ಧರ್ಮ ಎಂದರೇನು?

The most important question anyone will ask during a lifetime is "What is Dharma?" Here is some notes I made from Bhagavathgeete through the book - "Jeevandharma yoga" 

ಧರ್ಮ ಎಂದರೆ ಧರಿಸಬಲ್ಲದ್ದು.

ಧರ್ಮದ ಮೂರು ವಿಧಗಳು

• ನೈಜ
• ನ್ಯಾಯ
• ಮೈತ್ರಿ

ನೈಜವೆಂದರೆ ಸಹಜ ಲಕ್ಷಣ. ಯಾವ ಒಂದು ಗುಣದಿಂದ ಅಥವಾ ಶಕ್ತಿಯಿಂದ ಒಂದು ಪದಾರ್ಥ ಪದಾರ್ಥ ಆಗಿದೆಯೋ ಆ ಲಕ್ಷಣದ ವಿಕಾಸವೇ ಧರ್ಮ. ಸುಡುವುದು ಬೆಂಕಿಯ ಧರ್ಮ, ಬೀಸುವುದು ಗಾಳಿಯ ಧರ್ಮ, ಹಾರುವುದು ಪಕ್ಷಿಯ ಧರ್ಮ, ಬಿಸಿಯನ್ನು ಹೋಗಲಾಡಿ ಸಿ ತನುವಾಗಿಸುವುದು ನೀರಿನ ಧರ್ಮ, ಮೈ ಮುದಿಯಾಗುವುದು ದೇಹ ಧರ್ಮ. ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ವಯೋಧರ್ಮ, ಋತು ಧರ್ಮಗಳು. ಮನುಷ್ಯ ಯಾವ ತನ್ನ ಗುಣದಿಂದ ಅಥವಾ ಬಲದಿಂದ ಇತರ ಜನರ ಪ್ರಯೋಜನಕ್ಕೆ ಒದಗಬಹುದು ಆ ಗುಣವಿಶೇಷ ಅವನ ಧರ್ಮ. ಇಂಗ್ಲಿಷ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಇದನ್ನು ವ್ಯಾಲ್ಯೂ ಎಂದು ಕರೆಯುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಯಾವ ಒಂದು ಗುಣದಿಂದ ಅಥವಾ  ಶಕ್ತಿಯಿಂದ ಒಂದು ಪದಾರ್ಥಕ್ಕೆ ಬೆಲೆ ಬರುತ್ತದೆ ಆ ಗುಣ ಅಥವಾ ಶಕ್ತಿ ಅದರ ಧರ್ಮ. ಹೀಗೆ ನೈಜ ದ ಪರಿಪಾಲನೆ ಧರ್ಮ.

ನ್ಯಾಯವೆಂದರೆ ಒಂದು ವಸ್ತುವಿನ ಅಥವಾ ಪ್ರಾಣಿಯ ನೈಜಾಭೀವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಯಿಂದ ಇನ್ನೊಂದುರ ನೈಜಕ್ಕೆ ಹಾನಿಯಾಗದಂತೆ ಒಂದು ಸಮೂಹದ ನಾನಾ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಗಳ ವಿಕಾಸನ ಗಳನ್ನು ಹದ್ದಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಇರಿಸುವ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆ.

ಮೈತ್ರಿ ಎಂದರೆ ಇತರರಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರೀತಿ. ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಯು ತನ್ನ ನೈಜ ದಿಂದ ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ಪ್ರಯೋಜನವಾಗುವಂತೆ ಸ್ವ ಜೀವನವನ್ನು ವಿಸ್ತಾರ ಪಡಿಸುವುದು. ಅದೇ ಆತ್ಮವಿಕಾಸ. ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಸಾಧಕ ವಾದದ್ದು ಲೋಕಸ್ನೇಹ. ಅದೇ ಧರ್ಮ.

ಶಂಕರಾಚಾರ್ಯರು ಧರ್ಮದ ಅರ್ಥ ಹೀಗೆ ಕೊಟ್ಟಿದ್ದಾರೆ

ಯಾವ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಯೂ ಯಾವ ಚರ್ಚೆಯೂ ಲೋಕದ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಗೆ ಸಾಧಕವಾಗಿ, ಜೀವಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಇಹದಲ್ಲಿ ಯೋಗಕ್ಷೇಮವನ್ನು, ಪರರಲ್ಲಿ ಸದ್ಗತಿಯನ್ನು ಸಂಪಾದಿಸಿ ಕೊಡಬಲ್ಲದೋ ಅದು ಧರ್ಮ. 

ಧರ್ಮವು ಜೀವವನ್ನು ಜಗತ್ತನ್ನು ಸಹ ಧರಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಜೀವಕ್ಕೂ ಜಗತ್ತಿಗೂ ಸಂಬಂಧ ತಪ್ಪಿದ್ದಲ್ಲ. ಹಾಗಿರುವಲ್ಲಿ

೧. ಜೀವಿಯ ನೈಜ ಗುಣಗಳು ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ಸಂಪರ್ಕದಿಂದ ಕೆಡದೆ ಉತ್ತಮ ಪಡುತ್ತ ಜಗತ್ತಿಗೆ ಉಪಕಾರ ವಾಗುವಂತೆ ಯು

೨. ಜಗತ್ತು ಜೀವ ಸಂಪರ್ಕದಿಂದ ಕೆಡದೆ ಉತ್ತಮ ಪಡುತ್ತಾ ಜೀವಿಗೆ ಉಪಕಾರಕ ವಾಗುವಂತೆ ಯು

ಯಾವ ಯಾವ ಚರ್ಯೆಗಳು ಕಾರ್ಯಗಳು ನಿಯಮಗಳು ನೀತಿಗಳು ಮನುಷ್ಯನಿಗೆ ಯುಕ್ತ ವಾಗುತ್ತವೆ ಅವುಗಳ ಒಟ್ಟು ಧರ್ಮ.

ಆತ್ಮ ಲಾಭಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಮೇಲ್ ಆದದ್ದು ಯಾವುದು ಇಲ್ಲ ಅದೇ ಹಿತ ಗಳಲ್ಲೆಲ್ಲ ಪರಮ ಹಿತ. ಆತ್ಮದ ಸ್ವರೂಪವನ್ನು ಕಂಡುಕೊಂಡು ಅನುಭವಿಸುವುದೇ ಮೋಕ್ಷ.

ಜೀವವು ಜಗತ್ ಪ್ರಕೃತಿ ಬೀಸುತ್ತಿರುವ ಮಾಯಜಾಲ ದೊಳಗೆ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿಕೊಂಡು ತನ್ನೊಳಗಿರುವ ಪರಮಾತ್ಮ ವಸ್ತುವನ್ನು, ಪರಮೇಶ್ವರನನ್ನು ಮರೆತು, ತದಿತರ ವಾದದ್ದನ್ನು ಸುಖವೆಂದು ನಂಬಿಕೊಂಡು, ಆ ಸುಖ ಸಾಮಗ್ರಿ ಗಾಗಿ ಪರದಾಡುತ್ತಿರುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಈ ಪರಿಭ್ರಮಣೆ ಸಂಸಾರ. ಜಗತ್ ವ್ಯಾಮೋಹದಿಂದ ಬ್ರಾಂತಿ. ಈ ಭ್ರಾಂತಿ ಪ್ರಮಾದಗಳನ್ನು ನೀಗಿ ಆತ್ಮ ಸ್ವರೂಪವನ್ನು, ಭಗವತ್ ಸ್ವರೂಪವನ್ನು ಕಂಡುಕೊಂಡು ಅನುಭವಿಸುವುದು ಹೊರಗೆ ಸಿಕ್ಕುವ ಸುಖಗಳಿಗಿಂತ ಮಹತ್ತರವಾದ ಸುಖ. ಈ ಉತ್ತಮೋತ್ತಮ ಲಾಭಕ್ಕೆ ಜೀವವನ್ನು ಅನುಗೊಳಿಸುವ ಗುಣ ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರ ವರ್ತನೆಗಳು ಧರ್ಮ. 

ಧರ್ಮದಿಂದ ಆಗುವ ಪ್ರಯೋಜನಗಳು ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಮೂರು

• ಲೋಕ ಸಂಸ್ಥಿ ತಿ
• ಜೀವಕ್ಕೆ ಸುಖ ಸಂಪಾದನೆ
• ಜೀವಕ್ಕೆ ಹಿತಸಾಧನೆ

ಸತ್ಯವೆಂದರೆ ಯಥಾರ್ಥ - ಸಂದರ್ಭ ವಾಸ್ತವವಾಗಿ ಹೇಗಿದೆಯೋ ಅದು. ತತ್ವವೆಂದರೆ ಅದೇ. ಪ್ರಸಕ್ತ ವಾಗಿರುವ ವಿಷಯದ ನಿಜಸ್ಥಿತಿಯೇ ತತ್ವ.  ನಮಗೆ ಇರುವ ಸಂದರ್ಭದ ತತ್ವವನ್ನು - ಯಥಾರ್ಥವನ್ನು ಗ್ರಹಿಸಿ ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ನಮ್ಮ ನಡುವಳಿಕೆಯನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದು ಧರ್ಮ

ಒಟ್ಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಮನುಷ್ಯನು ಸ್ವ ಸುಖವನ್ನು ಸಾಧಿಸಿ ಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದರಲ್ಲಿ ಜೀವದ ಸದ್ಗತಿಯನ್ನು ಮರೆಯದೆ , ಇತರ ಜನದ ಸುಖ ಸಾಧನೆಗೆ ಅಡ್ಡಿ ತಾರದೆಯು, ಇತರ ಜನಕ್ಕೆ ತನ್ನ ನೈಜದಿಂದ ಸಹಾಯವಾಗುವಂತೆಯು ನಡೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕೆಂಬ ನಿಬಂಧನೆಯೇ ಧರ್ಮ.

ಒಂದೊಂದು ಜೀವದ ಸ್ವಾಭಾವ ರಚನೆಯು ಸಂದರ್ಭ ಸನ್ನಿವೇಶವು ಒಂದೊಂದು ರೀತಿ ಬೇರೆಬೇರೆಯಾಗಿರುತ್ತದೆ ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಒಂದೊಂದರ ಧರ್ಮವು ಬೇರೆ ಬೇರೆಯಾಗುತ್ತದೆ ಹೀಗೆ ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಬ್ಬನಿಗೂ ಅವನ ಸ್ವ-ಧರ್ಮ ಇರುತ್ತದೆ.

ಧರ್ಮ ಪ್ರಯುಕ್ತ ವಾದ ಯುದ್ಧದಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಂತು ಹೋರುವುದು ಕ್ಷತ್ರಿಯನಿಗೆ ಸ್ವಧರ್ಮ. ಅದು ಅರ್ಜುನನಿಗೆ ಕರ್ತವ್ಯ ;ವ್ಯಾಸರಿಗೆ ಅಲ್ಲ. ಪಂಚಪತಿ ಸ್ವೀಕಾರ ದ್ರೌಪತಿಗೆ ಕರ್ತವ್ಯವಾಯಿತು; ಸ್ತ್ರೀ ಲೋಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಇನ್ಯಾರಿಗೂ ಹಾಗಾಗಲಿಲ್ಲ; ಭಾವನಿಂದ ಮಕ್ಕಳನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯುವುದು ಅಂಬಿಕೆ ಅಂಬಾಲಿಕೆ ಯರಿಗೆ ಕರ್ತವ್ಯವಾಯಿತು; ಮಿಕ್ಕಾ ಸ್ತ್ರೀಯರಿಗೆ ಅಲ್ಲ. ಹೀಗೆ ಧರ್ಮ ತತ್ವವು ಜಾತಿಯನ್ನು ಅನುಸರಿಸಿ, ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಯ ಶಕ್ತಿ-ಸಾಮರ್ಥ್ಯಗಳು ಅನುಸಾರವಾಗಿ, ಸಮಾಜ ಸಂದರ್ಭ ವಶದಿಂದ ರೂಪ ತಾಳುತ್ತದೆ.

Picture credit - 

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/the-photo-blog/janmashtami-these-10-cute-little-krishnas-will-melt-your-heart/

Now

Do not miss THIS moment.. because when it's no more, you won't have a chance again to GIVE 

Gunjan Saxena - The Kargil girl

This movie is in news for all the right reasons. Gunjan Saxena is the IAF flight lieutenant who went on to become the first woman pilot to fly the cheetah helicopters in war zone. She joined IAF in 1994 and took part in Kargil war in 1999 in evacuating wounded soldiers, aiding surveillance and transporting essential supplies. A great tribute goes out from my heart to her. 

Now coming to the movie - Its the most acclaimed movie supposed to be showing the valiance of a woman in the time where woman were less privileged. But it irked me a bit. Instead of proving the mettle of Gunjan, movie focused more on the shallowness of men around her. Its not at intervals but the whole plot is the same. Starting with derogatory and non believing brother to the IAF co pilots and bosses. IAF has officially objected the depiction of this perspective. And Gunjan herself has confirmed that there was no such treatment from her male companions. If the story was to be made up, it could've been in a way which aspires women in general to pursue greater aspirations than to just fight for woman rights in a non woman organization. Repeatedly Gunjan gets vexed by her male counterparts and not in a single incident she stands up for herself. Any mediocre woman of this era knows when to stop tolerating the derision and to speak up, not waiting for a major event to happen.

It was surprising to see Pankaj Tripathi in the plot whose acting is as usual commendable. Jahnavi Kapoor looked a clown. Rest do their part - nothing noteworthy. 

Shakuntala devi

The person Shakuntala Devi and the movie on her are both sensations garnering viewership all over the world. 

When I was a 10 std kid, my math teacher inspired me towards the life of Shakuntala Devi. Later when I was preparing for campus placements in college, I read her book - "puzzles to puzzle you". Naturally this movie fell in my watch list attributing to the sophisticated AI that Amazon prime has built. 

3 clear crisp messages that movie gives as far as I understand.

1. Stop being obsessed by "me, me, me, I, I, I and my, my, my".

(On a different stand point - you don't really matter as much as you think you matter). 

Today in 2020's age, we are so swept away with a world full that talks about finding your voice and being on your own, loving yourself, living your passion such that you can excuse yourself for thrashing someone else's dreams, discovering your calling, being brave enough to express your authentic self etc. But this is all so wrong. 

We are all bound by the rules of society and the law and if not, to a great extent, bound by the rules of family. These rules define austere limitations for expression of self. You need to find the balance between "living up for self" and breaking the rule. There needs to be an equilibrium  for "I", "him"(to all men in life) and "us".

2. Motherhood - 

Aren't all mothers perfect? She loved you with all she could. There is no right or wrong. 

Don't cry for the identity she gave you. If you don't like it, you have all the abilities and opportunities to change it. 

Don't look at the mother as a mother but as a woman having her own dreams and calling. 

3. Breaking the cycle of negativity - 

There is an old saying that if you think bad of a person, be assured that he/she thinks bad of you too. This is no unknown magic. Negativity multiplies negativity. Just forgiving the person who wronged you is not enough. Think highly of him/her and appreciate the good things he/she has done to you. That way instead of having a neutral stand point, you make peace with him/her and win-win from both the sides. 

Same goes with motherhood. Is motherhood a cycle where you pass on your curses (and blessings) to your lineage? From your mother to you, you to your daughter and she to her daughter? You just forgiving her would not be enough. If you like to be appreciated by your daughter, appreciate the benevolence of your mother.

 

, 

Gantumoote (The baggage)

Spoiler: Watch this movie ONLY if you appreciate the rendition of love in it's most subtle ways.

The movie is about a teenage girl expressing her emptiness and fullness together and concurrently after  her young lover ends his life. 

The movie takes you back to the school and gives you a high degree of nostalgia. Every scene is perfectly knit to fit the 90's time zone. What is different from the main stream kannada cinema and this is that the protagonist is a young girl who is not scared to have a mind of her own. 

The movie talks about the teenage love, pressure of exams, mental and physical abuses that will cause long lasting ill effects, high school bullying, heart break, life long emptiness due to death of a loved one and so forth.

The acting by Teju Belavadi and Nischit Karodi is best in class. The scenes are just perfect with no scope to improve - especially the one where Meera comes to confront the death of Madhu when she touches the body of her dead lover. You really swallow a lump of pain when she turns back and heads home. The subtle movements and acting by both in the lead couple expound the fine drawn presentation of love. That factor is also the one that keeps you glued. 

Here is a bit of Meera's(protagonist) mind chatter which gives you the taste of the sensibilities she harness. 

ಆಗ್ಲೇ ಗೊತ್ತಾಗಿದ್ದು ನಮ್ಮ ಭಾವನೆಗಲ್ ಮಾತ್ರ ನಮ್ ಅನುಭವಕ್ಕೆ ಬರುತ್ತೆ; ಅದಷ್ಟೇ ನಿಜ ನಮಗೆ. ಬೇರೆಯವರ ಭಾವನೆಗಳು, ಯೋಚನೆಗಳು ಅರ್ಥ ಮಾಡ್ಕೊಬಹುದೇ ಹೊರತು ಅನುಭವಿಸಕ್ಕೆ ಆಗಲ್ಲ. ಅವನು ನನ್ನ ಪ್ರೀತಿಸ್ತೀನಿ ಅಂದ. ಅವನ್ ಪ್ರಕಾರ ಪ್ರೀತಿ ಅಂದ್ರೆ ಇಷ್ಟೇ ಇರ್ಬೇಕು. 

ಭಗವದವತಾರಗಳು

The most empowering thing I read today are 7th and 8th verse of chapter 4 of Bhagavat geeta. The lines are as below 

ಯದಾ ಯದಾ ಹಿ ಧರ್ಮಸ್ಯ ಗ್ಲಾನಿರ್ಭವತಿ ಭಾರತ ।

ಅಭ್ಯುತ್ಥಾನಮಧರ್ಮಸ್ಯ ತದಾತ್ಮಾನಂ ಸೃಜಾಮ್ಯಹಮ್ 

ಪರಿತ್ರಾಣಾಯ ಸಾಧೂನಾಂ ವಿನಾಶಾಯ ಚ ದುಷ್ಕ್ರತಾಮ್ ।

ಧರ್ಮಸಂಸ್ಥಾಪನಾರ್ಥಾಯ ಸಂಭವಾಮಿ ಯುಗೇ ಯುಗೇ 

Context: 

ಭಗವದವತಾರಗಳು :

ಅರ್ಜುನ, ನೀನು  ನಾನು ಇಂದಿನವರಲ್ಲ ; ಮೊದಲಿನಿಂದಲೂ ಇರುವವರೇ. ನಿನಗೂ ನನಗು ವ್ಯತ್ಯಾಸ ಎರಡು ಸಂಗತಿಗಳ್ಲಲಿ ; ಮೊದಲೆನೆಯದಾಗಿ ನಿನ್ನ ಪೂರ್ವಜನ್ಮಗಳನ್ನು ನಿನಗೆ ಮರೆತುಹೋಗಿವೆ ; ನನ್ನ ಪೂರ್ವಜನ್ಮಗಳ ವೃತ್ತಾ oತ ನನಗೆ ಜ್ಞಾಪಕದಲ್ಲಿದೆ. ಎರಡನೆಯದಾಗಿ ನಿನ್ನ ಪೂರ್ವಜನ್ಮಗಳು ನಿನ್ನ ಪುಣ್ಯಪಾಪಗಳ ಕಾರಣದಿಂದ ಆದವು ; ನನ್ನ ಅವತಾರಗಳು ಧರ್ಮಸಂರಕ್ಷಣೆಗಾಗಿ ಆದವು . ಸಜ್ಜನರನು ಕಾಪಾಡುವುದಕ್ಕೆ, ದುಷ್ಟರನ್ನು ಸಂಹಾರಮಾಡುವುದಕ್ಕೆ, ಧರ್ಮ ಸಂಸ್ಥಾಪನೆಗಾಗಿ ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಯ ಮೊದಲಿಂದ ಯುಗಯುಗಗಳಲ್ಲೂ ನಾನು ಅವತಾರ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಲೇ ಇದ್ದೇನೆ.  

README.txt for Bhagavat Geeta

When you download software/applications from Git(open source code repositories), there usually be a readme.txt file that says how to install and use the software. Its essentially the user guide of the software. I was wondering if there is a README.txt for Bhagavat Geeta - how would that be. In my opinion, this is what it can be.

1. It is not you choosing to read this book. The book chooses you - to be read. Lord Krishna chooses you to enlighten. (Thus far in life, I was surrounded with hundreds of Bhagavat Geetas at home but I only took interest in reading it 4 months ago. To hold this book even is a privilege)

2. To set eyes on Geeta, you need to attain a certain maturity in life where you can consume all the pure knowledge. The book comes to your rescue on its own. It finds you when you are ready.

3. You can read any verse and any chapter and still make sense of it both in the general  way(internalizing/localizing to self) and how Arjuna can consume it(globalizing the learning)

4. The beauty of the book is such that any of the 700 verses can be related to any realm you live in. That's why its imperative to read it again and again so that you can relate to different contexts and sojourn towards self discovery

5. You can find answers to all your life's questions and confusions in Geeta. When you relate your being with Geeta, it gives you exactly what you are looking for. First - building trust on Krishna and then surrendering self to that trust are the ultimate bliss one can yearn for.

6. There is presumption that reading Geeta brings Vyraagya. This is absolute untruth.

7. After installation of this book, for sure it changes the EVERY way the human OS works - and for good. 

Becoming - Michelle Obama

This is the autobiography of one of the most powerful women - Michelle Obama. Her life is an account to send the message that one needs to be deliberately happy and have positive outlook on life. 

Michelle Obama spent her child hood in a racially mixed middle class neighborhood. She was thriving since the very beginning. She learnt the different perspectives on life from her great family. Her aunt thought her the sense of devotion through piano lessons and cheerful grand father taught her to cheer regardless of the circumstances. Her father always showed her the brighter side to life helping her to learn the long lasting habit of blocking bad/negative news. Her mother helped her build confidence and courage to make decisions. Her brother Craig was one she admired most for his ease and flexibility of relating to everyone. 

She went to Whitney High school which was 90 minutes away commuting in 2 different city bus routes. She overcame her fears of the new school and built her confidence back. She managed to avoid her doubts and gradually grew fearless. She realized it was safe to be smart. She never relented in standing up to anyone who tried to oppress her. 

As she completed studying law in Harvard law school, she learnt to care less of what people think of her and started focusing on building cordial relationship with her colleagues at work. She met Barack Obama in the law firm - "Sidley and Austin". She was impressed by his poise self assuredness, warm demeanor, unconventional and weirdly elegant aura. 

Later she realized that being a lawyer is not her passion even though she topped in her work. She married Barack Obama and took an offer in job at the city hall in Chicago. Michelle supported Barack through his political career. After Barack's tenure as president, Michelle stated that they were ordinary people who found themselves in extraordinary journey due to their constant drive to succeed. 

Michelle imbibed the spirit of being better than who she was yesterday, worked on her goals, all through enjoyed the journey with no fear of past, present or future. 

Dark - Netflix series

Its been a while that I finished watching this series and I am still assimilating thoughts of it while watching, rewatching, making note of things I watched and going through the notes. 

Seriously this is 10000ft above the normal time travel movies/series made in my time line. The editing and cinematography is so awesome that when we rewatch and read between the lines is when we actually understand the intensity of it. I am reading Bhagavat geeta on the side lines and both these make an emotional, spiritual and psychological stir up. Its one mind hunting, brain blasting series that made me appreciate time, space, nature and human bonding. 

Here is the starting lines in the trailer that drew me towards it - "We trust, time is linear, that it is proceeds eternally and uniformly. In to infinity. But the distinction between past, present and future is nothing but an illusion. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow are not consecutive, they are connected in a never ending circle. Everything is connected" 

The episodes are full of liners like these and I have written down lots of them. If you are looking for quotes, there are n number of sites that will give that exactly.  

Some of the ideas/thoughts/lessons that I concluded from the series are 

1. The world we believe in is an illusion - it Does not exist. The people we have imagined to have loved do not exist. Ulrick, Jonas, Mikkel, Martha, Claudia do not exist. 

2. We cannot undo things that are destined to happen no matter how much we time travel back and forth. No matter what circus we do to change things, they cannot be changed. 

3. Above all, human bonds remain of paramount importance and one cannot do away with the love one has for other. Love can sustain even in the alternate universes and across time zones. 

4. Curiosity has same effect as loving someone - Both drive you to do any extreme. 

5. Life scars you with its perturbations. But at the same time, gives you strength to do what is right. 

6. Whatever you are up against(or for), only you can do it by your self (alone)

6. (After thought) - Will you ever know what is "Right" - to do right? Good and evil are a question of perspective. (Answers in Geeta)

Plot : Its complex. Read the wikipedia maps to aid your understanding. If you get hold of it, focus on the scenes and try comprehending why one is after the other. Season 1 is a good visual experience but Season 2 and 3 are simply there to set the stage(especially the first 4 of season 3) for the finale. At times, the directors just want to confuse you with unnecessary gyaan (with bootstrap paradox and time travel related paradoxes). But all in all, one good series in recent times with a well satisfactory ending. 

Some cheat sheets here too to help you remember. 

Me - Elton John

"Me" is a book on how never giving up on self can help one and all despite the situations and circumstances. Its the autobiography of Elton John - the don of rock and roll music. 

Elton John grew up in an emotionally draining and hostile environment which had long term effects on his adulthood. He was heavily influenced by the behaviors and nuances of those he grew up around - his father, mother and siblings. His father was a member of RAF and mother was a milkmaid during WW2. Elton grew up with his father hardly being around and when he was around, he was known to impose hars and stringent laws that would end up alienating Elton. Mother was borderline psychotic and enjoyed tormenting Elton as a boy. When both his parents were around, it was war - full frontal assault and cold deafening silence. Elton though had a friendly relationship with his grand mother. He lacked the feeling of family which had huge impact on his adulthood family life. No real guidance, no real affection or care, he simply floated in and out of fantasies that kept him grounded and hopeful for a better life leaving him detached from reality. 

A big amount of adults find themselves stuck, unsure of their worth and questioning their place in the world they've prepared whole lives to be part of. This emptiness, ever present and ever growing is a result f a longing for an identity that they've been robbed of growing up. Elton was no exception. 

He would find himself trapped in the cycle of  addiction and self loathing. Elton saw a sudden raise in the fame and eventually sought solace in cocaine, alcohol and extravagant parties. He was soothing an ache only he understood. He thought he was successful and famous and he won the battle but fame only brought him more loneliness and emptiness. 

Also, there was this glaring revelation about his sexuality. When Elton was growing up, he never realized he was gay. He married a woman without this knowledge and later divorced causing much pain to both the partners. He was clinically depressed and had suicidal tendencies several times. He questioned every bit of his existence and his achievements. He suffered from impostor syndrome too sometimes. 

Later he found his support group with people who saw him struggle and offered to help. Hugh Williams - his boyfriend also checked in to the same rehab as was Elton. Years later, Elton fought through the moment of darkness and came out the other end the massive success he is today. Bernie Taupin a friend with whom Elton wrote music influenced him. He finally stopped listening to voices in his head and started listening to the voices outside. 

Now reading the biography and knowing more about Elton, his songs sound a different tune to me.