I got excited and when one of my cousin posted some of these pics in the Facebook. These are the photos of an old and fading astrology services offered in South India. The photos brought back nostalgia of my previous interactions of going to one of these gentleman to see how the Parrot comes out to pick up a card and if it flies away or goes back into the cage. Can't remember what was told to me but, I did manage to get it done for a very cheap price. So the typical setting of a Parrot Card reader is like this. A supposedly knowledgeable person will be sitting under a tree on a footpath or some shady area under a tree, near road side. The setup is simple with a mattress or bedsheet laid on the ground. The fortune teller will be sitting with a Parrot in a small cage with a deck of cards. So when someone goes to him and pay him the money, (not sure how much it is now. May be around few dollars) the astrologer will say some mantras or chants, lay the deck of cards and open the door of the cage and invite the esteemed Parrot/Parakeet to come and pick up a card. The birdie will come out walking cute and will pick up a card with its beak and go back into the cage, happily munching the fruit pieces in the small cage. Here comes the moment of truth. Because, you and I cannot understand the language of the Parrot, the person will look at the Card, just like the Tarot card and will give his reading for you which could be anything, good or bad. You might get promoted, win a lottery, or loose some money, someone may cheat you etc. And, if you are further interested, you will be given some remedies or prayers that need to be done usually for Mother Durga, which will cost some extra money because, it involves breaking hundred coconuts or something like that.Look.at the end of the day, its a profession and matter of faith. Good luck.
This brings us questions like why worry about past and future. And, how could a Parrot predict the future or past?. May be, he is less stressed than we are that he doesn't need to perform at work, pay mortgages, bills, taxes and fines.
I was reminded of a book that I read few years ago.
Man’s Search for Meaning is a 1946 book by Viktor Frankl chronicling his experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during World War II, where he explains that the way a prisoner imagined the future affected his longevity. The book intends to answer the question “How was everyday life in a concentration camp reflected in the mind of the average prisoner?”
Part One constitutes Frankl’s analysis of his experiences in the concentration camps, while Part Two introduces his ideas of meaning and his theory called logotherapy.
Frankl identifies three psychological reactions experienced by all inmates to one degree or another:
(1) shock during the initial admission phase to the camp,
(2) apathy after becoming accustomed to camp existence, in which the inmate values only that which helps himself and his friends survive, and
(3) reactions of depersonalization, moral deformity, bitterness, and disillusionment if he survives and is liberated.
Frankl concludes that the meaning of life is found in every moment of living; life never ceases to have meaning, even in suffering and death.
Frankl concludes from his experience that a prisoner’s psychological reactions are not solely the result of the conditions of his life, but also from the freedom of choice he always has even in severe suffering. The inner hold a prisoner has on his spiritual self relies on having a hope in the future, and that once a prisoner loses that hope, he is doomed.
Frankl also concludes that there are only two races of men, decent men and indecent. No society is free of either of them, and thus there were “decent” Nazi guards and “indecent” prisoners, most notably the kapo who would torture and abuse their fellow prisoners for personal gain. Anyway, this a great book and when you get a chance, you should read it(Man’s Search for Meaning). .Anyway, this book was considered as one of the most influential books and about 10 million copies. There are plenty of praises for this book, for the positivity but there are also some critics who didn't agree. You can decide after reading this book.
Mindfulness :-
One of the ahaa..points of Mindfulness is that there is no suffering in the present (generally). All the suffering comes from thinking about the past or worrying about the future happenings which many not happen. That is why it is so important to live, enjoy and accept the present moment. So what about all the lessons to be learnt from the past and planning for the future ?.
I guess, they are required but not at the cost of present. Time box, allocate some time to lessons learnt and planning and get on with life. Mindfulness says, catch that mind that keeps drifting from the present, unable to focus on the things that we are supposed to be doing, leading to Procrastination. Of course the biggest distractors we have in our life is the electronic gadgets like, the Mobile, iPad, laptops. Ever wonder, how many thought a average person has in a day. (Read that somewhere between 40 to 60 thousand only and out attention span?. About 20 to 30 sec ?)..
Bhagavad Gita:-
Interestingly this issue of crazy mind is petitioned by Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 6.5. He says to Lord Krishna “The mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Krishna, and to subdue it, I think, is more difficult than controlling the wind". And, Krishna acknowledges this and says in next verse, BG6.6 that “ O mighty-armed son of Kunti, it is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless mind, but it is possible by suitable practice and by detachment”. And, What is that practice? is what is explained in Bhagavad Gita and which is further elaborated to the books like Shrimad Bhagavatam.
