service and invention

I never perfected an invention that I did not think about in terms of the service it might give others... I find out what the world needs, then I proceed to invent...
- Thomas Edison

why do we circumambulate?

oftentimes before going to pray at the Shrines, we circumambulate in silence and reverence, before going inside. recently, I've had the conversation with some friends asking why this is the case - why do we circumambulate? what is its significance?

according to wikipedia: Circumambulation is the act of moving around a sacred object. reading the following quote might give a nudge in the right direction:

The spiritual world is like unto the phenomenal world. They are the exact counterpart of each other. Whatever objects appear in this world of existence are the outer pictures of the world of heaven. (Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 9)

so what would be the spiritual equivalent of circumambulation? maybe it could have to do with the fact that when we circumambulate in the physical world, our center of attention is the Shrine and the Manifestation of God, and a reminder that we should try to do the same in the spiritual world:

The state of prayer is the best of conditions, for man is then associating with God. (Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 201)

so in the same way that our physical bodies center around the physical remains of the Manifestation of God when we circumambulate, we should try to have our soul and thoughts constantly centered on the Manifestation, His life and teachings.

how to do that is another subject altogether...

interesting point regarding SOPA

while reading about the SOPA(*) hearing, there was talk about hastening up the process, despite it perhaps not being entirely ready yet:

Over and over again, opponents of the bill repeated the phrase that at the very least, the bill “wasn’t ready for prime time,” because it hadn’t included the input of technical experts, let alone addressed their complaints or concerns, and that there was no reason to rush it through the House.

Still, Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), pointed out another reason for urgency.

“The House feels like it’s time to get something done, before we enter into election season,” Johnsons said. “That’s a legitimate political concern.”

However, he added: “I’m troubled we are making a decision without adequate data,” and said “haste makes waste.”

isn't it insane that election season dictates what can and should be brought up and when?

* wiki page on SOPA

google reader

do you go through your unread articles to just lower your unread counter, or to actually learn something? with the vast amount of information to be read, it seems oftentimes we go through articles and news just to feel good about not having such a high unread count. but let's say you had to limit yourself - which 10 feeds would you keep it to?

winding down

it seems that with people spending their last hours and minutes awake in front of the computer, skyping or chatting with friends, that there is very little to no time to wind down before going to sleep. how do you sort out your impressions and experiences of the day, if you are not allowing yourself some silent moments and time for reflection before sleeping? I think the last 30 minutes awake should be spent away from new impressions - TV, computer, etc. - and spent instead on prayer, meditation and reflection.

the sacrifices of 'Abdu'l-Bahá

reading this last night left me speechless:

I noticed that my own presence in that room was another source of torture to all of them. This was due to the fact that parents and children were suppressing and restraining themselves by trying to be quiet and polite in my presence. So, in order to give them freedom, I accepted the morgue of the barracks, because that was the only room available, and I lived in it for about two years.
(from Voyage of Love)

great relief

unsubscribing from stuff in google reader... ahhh, feels good!

4 years

what a bounty

real life angry birds!

post-it wars!

this looks amazing and hilariously fun! taking post-its and creating huge characters from different games:

is it a waste of time? well, as mentioned in the article, I think there's something about bringing people together and having fun, getting to know each other outside of the regular working environment. building stronger bonds of friendship creates trust, and promotes cooperation. I wish I could do something like this myself!