GITA - The Philosophy of 'Karma' and Newton's Third Law of Motion

Today has been one of those days. A test of my strength and perseverance... and we're only half-way into this day. I have managed though and I think I'm passing this test. I don't want to go evangelical on all ya'll, but I wanted to share these written words that I have held on to for over 16 years now.

Someone very special to me presented a calender with these beautiful words translated from the Sanskrit text of the Bhagavad Gita. From time to time, I go back and read it to get perspective back in my life.

At the age of 15, I was already questioning my faith, or moreover, the lack of. But even at that tender age, there was a deep-seated voracity within me to get to the truth with which I could make sense of the world I was experiencing around me.

With time, every aspect of who we are surfaces.

The truth is, I question the validity and evidence of god, as do most scientifically-inclined people. As well, I have never been comfortable with the idea of dedicating my life to anyone but myself. But, I do not question the validity of karma. Karma to me is as basic as Newton's Laws of Motion- the third law to be exact. I wholeheartedly believe that science and karma can, and do coexist in the same world.


Here is it:

Why do you worry unnecessarily? Why do you fear in vain? Who can kill you? The soul is neither born nor does it die.

Whatever happened was for the best. Whatever is happening, will also be for the best. Do not repent the past. Do not worry for the future. The present goes on.

What have you lost that you cry? What did you bring with you that you lost? What did you create, that got destroyed? You did not bring anything with you; whatever you had, was taken from here. Whatever you took, was taken from here. You came empty-handed. Today what is yours was someone else's yesterday and will be yet someone else's tomorrow. You are happy thinking it is yours. It is this happiness that is the cause of your sorrow.

Change is the law of nature. What you perceive as death is actually life. One moment you have millions, in the next you are poor. Mine-yours, big-small, relations-strangers; remove these ideas from your thoughts, remove them from your mind-then all will be yours and you will be for all.

Your body does not belong to you, nor do you belong to this body. It is made of fire, water, air, earth and the sky and will return to these. However, the soul is immortal. Then what are you? Dedicate yourself to God. He is the best guide. He who knows his power is eternally free of fear, worry or grief.

The Year of the Ox

Happy Chinese New Year Everyone!!

Here is my octagon tray of togetherness and my lucky money in red envelopes.

I'm feeling pretty good about my money being lucky even though these bills have already been circulated. A trip to the Federal Reserve today was not totally out of the question, just inconvenient.

Instead I go to Bank of America and ask the nice teller lady to withdraw 15 uncirculated one dollar bills from my checking account. She gives me the 'you are kidding me' and 'not possible' look. I thought I would get into a heated discussion with the teller lady, but not so this time.

It just so happened that the nicer bank teller next to her overheard our conversation and then took over.
This Chinese lady wore a smile and was dressed in her lucky red twin sweater-set. She knew exactly what I was there for.
I wished the lady in red a Happy New Year, smiled at my luck and then left the bank happy with my circulated YET Lucky Money!

Now I just need to find some lucky kiddos. I love this day! I'm wearing my red sweater and red belt and my apartment has not been this clean since September.

On Randomness and Current Events

1) Discovering the joy of running with a partner and our shared enthusiasm for newness
2) Feeling inspired by Obama's quest for change, nature, and my ever so ambitious group project members
3) Eating more almonds
4) Pausing to take in my surroundings
5) Having solo coffee time
6) Learning that nothing is really all that random
7) Giving people a chance
8) Letting go of a few of my reservations

I've been learning so many things lately.

1) The American consumption of chickens has increased. Americans eat a million chickens every hour yet fatter than ever.

2) A vegan diet prolongs life.

3) You can usually halt a migraine from progression by drinking two cups of coffee within the first hour of the migraine.

4) One of the oldest ancient civilization began along the river banks of The Ganges from people who migrated from the Indus Valley. The civilization died out around 1000 to 1500 B.C. when climatic changes dried out the river. The excavated ruins of this civilization still exists today. At the height of this flourishment, the population of the largest settlement along the Ganges is estimated at 200,000. Now, that is a grand scale!

5) The Brahmin sacred chants mimic bird sounds and have been passed down for millenniums before a true religion existed in India. These chants can only be orally relayed, and cannot be written in text.

6) Most who have been unemployed for a year or longer, do not go back to work.

7) People only talk about making a change when times are good. Changes are made when people are going through tough times.

Interesting facts about Lake Michigan

Before you start to panic, I did not discover a way to run over Lake Michigan. Curiosity and my recent proximity to the lake led me wonder the distance of the shortest path from the Chicago harbor to the direct east shoreline. Mapmyrun is a handy dandy tool and it says 49.5 miles.

Awesome! That is obviously too much distance for a swim and sadly, I don't think my swimming abilities would carry me that far. Lake Michigan will never freeze over into a single sheet of ice. Yea, so ice skating to the State of Michigan shore is not an option either.

The winds blowing off the lake is so dang cold this time of year! It is nearly impossible to enjoy the shore view without tear droplets in my eyes :(

Lastly, here is an observation. I have only see wave curls off the lake on the eastern shore, the State of Michigan shoreline. I suppose the wind could also blow west. Interesting that I have not observed waves rippling off the lake on the Chicago shore.

Hmm.. I am fascinated by large bodies of water.