Sleep is Meditation

 Isn't sleep the same as meditate: the mind is inactive except for the part when there are dreams, but otherwise it's the same... no thoughts going on in the mind...all blank.. which is what meditation wants to achieve

The Ukraine War

 The war is going on in Ukraine right now and seeing the death and destruction, reminded me of this beautiful song from the bollywood movie Border, which I watched as a kid. I was so moved by that song as a kid that I learnt the whole song at that time, from my uncle's portable cassette player (we didn't have one as we couldn't afford one at that time). 

https://gaana.com/song/mere-dushman-mere-bhai

The song is about the doom and gloom and pain caused by a war. It's written very well. The beauty of the song is that it addresses the soldiers of Pakistan as brother and Friend. In the end calls for taking a pledge to not go for another war.

The movie though has elements of nationalism.

Some key points from the song:

* My enemy, my brother , my shadow ... these burning homes want to tell us something

* Why do we sow the seeds of guns and bombs in our fields (instead of wheat and rice) when in both our country's streets there are children who go hungry to bed.

* Until when will this python of hatred be alive at the border of the two countries

Coming back to the current war in Ukraine, it pains to see the bombings in Ukraine by Russia. Saw picture s of pregnant woman walking with blood on their face from a maternity hospital that was bombed.  I feel for them and the people of Ukraine. 

War is never acceptable.

But additionally there are these thoughts:

* There are wars going-on in many other parts of the world, but only why such media coverage only for this war? The world has become

* Does Russia's fear of the expansion of NATO closer to its territories, justify this aggression?

* When Russia does it, it is war mongering, expansion, aggression, but when US does it in other parts of the world it saving the world, and saving its interests. 

* I am glad that in this world of inter-connectedness the countries are pursuing different non-confrontational approaches (economic sanctions) of pressurizing Russia to end this conflict

* Happy to see all the support the people of Ukraine are getting from all people around the world (not just nations)

I hope this war ends soon