TANJORE DOLL (Bommai)

TANJORE DOLL (Bommai)

What is this Tanjore doll?
It is a clay doll made in Tamilnadu, India.
It has one unique characteristic.
When we push it down, it seemingly obliges - it bends. It rocks a little and almost instantly gets back to its height!

I keep the doll on my desk and call it my guru, my guide. It constantly reminds me on how I may meet some of my life’s challenges

It says: There are outer forces and inner strengths. Know their existence and relative power. And act suitably.

Being knocked down you cannot avoid but staying knocked down you can well avoid. Know and exercise your privilege.

WHERE WE ARE NOT GOOD AT

We tend to do more and more of things where we are good at.  And this is okay.

We tend to avoid things where we are not good at. And this may not be to our advantage.

It may not be to our advantage because we do less and less of it to start with and avoid it altogether at a time.

Then we may have to pay a heavy price.

Being humans we cannot be good in all areas.

Being humans we can certainly attempt many things with appropriate help.

A common example is personal finance. Good help is available in plenty.

One guideline I have found useful. Become aware of areas where I am not naturally good at. And avoid short changing. Thus, If I am good at a thing only 10 per cent, let me make sure it does not become 9 per cent.  Preventing worse can mean assuring better.

To save a lot of bother

To save a lot of bother, we can remember the Sanskrit saying "loko binna ruchi",

The saying reads: Tastes differ.

It talks of a ruling reality.

When we consciously concede this, we do not get bothered by one action or another, one way or another.

Often we are tempted to say: Why are they like this?  Why are they not like us?

These a re unrealistic questions.

They are as they are just as we are as  we are.

We can well save bother for ourselves and others if we concede this reality consciously.

Also, we can feel pleasantly surprised if in some respects some are "like" us.

Two great guidelines

Smruti and Shruti are two great guidelines.

Smruti refers to what is currently desirable.

Shruti refers to what is continually desirable.

Smruti will have to be reviewed and may be revised from time to time, and place to place.

Shruti holds true for all time and all places.

We tend to mix up the two.

One simple example of Shruti will be: Speak the truth.

And of Smruti: Marry your daughters before they reach the 12th year. (This incidentally was initiated when there were invaders galore who were looking for virgins),

A prayer of serenity.

It reads:

O Lord, give me the courage to change what I can change.
And the serenity to accept what I cannot change.
In addition, give me the wisdom to know the difference between what I CAN change and what I cannot.

This prayer when 'answered' can make a difference in one's life.

Often we either lack the courage or the serenity or the wisdom.

One way to live this prayer  is to use the guideline of 'Control the controllable'.

The guideline is helped by a grid:

Controllable - am controlling - Q1
Controllable - am not controlling - Q2
Not controllable - attempting to control - Q3
Not controllable - not attempting to control -Q4