life lessons !! ~ the broken V

 

A  tree provided the Buddha with stillness;

the open sky provides these birds with freedom

 

As I was watching the sky – there was this Pelican group flying in a formation – it was not perfect – it was -  A broken V in the sky…

ü  No leader marked. No one following blindly.

ü  Each bird keeps its own distance, yet all move in the same direction.

ü  Perhaps that is how a journey should be — together, but with enough space to fly.

The Pelican Squadron!  :  Five ,  five  different wing positions, yet apparently one common destination.

This is an interesting formation because it is not a perfect V - a “loose echelon formation” — or, more poetically, “a broken V in the sky.”

The birds are staggered diagonally, with the spacing and wing positions giving the impression of a small aerial squadron. For pelicans, this kind of formation is quite natural: large birds can exploit the upwash produced by the bird ahead, reducing the effort needed to remain airborne. The famous V formation is essentially an aerodynamic arrangement, not merely an aesthetic one.

At age 35 for Siddhartha, a Bodhi tree, the sacred fig tree, botanically Ficus religiosa, also called peepal or aśvattha or Arasa maram provided awakening.   The word Bodhi itself means awakening/enlightenment. Hence the tree beneath which Siddhartha awakened came to be called the Bodhi tree.  The aśvattha/peepal was already an important tree in Indian religious thought long before Buddhism. The Bhagavad Gita,  , uses the aśvattha as a profound symbol:

There is an Arasa maram too near which I stand daily – no knowledge, no awakening comes to me … looking at this formation in sky – it is clear, everyone needs space and you need to be closer but not too close !

Life’s lessons are invaluable

Regards – S Sampathkumar
23.8.2026
 

 

looking out !! ~ Saffronisation !!!

 

Looking out !!    ~  Saffronisation !!

- friend Sathyanarayanan Ramanujam [Ex Police]; brother of divine singer Sri Veeramanidhasan -  repost of 2022

Chaotic .......... ... or Serene ! Calm !! - how disturbed you are !!

 

How is life ! – at this point of stage [me two years after retirement !!] – are you still running chaotic or able to watch things and enjoy – of course there are too many challenges yet -  In this beautiful World, often chaos are caused because people are tense, worried and think too much ! – in such a melee, finer details are often lost.

This evening as we waited for Sri Parthasarathi Emperuma to come out for Thiru Pavithrothsava purappadu, this gaitly  walk of the Cow enamoured me.  There is something wonderfully unhurried about  this cow – it was  completely at ease amid the bustle around it.

While the main characters remain, rest – which were unwanted and disturbing all removed by edits !!  By the very looks of it, you may observe that there  is a peculiar serenity in a cow standing quietly, completely unperturbed by the world around it.

No hurry.
No anxiety.
No need to prove anything.

It simply stands there, gazes around, breathes slowly and seems perfectly content with the moment. Perhaps that is what makes a cow so endearing — a quiet acceptance of life as it comes.

In a world that is constantly rushing, a calm cow seems to remind us: there is nothing wrong with simply being still.

The white parasol  [Perumal kudai] makes the photograph much more symbolic. Against the calm cow, it  perhaps suggests -  shelter, shade, protection and even a little dignity.

There is an almost poetic contrast:

• The cow — simplicity, patience, contentment, groundedness.
• The white parasol — shelter, purity, grace, protection from the harshness of the world.
• The old surroundings — the passage of time and the ordinary world continuing around them.
• The stillness — a moment untouched by hurry.

May be another day, or almost time to hit the bed now … but in life, there are always interesting things, if only, we are prepared to be  relaxed and notice around.

Regards – S Sampathkumar

22.8.2026

sitting posture !!!

 

What is your sitting posture when you work either in Office or at home  (WfH) - previously most had only plastic chairs at home - now the theory is Office chairs are required when you sit for long hours ! before laptop / desktop [comfort is in the mind ?] - stressful ??

 

.. .. .. and does this boy resemble the one who is the ‘laugh icon’ in social media