All the random thoughts

Kama, or desire, is called out in our scriptures as one of the Arishadvargas – one of the six primary enemies of mankind preventing them from attaining self-realization. Kama is also mentioned as one of the Chaturvidha Purusharthams – one of the things a human being must pursue as part of this life's journey. Now there seems to be an obvious conflict. How do we pursue and not pursue the same thing? The devil, like they say, is in the detail or, maybe, in deconstruction. Unrestrained pursuit of pleasure is an enemy. The "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" kind of an attitude makes people think that pursuit of desire is the primary purpose of life. Obviously it leads to decadence over time is well understood even if not very well appreciated. So then what is restrained pursuit of desire? The Purusharthams always appear in a sequence – Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha. I believe therein lies the essence of desire and its behavior or impact on a person. Dharma – The destined duties as per ...

Authenticity Isolation is the isolation a person experiences when they choose to be authentic rather than conform to social expectations. When you stop pretending to fit in, you may find that fewer people understand or relate to you. Is having common interests a way of avoiding authenticity isolation then? We seek people who enjoy the same books, music, philosophy, or spiritual pursuits. Shared interests give us a language, a sense of belonging, and the reassuring feeling that we are not alone in how we see the world. But perhaps there is a deeper question. Do we seek common ground because we genuinely enjoy sharing an experience, or because we find it difficult to connect without something in common? Nietzsche's challenge to herd mentality offers a useful starting point. How much of what we think, say, and do is genuinely ours, and how much is shaped by our desire to be accepted? Consider a simple conversation. We have something to say, but we hold back because it might offend...