Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Wider Scapes' of Sahyadris

Presenting here some of the wider shots of Sahyadri landscapes. It is a real treat to visit the plateaus in the month of September and it turned out to be one awesome trip this time as well.

(Kindly click on the pictures to enlarge them)

The beautiful Kas lake in Satara

Sun shine on the gorgeous backwaters of Koyna in Satara

Breathtakingly beautiful backwaters of Koyna river in Satara 

Panorama of the Thosegar waterfall 

Yellow flowers and the backwaters 

Yellow carpets of Smithia hirsuta

Plateau overlooking the Kanher dam in Satara

Lonely tree along the yellow/green carpets of the beautiful sahyadri plateau

Gorgeous tree personified

Sahyadri slopes overlooking Urmodi dam
(C) 2012, Srikanth Parthasarathy

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

the unconscious

Excerpt from the book Subliminal by Leonard Mlodinow

We all make personal, financial, and business decisions, confident that we have properly weighed all the important factors and acted accordingly - and that we know how we came to those decisions. But we are aware of only our conscious influences, and so have only partial information. As a result, our view of ourselves and our motivations, and of society, is like a jigsaw puzzle with most of the pieces missing. We fill in blanks and make guesses, but the truth about us is far more complex and subtle than that which can be understood as the straightforward calculation of conscious and rational minds. 

~~
Well, what I perceive, experience, the judgments I make and my actions are (to a certain extent) influenced by factors I'm not aware of. What I know is always limited.

and the unconscious is wonderful!

Srik

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

the dilemma

Excerpt from the book The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen

When the best firms succeeded, they did so because they listened responsively to their customers and invested aggressively in the technology, products and manufacturing capabilities that satisfied their customers' next-generation needs. But, paradoxically, when the best firms subsequently failed, it was for the same reasons - they listened responsively to their customers, and invested aggressively in the technology, products and manufacturing capabilities that satisfied their customers' next-generation needs. 

--

Those are stunningly few simple and consistent factors determining the success and failures of the industry's best firms. The dilemma that sometimes doing the right thing is the wrong thing. 

Srik

Thursday, August 16, 2012

answer

that you are here - that life exists and identity, 
that the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse 

~ Walt Whitman

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

wonderful life

Excerpt from the book The One Straw Revolution by Masanabu Fukuoka

I do not particularly like the word "work." Human beings are the only animals who have to work, and I think this is the most ridiculous thing in the world. Other animals make their livings by living, but people work like crazy, thinking that they have to in order to stay alive. The bigger the job, the greater the challenge, the more wonderful they think it is. It would be good to give up that way of thinking and live an easy, comfortable life with plenty of free time. I think that the way animals live in the tropics, stepping outside in the morning and evening to see if there is something to eat, and taking a long nap in the afternoon, must be a wonderful life. 

For human beings, a life of such simplicity would be possible if one worked to produce directly his daily necessities. In such a life, work is not work as people generally think of it, but simply doing what needs to be done.
~~

Sigh. I have no comments.

Srik

natural farming

Excerpt from the book One Straw Revolution by Masanabu Fukuoka

Pure natural farming, by contrast, is the no-stroke school. It goes nowhere and seeks no victory. Putting "doing nothing" into practice is the only thing farmer should strive to accomplish. Lao Tzu spoke of non-active nature, and I think if he were a farmer he would certainly practice natural farming. I believe that Gandhi's way, a method-less method, acting with a non-winning, non-opposing state of mind, is akin to natural farming. When it is understood that one loses joy and happiness in the attempt to possess them, the essence of natural farming will be realized. The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings. 

~~
I am too curious to know and see (and do) the "doing nothing" in practice. While people do nothing these days, farming by "doing nothing" is really very interesting. Although literally it may mean not doing anything, it means that - one should not grow crops, but one should allow crops to grow naturally and enjoy seeing them while reaping baggage of benefits. Natural farming is a nature's way of growing food; it will involve very less human intervention. All one needs to do is to enable crops to grow naturally. 

Srik

Friday, July 27, 2012

modern research

Excerpt from the book The One Straw Revolution by Masanabu Fukuoka

Modern research divides nature into tiny pieces and conducts tests that conform neither with natural law nor with practical experiences. The results are arranged for the convenience of research, not according to the needs of the farmer. To think that these conclusions can be put to use with invariable success in the farmer's field is a big mistake. 


You study the function of the plant's metabolism and its ability to absorb nutrients from the soil, write a book, and get a doctorate in agricultural science. But do not ask if your theory of assimilation is going to be relevant to the yield. 

~~
Well, that is the reason Fukuoka says 'Before researchers become researchers, they should become philosophers'.

And it is also similar to the bunch of folks sitting in a concrete air-conditioned buildings making decisions on what a farmer should(n) do on the field!

Srik