For that I came up (or got inspired from somewhere) with this: I'm aware therefore I exist. Pure awareness, devoid of all objects (thoughts/visualization) is me.
IN Pakistan army decides and is the real ruler. Elections are only a face to appear as a democratic sate. In fact Pakistan elite (including army higher ranks) just is there to milk the country and build estates outside (West/UAE/etc).
Isnt it also true that no democratically elected or coup-installed Prime Minister in Pakistan's history has ever successfully completed a single full term in office, ever since their independence[1]?
And if that is true, isn't Pakistan a glorified tin-pot republic, thats democracy only on paper & manages to stay alive at the mercy of the propping-up prowess of U.S. and U.K., to act as a lily pad[2] of sorts in the region?
[1]
Every time the gov’t topples (no Pakistani Prime Minister has completed 5 years in office), corruption/looting reaches even higher levels…
…to replenish and grow the bounty that was paid to buy out votes in elections and in the parliament.
Sad, but v familiar to Pakistanis.
12:08 PM · Apr 9, 2022
Funny way to express the $65 billion of FDI that China's put into Pakistan, along with joint development of the JF-17 and 47% of China's arms exports as a whole, isn't it?
Or has the near-total cut in US military aid to Pakistan over 2018-2022 been a delayed coup de grace, and should we expect the country to implode at any minute?
This dynamics is the underlying principle of every democracy. Only the sophistication of the civilian facade differs.
If you want to see how fast things show their true colors stop paying "your" soldiers. When it happens due to breakdown of government-nation relationship coup or military pacification of civilians is imminent.
> ... every democracy ... If you want to see how fast things show their true colors stop paying "your" soldiers.
Laying off soldiers and officers have been quite common in democracies. It is not really a problem. I guess it is mainly a problem if there is social unrest to begin with and the layoffs are a spark and maybe not done in an orderly manor.
If the U.S. was the real ruler in Pakistan, I think Pakistan would not have supported the Taliban in Afghanistan the entire time U.S. troops were in Afghanistan. And they would not have been sheltering Osama bin Laden in Abbotabad, less than 1 mile from the Pakistan Military Academy.
For android I do the following things:
1. assign swipe with 4 fingers left and right to FirstItem and LastItem on screen, respectively, in talkback settings > customize gestures
a. download labels and icons so unlabeled buttons with icons can be guessed and spoken
b. in advance settings, choose typing preference as hold and double tap (any key). Also turn on "speak passwords"
2. set auto rrotate to off in notification window
3. turn on google assistant by tapping and holding the home key
a. setup your voice by saying ok google and following the prompts to train on your voice
4. install google keyboard
a. in its settings > preferences, turn on number row (show always)
b. make sure suggestion strip is not off in text correction as it won't longer show voice input on the keyboard as well0
c. make sure in emojis, stickers and gifs, the predictive suggestion content is off
5. install lookout app for object/text/currency/etc recognition
a. download food labels/images caption/currency (for your country)
6. Place frequently used apps like Whatsapp/Phone/Messages/etc on the bottom favorites tray
Also must learn and practice gestures in the tutorial app.
Additionally, I keep screen lock turned off and instead use Secure Folder (Samsung) for critical apps like banking, though I wouldn't recommend this unless you are sure that you have no prying eyes around at all times.
Canada (or US) is no saint here. I think India is just learning these tactics from West. If you can't get the criminals and terrorist in front of your court because they operate from other countries which encourages such people and use them as a tool to interfere and destabilize your society, you are left with no option but to get rid of them using similar tactics.
Do you actually believe that Canada, the US, or any other part of the West is trying to "interfere and destabilize" India? If so you really need to touch grass and put down the propaganda pipe. Many Indians seem to think that because Canada doesn't actively stomp on activities that you personally don't approve of it's sanctioning them, seemingly having no concept of how freedoms work.
If the West were trying to destabilize India I suspect it would be incredibly easy to achieve, which is exactly why there is that defensiveness and hitting at shadows. But the West isn't because India has long been a useful counter to regional powers.
What is absolutely true is that the Modi government is spectacularly corrupt. Every opponent of Modi is a "terrorist" -- even opponents in government. The government is falling further and further down the well towards fascism, all while proud Indians convince themselves that everyone else is actually the problem.
For someone so uninformed about the geopolitical history of India, you speak far too confidently.
This is a common tendency for many Americans, read 10 uni-dimensional articles in your favorite newspaper on some topic, do not bother to read any history on said topic, then come to strong opinions and bully people who see things differently. Maybe it is you who should put down the "propaganda pipe" and consider this issue for the complicated nuanced thing it is.
If they had solid evidence the person committed a serious crime, particularly actual terrorism, it'd have been no problem getting Canada to turn them over.
The real issue is they wanted to kill someone who wasn't a criminal. Which, ultimately, is just plain old homicide.
I just checked and India and Canada do have an extradition treat (unlike Canada and China), so there is merit to this comment. They had requested extradition of Nijjar, but didn’t give time for the request to even go to court.
The USA has employed drone strikes on non-US soil against Al Qaeda members who were, as I recall, quite eager to terrorize and destabilize "the great Satan", as they called it.
I appreciate you recognizing the PPP to determine pricing. Definitely something that can convert me to buy a subscription. Here hoping the app is also accessible (for screen readers).
NO. we repeatedly deny what our neurons demand, E.G. lust, violence etc. Granted, we end up falling for these impulses many a times, but we also deny them many times. The former occurs more with those who identify themselves with their impulses (desires); as one evolves one's mind and intelligence, one is able to resist and have a much better control on these impulses.
AI as it stands only represents human brain; the mind is much bigger than brain with multitude of functions and don't get me started on consciousness, which is the chief ruler of all and beyond mind, space and time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S57DSgRWBRM
I also have an extension [0] in which I have couple of shortcuts to skip ads:
- alt+2 to click on Skip Ads button
- ctrl + shift + end to set video's 'seek position' at 100% (useful to skip ads when 'Skip Ads' button isn't available. This makes Youtube believe that the ad is finished playing)
I work lying down with a pillow acting as a desk for my keyboard (I don't have to look at the screen as I use screen reader software) so I guess I don't have to worry about it. It hurts my back sitting for long hours so I found lying down to be more comfortable working from home :)
Chakras are real so as Kundalini [0]. However, these aren't physical in nature, rather, they are on subtle body of consciousness. Now, that's not possible to prove scientifically yet, but with your dedicated regular practice, you can experience them yourself as this guy on HN did [1] which inspired me to start my own exploration (back in 2014) and have intense experiences which remains with me.
There's definitely something to chakras. They were always my go to example of a thing to make fun of for being utterly absurd, without substance and based on something deeply unscientific.
Then, after several months of intense meditation I started getting strong somatosensory perception in areas of my body traditionally associated with chakras, and Kundalini awakenings and the like. Terms I only picked up on after researching what might be happening.
In short, it strongly appears that if you take a group of people and have them perform certain practices for an extended period of time, you will create a relatively consistent cluster of symptoms.
Eastern mythology/religions have their own language to describe these phenomenona, and the alleged mechanisms are obviously ridiculous, but there is nevertheless something oddly consistent about reported experiences.
Thus, I think it's pretty sound to conclude that there is something "real" going on, creating a relatively consistent pattern of somatosensory experiences. The mechanism is almost certainly explainable by neuroscience but has received little serious exploration due to its purported mechanism and religious background.
> Now, that's not possible to prove scientifically yet
It may be that there is something to the idea that there are ways of stimulating certain parts of the body that can produce something like vagus nerve effects, but asserting it's true by the name given in an ancient mythology is a great way to derail any conversation.
Shiva plunged in deep dhyana on Kailasha while Devi watched him patiently with contentment. She had not known the feelings of lack, discontent or aggression. She did not miss the comforts of Chintamani griha. The snowy mountains or the icy cave meant nothing. Like the blowing wind is not careworn about its destination, like rain that falls cares not where it lands, Devi just existed in the present moment. Moment by moment, six hundred thousand years passed at the end of which, Shiva rose from his seat.
“The time has come, Varanane,” he spoke somberly.
Devi saw a slight but momentary smile on Shiva’s pink lips. In his all-knowing long eyes, she saw a blinding flash and then utter darkness before they returned to being normal. His forehead showed a hue of soft red. The sun dimmed as if shrunk and in the middle of the day, it became twilight. For the first time, she experienced an unknown feeling in her heart. She could not express it but it was anxiety, a sort of paranoia. Of what, she knew not at this stage.
“I can’t explain, Nath,” she said, “but I’m feeling something I’ve never felt before.”
Without answering, Shiva held her in his yogi’s arms. Billions of new planets were birthed in that moment of embrace. Devi’s anxiety didn’t die down though.
“You are about to see what no one has ever seen before, O Devi,” he spoke solemnly. “And you’ll be the only one to see it every time, once every eleven trillion years that I do this. Till now, you’ve been my own creation. Now, you’ll merge in me. Bound by dharma, henceforth, you’ll be born separately and will have to win me back every time. Some elements will re-manifest and some new will form in the new creation. I’ll create the element of fire. You’ll need it to end your life in a future incarnation. Many worlds will need it for sustenance.”
Devi felt a churning in her stomach. She broke out in sweat. Her heart raced. She had never experienced or known any of these emotions ever before.
“What is happening, Lord?” she asked with trembling lips. It was fear she felt but she knew not what it was.
Shiva, the detached yogi, separated her from the embrace and touched Devi on her radiant forehead granting her divine vision to behold his real form. The Mahakala undid his damaru tied to the trident. In two giant strides, he stood far away from Devi, fifteen light years away. Devi felt as if Shiva was still close.
Dimi-dimi-dum-dum-tadik-dimi-dimi-tadik-dum-dum, he began playing his damaru at a slow tempo. With every strike, at a great distance, Devi would hear sounds of rumbling, roaring and loud explosions. These were not the gurgling skies, thunders or lightning, she knew. These explosions were crumbling planets like one kicks at a sand castle. Before any of the lifeforms could take shelter, the planets were shrinking and disappearing like bursting balloons.
Shiva’s body began to expand beyond proportions anyone could fathom. Countless planets went right into his growing form as he continued to grow. He became the Universal body. Trillions of planets settled on his body like pollen in a valley of flowers. Devi trembled. She had no knowledge that her tapasvin Shiva was not just Maharetas, the greatest seed, but the universe itself. The damaru was playing at a faster pace now. Many planets with all their life-forms, oceans, rivers and trees, were being sucked right into him. She saw her own planet along with her palace, nityas, yoginis and yakshinis merging into Shiva. One million human years passed and there was no end to Shiva’s vistara, expansion or his samhara, dissolution. Raising his right hand up in the air, vigorously playing damaru, he lifted his left leg.
Shiva, the Nataraja, was performing his cosmic dance, Mahatandava.
Devi found herself being pulled towards Shiva’s gigantic form. She was no more than the size of a grain of sand in front of the Mount Everest. Before she knew it, she merged right into Shiva.
From Shiva’s body, she saw the dissolution of the entire universe that went on for four million years more. Shiva stayed in his form of Nataraja, the sovereign dancer, the universal body for ages. Over the next few million human years, countless planets released from his body like arrows from a bow. Transformed, new planets. Creation was taking place again. All this while, Devi lived in Shiva bearing witness to what all had transpired.
maheśvara-mahākalpa-mahātāṇḍava-sākṣiṇī
Devi, Shiva’s own feminine and kinetic aspect was the only witness of mahatandava. For, sound is kinetic energy. Sound cannot be static. The vigorous play of damaru created many sounds that lay scattered in the universe for eons. Seventy million different sounds manifested that covered the entire spectrum of all mantras to be ever created.
At the end of the first cycle of dissolution, the new creation took sixteen billion years before the first lifeform appeared. At the end of nearly eleven trillion years from Shiva’s Mahatandava, earth was created in the universe. This was when Devi was born to Daksha Prajapati and Queen Prasuti and married Shiva, she remembered what all she had been through and how long she had waited.
Born from the union of Daksha and Prasuti, made up of the five elements of earth, water, fire, air and ether, Devi was now well aware of suffering, sadness, sorrow and all the other emotions.
“O Virupaksha, the ruler of all energies,” Devi humbly addressed Shiva, recalling the time when all she knew was bliss in her abode, “when I lived in Chintamani griha, I did not know jealousy, envy or any of the negative emotions. I did not know what was suffering. But now I do, and it is very painful.”
Shiva kept his yogic gaze fixed and lowered it a bit more to indicate that Devi could continue talking, his gentle smile on his chiseled face as if carved by the perfect sculptor.
“I have you,” she continued. “I see you and I only feel bliss. But, what about the rest of the creation? I saw infinite planets shooting out of you and billions of such planets have lifeforms. Why do they have to go through suffering?”
“The various elements are in play, Gaure,” The Mahayogi spoke like clouds gathering in the sky. “There’s no suffering, only ignorance. What people call suffering is merely their perspective born out of ignorance.”
“It may well be, Nath, but it’s extremely painful. It makes everything feel worthless. It causes fear and anxiety. People don’t know they are ignorant. What can they do?”
“They must remain connected to the source, the universal energy,” Shiva replied. “For, the source has all the wisdom anyone ever seeks.”
“And, how can they do that?”
“The easiest would be to pick any sound my damaru created. Everything in its current form originated from those sounds.”
One tip for anyone interested to check out such names, is to look at the Vishnu Sahasranama, the 1000 names of Vishnu, and Lalita Sahasranama, the 1000 names of Lalita.
