Notes

10.10.15

– Dream:
Thamarai Selvan (my medical college classmate) is dead!

– How do you help someone who is consumed by one major problem (e.g. Financial crisis, chronic illness, etc.), grow spiritually?

– If only the vast majority of ordinary people did NOT (passively) abet the structural evils of our day, the arduous labour of the few activists would be much easier & more effective!

– Is the inspiration-authority of the Bible a pre-fixed, revealed dogma to accepted on faith, or is it an experiential-existential confession?
Maybe it’s both…!

– Just because someone doesn’t say anything (to you) doesn’t mean they are not thinking anything (about you)…
Beware! Don’t be caught off-guard, or you won’t be able to handle it when it comes.

– Movies:
“Sadhuranga Vaettai” (Tamil) – hit
What is your lifeview & what were the experiences that shaped it?
And what were the major changes in your lifeview, & the experiences responsible for this?

13.10.15

– OEM – original equipment manufacturer

– Dream:
McLaud is dead!

– Movies:
“The Martian” (Okay)
Hmmm… “Gravity” was definitely better (gripping & profound)!
Why?? Maybe because real sacrifice is required for salvation…
In order to overcome major crises:
1. Maintain a sense of humor. Don’t take yourself too seriously!
2. Keep in touch with those who care for you, & those who are wise/mature.
3. Put your head down & start grappling with the issues at hand! Improvisation – thinking on your feet……
If we do this, then we will not be hindering GOD, who is always working to cause all things (including your suffering, failings & death) to work together for the (greater) good!

14.10.15

– Sometimes, even certain spiritual practices can become technical shortcuts to serenity, for those who are impatient!

– The law of truth (integrity)
The law of liberty (responsibility)
The law of love (solidarity)

– Being in gracious & faithful relationship with your family, & by extension your fellowship group, is NOT optional!

– What usually happens, & what ought to happen, when there is a member of a group who is more mature than the leader?
What would you do if you were the member, & what would you do if you were the leader?

– Christ-figures (biblical/religious/Christian, historic/secular/pagan & contemporary/contextual/self):
GOD-Jesus
Saints-prophets
Me-my group!

– How deformed or deficient should a human being be, before you can say it is not a person anymore?
How dysfunctional & retarded should the Church be, before you can say it is not the body of Christ anymore?

15.10.15

– I should start playing some mild instrumental background music as I study, just to destress…

– How can I get over (if not, get rid of) this heavy dark cloud inside my head??!!
Maybe I should accept that I do need to extend the drug therapy…

16.10.15

– I should never sleep late in the morning or into the noon, no matter how little rest I got at night. Only 1 hour afternoon nap is allowed.

– Why do I always feel hassled and strapped for time?!
Am I trying to do too many things? Should I focus?
Am I working too fast? Should I relax?
Am I wasting too much time (neither resting nor working)? Should I buck up?

– I think I should split the half hour of daily exercise into 10 min. in the morning, and 20 min. after the mid-day siesta.

– Distinguish:
Natural
&
Automatic

– How do you prevent something as noble & powerful as existentialism from becoming a crass & narrow individualism?

– Distinguish:
Introspection
&
Narcissism

– I must stop collecting things (especially online & electronic) which I don’t definitely need.

17.10.15

– All these grand-scale movies only make me more depressed!
But realistic doesn’t always mean ordinary, right?
Hmmm… first of all, can/should we assume that mundane means shallow/hollow?
Isn’t spirituality chiefly about the hallowing of ALL things (with absolutely NO exception!)??

– A spatio-temporal being can reach into the eternal/universal only by going deeper & deeper into the moment/location, NOT by trying to go beyond it!

19.10.15

– Dream:
The aunty who is my neighbor is a Christian convert (from Hinduism), & I am talking to her.
My habitual (involuntary/automatic) face, neck, shoulder & hand movements make me look like an idiot!

– Sacralizing the secular AND secularizing the sacred!

– Self-realization + creativity + community + technology => transformation/salvation!