Buddham Sharanam Gachhami !

Long before India started exporting spices or software, Ideas, Thought Leadership and Spirituality were the earliest exports from India to the world. The zero and the decimal system, which forms basis of the numbering system that the world uses today, was invented in India. Kautilya’s Arthashastra, written in the 4^th Century BC, laid down the principles of governance, public administration and taxation several centuries before modern-day economics or political science was born. Wonders of modern science, from aircrafts to surgeries have all been mentioned in ancient Indian texts. Ayurveda holds the secrets of good health which modern day researchers are trying to discover and patent. Sushruta’s Sushruta Samhita, written in 800 BC mentions more than 300 surgeries, including the likes of plastic surgery, cataract and caesarian section. The techniques of Yoga and Meditation as key to a healthy body and a healthy mind are seeing resurgence in the West.

Grand Buddha statue at the pagoda

One of the ideas that India gave birth to, and were embraced by the world, were the teachings of Gautam Buddha. From Mongolia in the North to Sri Lanka in the South, and from South East Asia to Japan, Buddhism is today the fourth largest religion in the World. Close to half a million people in the world follow Buddha and his teachings as their principal religious order.

Buddha taught that suffering is an ingrained part of existence, but it is possible to end it by following the right path. The right path, he said is the eight – fold noble path of right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration. Buddha said no teachings should be accepted unless they are borne out by our experience and are praised by the wise. Buddha held that two qualities are rare among humans: Katannuta that is, Gratitude and Pubbakarita, which is, initiative to help others without expecting anything in return. These two qualities are the true measure of progress.

A grand Pagoda, styled along traditional Burmese architecture, has come up in Mumbai recently.  The pagoda, built by the Global Vipassana Foundation seeks to spread the true teachings of Buddha and  promotes the practice of Vipassana Meditation that was said to have been practiced by Buddha himself.

The Pagoda claims to contain the largest pillar-less dome structure in the World, 90 feet in height and 280 feet in diameter. Built using 2.5 million tonnes of stone and 3,000 truckloads of sand, the pagoda towers to a height of a 30-storey building. Underneath it is a huge meditation hall which can accommodate 8,000 people at a time. It has been designed as a replica of Shwe Dagon Pagoda of Myanmar. Relics of Gautam Buddha are enshrined at the site. The entire complex, apart from the main pagoda, contains several other structures such as an art gallery, a library, two other smaller pagodas, an auditorium, a food court etc. Exquisite samples of traditional Burmese architecture can be seen throughout the campus. The art gallery contains stunning paintings depicting the life of Gautam Buddha from birth to death. An excellent facility, to listen to the story of each painting as you move along the gallery, using a tape and earphones is available. This makes the visit to the gallery worthwhile and meaningful, as it enhances our understanding of the life of Gautam Buddha and his teachings. The pagoda is located off the coast of Gorai, in Mumbai. Take a look some day.

A surprise called Nagaon

I have always been enchanted by beaches. Every beach has something new to offer, something different. I find it difficult to explain what it is – is it the water, the sand, the fresh breeze or the sun? May be the clouds, or the trees around. There is always something new, something different to see and experience. I wonder if there is a “beach therapy” around. Going to a beach is a medicine in itself. Nothing rejuvenates better than a visit to the beach.

So when a friend suggested we go to Nagaon for the weekend, I was only too willing to join. A few glimpses from my visit to Nagaon, which incidentally must also be the cheapest water sports centre near Mumbai.

Set sail from the Gateway

Mandwa is just an hour away

Can we see Vijay Dinanath Chauhan anywhere?

Can you see a Ganesha here?

The journey is a ship watcher's paradise - click here for more

Surprisingly high tides, right on the shore make Nagaon a delight for sports lovers

Enchanting sunset makes the visit unforgettable!

Sachin as a celebrity MP

Sachin Tendulkar’s decision to accept nomination of Rajya Sabha has come in for heavy criticism from the public. Soon after the news was reported, the Twitter world went berserk, and hashtag #UnfollowSachin was trending Worldwide. Opinion polls such as those on The Times of India website indicate three - fourth's of the people disapprove of the development.  Media reactions were more restrained, trying to balance criticism with respect for Sachin the cricketer. Journalists writing in the print media used euphemistic tones, “cautioning” Sachin about the “challenges” that lay ahead. The electronic media did what it does best – organize debates without adding anything of value. Political reactions were of course, the worst, ranging from purely hypocritical to downright ridiculous. The Communist Party of India (CPI), for instance, demanded that Sourav Ganguly should also be nominated to the House, as if they are building a cricket team in Parliament.

But is the pessimism surrounding Sachin’s nomination justified?

Performance data of Members of Parliament (MPs) is now available online. The data assesses performance of all the MPs along parameters such as asking questions, participation in debates, including raising important issues, introduction of Private Member’s Bills and attendance in Parliament. I downloaded the data and looked for how celebrities have done. Data indicates that performance of celebrities in the current Lok Sabha is mixed, and generally ranges from poor to below average.

Performance of celebrities in the current Lok Sabha (till 31^st March 2012)

Name	Debate	Pvt. Member’s Bills	Questions	Attendance
Jaya Prada	19	0	366	32%
Kirti Azad	17	0	140	92%
Navjyot Sidhu	3	0	99	29%
Shatrughan Sinha	3	0	66	74%
Azharuddin	2	0	5	77%
Raj Babbar*	1	0	0	70%
National Average	23	0.4	177	78%

(*Term started on 10/11/2009, for all others 18/05/2009)

(Source: www.sansadratna.in)

Jaya Prada, for example has recorded only 32 percent attendance in Parliament, though has asked a lot of questions. Kirti Azad has been present in Parliament 92% of the time, but has scored slightly below the national average in participation in debates and asking questions. Sidhu has neither attended Parliament much nor taken part in debates, while Azharuddin and Raj Babbar have been little more than spectators.

Of course, the above metrics may not be perfect. For example, ‘attendance’ only means signing the Attendance Register for the day and does not mean the member was present for the whole day and listened with rapt attention to what was going on. There can also be other parameters on which an MP can be judged, but this is the best data that is currently available.

In another article, The Times of India has also drawn the similar conclusions about nominees to the Rajya Sabha, though it only quotes the attendance record in its support.

Attendance record of some celebrities in Rajya Sabha

Name	Sittings Attended	Total sittings	Percentage
Lata Mangeshkar	6	170	3.53%
Mrinal Sen	30	170	17.65%
Shabana Azmi	113	170	66.47%
Hema Malini	50	127	39.37%
Dara Singh	76	127	59.84%

(Source: The Times of India)

Personally, there would be nothing wrong if Sachin Tendulkar is entering politics. In fact, Sachin can do a lot of good for the country if he wants to, and only time will tell what he actually does. But his accepting the post even before retiring from active cricket has certainly not gone down well the people. It indicates he treats the post  merely as an ornamental one. The carefully orchestrated Bharat Ratna media campaign may also get punctured, as Sachin accepts a government largesse which is seen as significantly below his demi-God stature. And then, there is this whole issue of legality of his appointment.

This just isn't cricket, Sachin. Very disappointing.