New Zealand Trip Photos

Here are some of the photos that I took on my recent visit to New Zealand.
Mesmerizing mist filled green mountains, Rivers with crystal clear water... 

Trip to New Zealand - Wellington, Otaki and Auckland

SH1 - State Highway

Otaki River

It was a sweet and memorable trip for 8 days with my family. We landed at Wellington, went around the city a bit and headed off to Otaki in our rented car. Our destination was the New Gupta Vraj at Kaitawa Road; Otaki. It was a straight forward drive of following the SH-1, State Highway, bypassing some of the towns that come up.

Strathean

Retreat Center

Mickey

First thing, I noticed about New Zealand was that its greener and felt safe, people are friendly, helpful. There is also this thing about road signs, especially there are number of small bridges in the interior roads and generally its one way, you either give way or drive on depending on which side of the road you are. Some of the Signs didn't make sense to be no speed limits one, but just used my common sense.One thing to note though was, if you are buying a Prepaid SIM card, don’t buy Vodafone because the coverage is terrible, especially the rural, country areas it’s almost nil. The two reliable options are Skinny and Telecom which have a decent coverage.

Mist Covered Mountains

Our destination was about 80K from Wellington. Wellington City has a population of 400,000 and it is a compact city with most of the places within walking distance. The purpose of our visit was to attend a Spiritual Retreat. We stayed in Otaki for 7 days. We drove to number of nearby beaches and towns like, Otaki, Waikane and Kapiti Coast. On the day, when we went to Kapiti Island, the weather was bit rough and we could take a ferry to the Kapiti Island - which it was said to be beautiful with a Bird Sanctury, Nature walks etc.

The place where we stayed was an amazing Homestead called Strathean set in 3 hectares of lawns and mature, mainly native Totara trees at Te Horo.

Otaki River @ Otaki Gorge

Wellington

Sri Sri Radha Giridhari

Sri Sri Radha Giridhari temple

Sri Sri Radha Giridhari temple

My Boys

At Auckland Airport with Jhulan Yatra Prabhu

 The main house offers comfortable country house living, a large lounge with wood burner, ample seating and a small library. The conservatory-like dining room opens on to a sunny deck for alfresco eating. It has modern Kitchen with utensils, Gas Stoves, Refrigerator etc.

The place of retreat center at Otaki is beautiful with lush green forest, Mountains topped with Clouds, mist and the beautiful Otaki River. When, we went to the river, we were accompanied by a friendly Labrador Dog with a name tag - Mickey. Mickey loves to escort us to the river and the surrounds and would play and swim in the river along with us.

Then, from Wellington we flew to Auckland. The first thing we noticed about the City is that it is more spread out and bigger. We preceded to the Iskcon temple which is a 100 Acre farm about 40K to the Airport. The temple and the surrounds are beautiful with the temple overlooking the estuary, and in itself "is a million dollar view”. The breeze that comes from the estuary is so refreshing and the surrounding area is with beautiful gardens of flowering plants and green grass. Interior of the temple was beautifully designed with picture of pastimes of Lord Krishna.

The other place of our visit was the Goshala - Cow Farm which is supplying the pure Cow Milk to the temple and couple of restaurants in the city run by ISKCON.

Overall, the trip was enjoyable and the kids simply loved it. The weather was absolutely wonderful, I guess because it’s the summer time. What I found interesting was the Local – Maori people and their rich culture and history. Also, the New Zealand Haka.. I love it. There are many of them, the common one is,Ka Mate

The "Ka Mate" haka generally opens with a set of five preparatory instructions shouted by the leader, before the whole team joins in:

"Ka Mate"
Leader:	Ringa pakia!		Slap the hands against the thighs!
	Uma tiraha!		Puff out the chest.
	Turi whatia!		Bend the knees!
	Hope whai ake!		Let the hips follow!
	Waewae takahia kia kino!		Stomp the feet as hard as you can!
Leader:	Ka mate, ka mate		I die, I die,
Team:	Ka ora' Ka ora'		I live, I live
Leader:	Ka mate, ka mate		I die, I die,
Team:	Ka ora Ka ora "		I live, I live,
All:	Tēnei te tangata pūhuruhuru		This is the hairy man
	Nāna i tiki mai whakawhiti te rā		...Who caused the sun to shine again for me
	A Upane! Ka Upane!		Up the ladder, Up the ladder
	A Upane Kaupane"		Up to the top
	Whiti te rā,!		The sun shines!
	Hī!		Rise!

Times of distress

St Vincent's Gardens, Albert Park

I am not sure, where the world is heading to. I was deeply troubled by the Hostage incident of Sydney, almost immediately came the news of killing of 144 Children in Pakistan, which was further more shocking. My deep condolences to the families of all the people affected. I was glad to have a chance to visit some of the Gardens and watch the huge beautiful trees, enjoy the quietness of the garden, the birds chirping.I think humanity needs to learn tolerance from trees and humility from grass.  

For my Xmas wish to all: May the gift of love, peace and happiness be yours at Christmas.   

The two gardens I visited are, the St Vincent's gardens, Albert Park and System Gardens, University of Melbourne Campus.

St Vincent's Gardens, Albert Park

St Vincent's Gardens, Albert Park

St Vincent's Gardens, Albert Park

St Vincent's Gardens, Albert Park

System Gardens, University of Melbourne

System Gardens, University of Melbourne

System Gardens, University of Melbourne

Creating Positive Vibes at Workplace

Melbourne CBD - View from Southbank

How are you today? Good thanks. Are you running late today? Good thanks. Are you listening to me.? Good thanks. I call this faking or formality and have seen this at few work places. Worse than this is that you are walking in a corridor and someone you meet, walking right opposite to you, one of you company worker completely ignores you. It’s as if, you don’t exist at all. I guess lot of things can contribute to this like the Company work culture, work load, peer pressures, personal problems but, what I noticed that matters most is that nature of a person. Yes, it’s our personal choice as how you want to treat others. Of course, there is a saying “Treat others like the way you want to be treated", but for most people seem care less. But, what I have learnt and seen is that small things can make a big impact in people, place and the whole work environment. Small things like smiling at people, greeting them and listening to what they say, how they feel can make enormous impact on people.

One day at my workplace, I got into the lift and before the doors closed and I was about press my level 3 button, I noticed someone rushing. I quickly pressed the Lift - Open doors button and waited for the gentleman to get into the lift. That's all. He was so thankful and said, "Thank you so much, not many would do that. May you win a Million dollar lottery." I smiled and said" Thank you for your wishes. I don’t know about the lottery but, it does make me feel good”. So what was my investment for feeling good? Its 10 seconds of my time. There was a study by some Psychologist who determined that even if one person in your Facebook friends or even a friend of your friends list is unhappy, you are also unconsciously affected.

There is something called as "Emotional contagion".

The phrase "emotional contagion" embodies the idea that humans will synchronize their personal emotions with the emotions expressed by those around them, whether consciously or unconsciously, and thus that an emotion conveyed by one person will become "contagious" to others.

Psychologist Elaine Hatfield theorizes emotional contagion as a two-step process: Step 1: We imitate people; if someone smiles at you, you smile back. Step 2: Changes in mood through faking it. If you smile you feel happy, if you frown you feel bad. Mimicry seems to be one foundation of emotional movement between people. And, there are so many other theories but, the bottom line is that you can make the difference (Only if you decide to do so).

Mind Control - Stop worrying and start living

Me @ Currumbin Wildlife sanctuary Gold coast

I recently saw a video, where the speaker talks about how our mind is always rambling. Psychologists say that the three main functions of the mind is thinking, feeling and wanting. Thus, there is an intimate, dynamic relation between these three, where each is continually influencing the other two. For example, when we don’t want to go to work , the mind will start telling us, how painful and disgusting our job is. Thus we want to avoid going to work but, because we need that money for our living, we are compelled to go to work. Then, we are no longer interested in the work that we do or become grumpy and demotivated. The mind is always worrying about the past incidents and anxious about the future. The first quality of the mind is, it rambles. Day by day, it is becoming increasingly difficult to focus our attention on anything. With the advent of the Television with numerous channels - one would never watch a single program continuously. One watches something for 3 to 4 minutes and then, he wants to know what is coming in the other channel and the other and the other. Similarly the internet and our smart phones. Firstly, mobile phones themselves are such a problem, not giving one any time or privacy to do anything in life. Once, I in the office I was in a toilet and someone received a call when is busy. And, the person actually answered it. You can’t escape it.? Then, even though no one calls you, you have this smart phone with all the social networking apps, facebook, twitter, whatsup etc. You are continuously reading or looking at what others are doing instead of what you should be doing. In fact, you decide what you want to do by looking at what others are doing. Even though you have intelligence, as Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita, your intelligence becomes covered and you are lost in this desiring, hankering, hate,love etc.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is 7.27(By Srila Prabhupad)

iccha-dvesha-samutthena

dvandva-mohena bharata

sarva-bhutani sammoham

sarge yanti parantapa

Translation: O scion of Bharata, O conqueror of the foe, all living entities are born into delusion, bewildered by dualities arisen from desire and hate.

So, they are done a survey all over the world of number of organisations and the survey was about, how much time one spends actually on the work they are supposed to be doing. And, it came out that people spend only, 30 to 40% of the time working on the task they are supposed to be doing. Rest of the time? They are either thing - worrying about the past or anxious about the future. This is a great loss and have serious ramifications and consequences of the productivity of the workforce. What this means is that, what should take one 3 to 4 hrs. Will actually take 9 to 10 hrs. And, people are working overtime, stressed and tired.

Think about this - Ones daily routine is, have breakfast, go to work in a AC car or AC tram, get down at workplace, walk 10 steps and get into a AC office, start your computer, watch news and stuff in internet and attend few meetings, do some work and come back home. And, you are tired.? for doing nothing.? And, then as soon as you come home and open the door, your son comes jumping and shouting. He has been doing that for the whole day and he is not tired. And, he says, Daddy.. Park. And, you say..Ooh.. I am tired., leave me alone I want peace and some rest.

So, what is happening here? Please understand this. You don’t have intelligence to keep your mind focused and enjoying the present moment. It is your inabilities to keep you mind in the present that is giving you all the distress.

As petitioned by Arjuna,"Bhagavad Gita As It Is 6.34,(Translation and Purport by Srila Prabhupad)

cancalam hi manah krsna

pramathi balavad drdham

tasyaham nigraham manye

vayor iva su-duskaram

For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Krsna, and to subdue it is, it seems to me, more difficult than controlling the wind." and what was Lord Krishna's reply. ? "The Blessed Lord said: O mighty-armed son of Kunti, it is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless mind, but it is possible by constant practice and by detachment.

Purport: The difficulty of controlling the obstinate mind, as expressed by Arjuna, is accepted by the Personality of Godhead. But at the same time He suggests that by practice and detachment it is possible. What is that practice? In the present age no one can observe strict rules and regulations, such as placing oneself in a sacred place, focusing the mind on the Supersoul, restraining the senses and mind, observing celibacy, remaining alone, etc. By the practice of Krsna consciousness, however, one engages in nine types of devotional service to the Lord. The first and foremost of such devotional engagements is hearing about Krsna. This is a very powerful transcendental method for purging the mind of all misgivings. The more one hears about Krsna, the more one becomes enlightened and detached from everything that draws the mind away from Krsna. By detaching the mind from activities not devoted to the Lord, one can very easily learn vairagya. Vairagya means detachment from matter and engagement of the mind in spirit. Impersonal spiritual detachment is more difficult than attaching the mind to the activities of Krsna. This is practical because by hearing about Krsna one becomes automatically attached to the Supreme Spirit. This attachment is called paresanubhuti, spiritual satisfaction. It is just like the feeling of satisfaction a hungry man has for every morsel of food he eats. Similarly, by discharge of devotional service one feels transcendental satisfaction as the mind becomes detached from material objectives. It is something like curing a disease by expert treatment and appropriate diet. Hearing of the transcendental activities of Lord Krsna is therefore expert treatment for the mad mind, and eating the foodstuff offered to Krsna is the appropriate diet for the suffering patient. This treatment is the process of Krsna consciousness."

About Quadcopters and life

Few days ago, I was walking along the St Kilda beach with my two kids and saw this funky copter. It was pretty cool. Had four wings and is extremely agile and moving quite fast. Of course, my kids are fascinated and we went and had a chat to the gentleman who was manning this little gadget. He was a truly a gentleman and explained me all about this thing called Quad(copter). There are rules and regulations for owning and flying this thing. There are lot of things that you can do with this. He went on explaining. Firstly, it’s not legal to fly this on the beach. It needs to be flown across the water because of obvious reasons like; it might hit someone and hurt them. Then, there is thing about privacy. Because, this can be fitted with a Video camera which can take videos. But, he explained me that unless it is hovering over same place for a minute or two, one cannot actually get clear or detailed view of people, someone sunbathing on the beach. That’s, why, I don’t come here when it is busy - He explained. The Quad's charge allows it to fly for about 20 minutes for a distance of 1 Kilometre, height of about 400 feet (above that is illegal to fly) and he is having a pair of glasses by which he can actually see the Quad. The, if something goes wrong, he loses sight of it, there is a button called Home or return to base and by pressing it, the Quad will come back without any further instructions. It costs about $1200 to get a decent one like this. This is his hobby and he already lost couple of them while flying on the sea.

Interesting - isn't It.? When can I get one? Gopal asked me and told him that he need to be at least 12 yrs to get one like this for him.

A Quadcopter 

A Quadcopter

Shortly afterwards, I reflected on this and thought about this gentleman. How passionate he was talking about his quad, what are things it can you, how he can control it etc. Surely, all of us want to be a creator, maintainer and a Master. In Bhagavad Gita,Chapter 3 Verse 27 there is a nice verse,

At St Kilda Beach

"prakrteh kriyamanani

 gunaih karmani sarvasah

 ahankara-vimudhatma

 kartaham iti manyate

TRANSLATION: The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature."

 So in general people think that they are the doer, doing things by their own will. But, actual fact is everyone is conditioned by the three modes goodness, passion and ignorance and depending on the mode that is prominent and dominant, that will dictate a person to act in such a way. Suppose, in a restaurant the waitress spilled coffee on a customer, depending on the mode people might react differently. Once person might say, that’s fine and goes and cleans his cloths. Other who is passionate might raise his voice and shout on the person who spilled the coffee and one who governed by the mode of ignorance might actually get up and bash the other person. Very good, one may say. I am not doing anything, it’s all the 3 modes of nature goodness, passion and ignorance that are making me do things and God is the one who controls everything so ultimately, it’s his fault. But, here is the caveat – you as a tiny spirit soul has some minute independence can actually desire for something to happen and basically whatever that happens to you is due to your desire and past karma that put you in certain situation.

Yes, we can all create and control something in our life. Just like, if you are walking along Swanston Street in Melbourne, you see a person controlling, juggling few balls by tossing them into air, one, two, three, four and catching and tossing one before the other one comes down. Think of the great God, who created this whole universe where he is actually making huge, gigantic balls of planets, stars floating and moving in their orbits with exact precision.

Brahma Samhita 5.35

eko 'py asau racayitum jagad-aṇḍa-koṭiṁ

yac-chaktir asti jagad-anda-cayā yad-antah

andāntara-stha-paramānu-cayāntara-stham-

govindam ādi-purusam tam aham bhajāmi

Translation: He is an undifferentiated entity as there is no distinction between potency and the possessor thereof. In His work of creation of millions of worlds, His potency remains inseparable. All the universes exist in Him and He is present in His fullness in every one of the atoms that are scattered throughout the universe, at one and the same time. Such is the primeval Lord whom I adore.

 I think, I will write more about this some other time.. Have a good weekend.

Helping Your Child to become a better person

This is a superb forward I received. Worth reading every sentence.

Tirukkural written by Tiruvalluvar more than 5000 yrs ago , but not even One Kural of total 1337 have become irrelevant now. It's one of the ancient science on Human behaviour, which has not changed in-spite of environment & technology!  ...

SOME GOLDEN THOUGHTS TO PONDER:-

1. If your child lies to you often, it is because you over-react too harshly to their inappropriate behaviour.

2. If your child is not taught to confide in you about their mistakes, you've lost them.

3. If your child had poor self-esteem, it is because you advice them more than you encourage them.

4. If your child does not stand up for themselves, it is because from a young age you have disciplined them regularly in public.

5. If your child takes things that do not belong to them, it is because when you buy them things, you don't let them chose what they want.

6. If your child is cowardly, it is because you help them too quickly.

7. If your child does not respect other people's feelings, it is because instead of speaking to your child, you order and command them.

8. If your child is too quick to anger, it is because you give too much attention to misbehaviour and you give little attention to good behaviour.

9. If your child is excessively jealous, it is because you only congratulate them when they successfully complete something and not when they improve at something even if they don't successfully complete it.

10. If your child intentionally disturbs you, it is because you are not physically affectionate enough.

11. If your child is openly defied, it is because you openly threaten to do something but don't follow through.

12. If your child is secretive, it is because they don't trust that you won't blow things out of proportion.

13. If your child talks back to you, it is because they watch you do it to others and think its normal behaviour.

14. If your child doesn't listen to you but listens to others, it is because you are too quick to make decisions.

15. If your child rebels it is because they know you care more about what others think than what is right or wrong.

Change starts at home. Try a few if not all and see the see change in the relations.

This also made me to do bit of research on net about this and found this further information.

The Thirukural is one of the most valuable literary works in the Tamil language. It is a masterpiece of Tamil literature and is regarded as containing the purest form of human thoughts. Thirukural is a universal bible composed during the last of three Sangam eras. Thirukural was written by a great Tamil poet, Thiruvalluvar, who is believed to have lived sometime between 500-200 BCE. It is a classic of 1330 couplets, structured in 133 chapters in 3 sections.

Arathupaal, Porutpaal and Kaamathupaal.

Arathupaal – This section teaches aram (right conduct), good ethical behavior with conscience and honor.

Porutpaal – This section teaches porul, the right manner of conducting worldly affairs.

Kaamathupaal – This section teaches inbam (love), ultimate intimacy between men and women.

The first section has 38 chapters, the second has 70 chapters, and the third has 25 chapters. Each chapter consists of 10 kural (couplets) each, making a total of 1330 kural in 133 adhigaarams (chapters). Each kural consists of seven words in two lines – four words in first line and three words in the second line.

The first kural that is written is:

"Just as the alphabet ‘A’ is the beginning of all letters,

 so also, God is the beginning for this universe."

Interesting, Isn't it.? I am trying to get a genuine copy of the whole book or three books, if available.