My parents arrived in India after touring the some areas in the north. I picked them up at Rajiv Ghandi (Begumpet) Airport in Hyderabad on Saturday the 15th of December. We didn't waste any time, given that this would be last weekend while teaching at KVT, and decided to hire a Toyota Qualis (SUV) and driver and head out to explore some temples north and east of Hyderabad in the areas. Erin, our friend and US Fulbrighter from another KV school in Hyderabad, joined us for the trip.
We have used the driver a few times in the past - he usually goes by the name Shiva. However during this auspicious time of the Hindu calendar, Shiva had transformed himself into a living god through a collection of cleansing practices and puja (prayer). For example he must rise early in the morning and take a simple bath, pray, and then take a completely vegetarian breakfast while sitting on the ground (tables and utensils are forbidden) - all before the sun rises. He must remain somewhat separated from his family and must never touch women - even his wife for the 41 day period. He, along with other mostly male volunteers, dress exclusively in black robes and decorate their foreheads in thick swaths of white, orange or red paints. For this honor they are only referred to as "Swamy" - one of the temporary incarnations of Hindu gods.
Swamy picked us up early so that we could reach Warangal and the 1000-pillar temple by late morning. Warangal was once the center of Telagu culture and the capitol of the Kakatiya Kingdom which reached the height of its power between the 12th and 14th centuries. The temples that they built are considered masterpieces of exquisite architecture and some of the statues that adorn the pillars at Ramappa could be considered tantric in nature.
1 comment:
Excellant blog.
The despondency of Arjuna in the first chapter of the Gita is typically human. Sri Krishna, by sheer power of his inspiring words, changes Arjuna's mind from a state of inertia to one of righteous action, from the state of what the French philosophers call "anomie" or even alienation, to a state of self-confidence in the ultimate victory of " dharma" (ethical action.)
When Arjuna got over his despondency and stood ready to fight, Sri Krishna reminded him of the purpose of his new-found spirit of intense action - not for his own benefit, not for satisfying his own greed and desire, but for the good of many, with faith in the ultimate victory of ethics over unethical actions and of truth over untruth.
Sri Krishna's advice with regard to temporary failures is, "No doer of good ever ends in misery." Every action should produce results. Good action produces good results and evil begets nothing but evil. Therefore, always act well and be rewarded.
My purport is not to suggest discarding of the Western model of efficiency, dynamism and striving for excellence but to tune these ideals to India's holistic attitude of " lokasangraha" - for the welfare of many, for the good of many. There is indeed a moral dimension to business life. What we do in business is no different, in this regard, to what we do in our personal lives. The means do not justify the ends. Pursuit of results for their own sake, is ultimately self-defeating. ("Profit," said Matsushita-san in another tradition, "is the reward of correct behavior." – ed.)
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