Author: manuscrypts

  • An End to Suffering

    Pankaj Mishra

    I’ve always been a fan of Pankaj Mishra’s melancholic way of writing, which just borders on cynicism. This book, while a study on the evolution of Buddhism, is also a travelogue of sorts. It even manages to touch upon the author’s personal growth – material and spiritual, and the gradual growth in his confidence, which was necessary for the book to be written.
    It focuses a lot on Buddha’s teachings, the way it has been transformed in various regions and times in which it has been practised, and also manages an analysis of how it could still be pertinent in a world that has changed much, since the time he lived in. The book simplifies Buddhism to an extent, and while it cannot be a complete guide to the Buddha (that wasn’t the idea anyway), it does manage to chronicle the times that the Buddha lived in, and makes you curious enough not only to read up more on the subject, but also check out the works of David Hume, and Nietzsche, who have been extensively quoted.
    A good start for those who seek to understand themselves.

  • Yourself

    The complexity of the human mind is unfathomable, and its not a new thing. While I differed with Austere, and said that its possible for one to know their self completely, I also realise that in this age, we perhaps don’t have the skills to do so. More importantly, we may not be inclined to. There are too many distractions that draw us away, in our routine life. Like I keep saying, we have forgotten the differentiation between wants and needs, and so, are too caught up in existence to live.

    From the couple of books on the Buddha I’ve read, I’ll agree to the premise that the first step in knowing the self is to be aware that its not a constant, and changes according to many things we experience – the stimuli around us, the way we react to them, what they leave behind with us, and so on, all part of the 12 point chain that the Buddha had defined.

    There’s a wonderful story in the book “An End to Suffering” by Pankaj Mishra, taken from the Chandogya Upanishad. Its a dialogue between a father and a son, an abstract speculation, on the self. The father tells the son to fetch him the fruit of a banyan tree, to break it, and tell him what he saw. The son says seeds, and the father asks him to break the seed, and tell him what he saw. The son says ‘Nothing’, and then the father says that in the ‘nothing’ he saw, was the essence of the Banyan tree. And in that essence, is the key to the self.

    With the technological advancements we have now, it is possible to go beyond the seed, and see what lies at sub cellular levels. The irony of it is that it still doesn’t take us any closer to the self. Its a snapshot of the lives we lead, proceeding with our existence at breakneck speed, trying to make our living faster but easier, but leaving some gnawing questions unanswered.

    until next time, be aware

  • Willpower

    That’s what you need. When you go for a movie, when you go shopping for groceries, when you decide to dine out, on a Saturday night. Because after all, in the secular, tolerant country we live in, now you SIMI, now you don’t. So right here, right now, make your will, before its too late.

    until next time, where does the similarity end?!

  • Kubay

    Kubay has been around from the time that we’ve been in Bangalore. Earlier, i guess. There used to be a Mallu hangout in Koramangala called Ravi’s Kitchen. That unfortunately, no longer exists, but Kubay does, and now has a new management, though they have not changed the coastal cuisine menu. Kubay is on the same road as Imperial, (6th Cross, also called Koramangala Club Road), and is off the Intermediate Ring Road (Indiranagar-Koramangala) We missed out on a food festival that happened recently, so a visit was pending. 🙂

    Kubay now has a more ‘professional’ look about it. I used to love the clay masks they hung on the walls (from Mapusa market in Goa) and the very Goan yellow shade they used for the interiors. All of that have been replaced, and even the seating has undergone a change. But hey, we didn’t come to stay, we came for the food, so its okay 😀

    We reached there about 9.45, and got a table comfortably. We skipped the soup, and decided to start with a Kane (lady fish) Rava fry. It was done quite well, though I thought it could’ve been crunchier, since I’m usually able to polish off the bones too. We weren’t quite happy with the quantity either. Not very value for money, which is what we expect at Kubay.

    For the main course, we ordered a Chicken Stew, a pan grilled seer fish (you have other options like pomfret too) and a platter. The platter was supposed to have 2 each of Sannas, Panpole and Idiappam according to the menu, but we got 3 Sannas and Panpole each. We were too hungry to question. The stew, while different from the regular style we have, was quite delicious, and in sufficient quantity. But unfortunately, the fish failed on both counts. It was a bit burnt, though the masala was good. So we ordered a chicken pepper fry, and one more platter. The pepper fry was quite spicy, and made well. The sannas (a rice based dish that looks similar to Idli) though fluffy had hardened on the outside and so spoiled the taste to an extent. It didn’t have a coconut flavor either. The panpole (a very thin dosa, also called neer Dosa) was also not that great, again the problem was that it turned out hard instead of soft. There are not many dessert options, but you might want to taste the home made caramel custard, it used to be good.

    All of the above cost us just below Rs.500, and though that’s decent, our previous trysts with Kubay had given us higher expectations of taste and value-for-money. So we’ll wait a while before we visit again.

    Kubay, 110, 6th Cross, 6th Block, Koramangala Ph: 41105221

    Menu and Photos at Zomato

  • Meet and Greet

    Keralites in Bangalore are a strong force. But our influence has increased so much that this year, city authorities have ensured that our connection with our legendary King Mahabali, ruler of the netherworld, and the reason for Onam, becomes stronger. All major roads have been equipped with potholes which will take us straight to him.

    until next time, Happy Onam

    PS. Check out my earlier Onam stories here and here.