you think.

Make the sky empty and fill it again.

It is better to keep some dreams as dreams.

Reality is a tough companion.

Learning is a discipline. You cannot learn without concentration, commitment and humility.

If you hear people saying, "Here is a great leader, praise him," don't believe them. They have been doing that since the earliest times. The best of the human beings rarely received their due credit. They died mostly unknown, just as they are now.

There is no such thing as honesty unless you believe in it.

Do not take history too seriously. It is mostly a story of convenience and willful insomnia.

We are born to die. We start dying from the day we are born. We spend a whole lifetime trying not to remember this universal truth. We ignore it when we are young. We try to deal with it as we become older and perhaps start worrying about it as our bodies begin to fail us.

The more I read the newspapers, the less I believe in history

We learn from Hinduism this. Your religion does not have to have a name. God does not have to be the center of it. What you believe in is important. If your beliefs can set you free from all that holds you back here in chains, consider that you are blessed and you have come a long way in the journey of your liberation.

Freedom of speech does not mean freedom to lie. Unfortunately some people think so.

More knowledge sometimes is a waste of time.

Fools disagree because of ignorance. Intelligent people disagree because of their excess knowledge. The wise one neither agrees nor disagrees. Hence he is called, muni, the silent one.

If you cannot follow a few simple rules of self-discipline, why read a thousand books?

If you cannot help speaking lies, try becoming an Ad writer.

Sage Valmiki became enlightened with just one word, "Rama" or "Mara". With all the knowledge I have acquired, I am still ignorant.

If words can kill, people will kill each other everyday.

I know some people do not believe in innovation. They believe in renovation.

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