(Bulla, Who Knows Who I Am?) Came upon Rabbi Shergill’s rendition of Bulleh Shan’s powerful poem and was caught off-guard by it’s timelessness. Syed Abdullah Shah Qadri, known by his followers as Bulleh Shah, was a Sufi poet, philosopher mystic who lived beyond the conventions of his time in the early 18th century in Punjab,Continue reading “Bulla Ki Jaana Main Kaun”
Author Archives: Jolz
Veganuary
Not really one for making new year resolutions but my daughters took it upon themselves to stop eating any animal product for January. Veganuary is a UK based non-profit that encourages people worldwide to try a vegan diet for January as a compassionate response to the cruelty of animal farms and a responsible action againstContinue reading “Veganuary”
The Past Tense
Be wary of insecure people who look backwards into foggy memories of their past and claim those were the good times. These are incomplete musings of the fortunate who form the majority of our society’s demographic. Heavily dosed with innumerable biases, such memories are selective and most times don’t feature the unpleasant, or as aContinue reading “The Past Tense”
Thoughts on Hinduism
As someone raised within the deep folds of India’s Hindu culture, I am frustrated when non-Indians draw parallels from the Abrahamic religions to Hinduism, assuming a one-to-one, monolithic correlation… and right away stumble in their understanding. I don’t claim to have exclusive ‘insider’ status as a commentator particularly since I don’t reside within the geographicalContinue reading “Thoughts on Hinduism”
Ignorance, thy name is God.
The more we know, the less we need a god. The more we grow, the lesser god becomes. The more light shed on our past, present and future ideas, the duller the notion of god shines. The more bridges we build across conflicting systems of human welfare, the more god justifications fall through the gaps.Continue reading “Ignorance, thy name is God.”
The Religious Stockholm Syndrome
Sweden is among the least religious of countries in the world along with Estonia, Denmark, Czech Republic, Norway and Japan. So, naturally I balk at associating it, clumsily though it might be, to this concept of ‘falling’ in love with an oppressor as is the requirement for any of the fastidiously religious. Religious folk vehementlyContinue reading “The Religious Stockholm Syndrome”
71 Million Americans Can’t be Wrong! Or can they?
As I write this, the still on-going 2020 US elections has shattered the mirage of safety that Americans, and the free world by extension, had built around themselves founded on the principles of democracy. People in their personal, official and social capacities interpreted current affairs in polarizing variability, not as Republicans and Democrats but asContinue reading “71 Million Americans Can’t be Wrong! Or can they?”
Due South
The United States is voting today – November 3, 2020! It’s hard-earned reputation as a leader and upholder of democratic values is in a state of erosion because of a singular narcissist enabled by a whole bunch of ‘party’ line-toers who don’t want to shake the boat. Republicans and their propaganda machines jump at opportunitiesContinue reading “Due South”
The Memetic Imperative
Every living thing around us is a ratcheted, evolved response to support the immortality of the original form of life – a self-replicating arrangement of chemical molecules as a packet of information. If this arrangement happened about 3-1/2 billion years ago, most likely near deep-sea hydrothermal vents, all that happened at that moment of theContinue reading “The Memetic Imperative”
Knowledge is Gold
I have only recently begun to celebrate ‘not being sure’. It is a tremendously liberating experience – uncertainty! Gone are the rigorous truths and the mendacious confidence when faced with questions that belie simple knowledge. “Is now a good time to invest in real estate?” “What’s a quark?”, “Should I change jobs?” “Is there lifeContinue reading “Knowledge is Gold”
My 2 cents 