Bhaskaran Raman: Personal Page

Education

I am a B.Tech graduate in Computer Science & Engineering from the Indian Institue of Technology, Madras. I am currently doing my Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of California at Berkeley.


Passion

I'm one of the volunteers for Asha for Education. I'm with the Berkeley chapter.


Philosophies

Gandhiji's Talisman

"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test:

RECALL THE FACE OF THE POOREST AND THE WEAKEST MAN WHOM YOU MAY HAVE SEEN AND ASK YOURSELF IF THE STEP YOU CONTEMPLATE IS GOING TO BE OF ANY USE TO HIM.

Will he gain anything by it?  Will it restore him to a control over his own life and destiny?  In other words, will it lead to Swaraj for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? 

Then you will find your doubts and your self melting away."

However bad your problems are, there is someone else with worse problems, probably of a much more basic nature. Instead of brooding over your problems, think how you can solve others' problems.

Picture for Gandhiji's Talisman: Pulitzer award winner in 1994 (click for full size)

Three levels of maturity:

  • Tolerance
  • Open-mindedness
  • Willingness to change

Thought and the mind:

Almost all problems (except physical needs) can be traced back to the following root:

Self-consciousness: A state where you judge yourself on what you do (more often than not, based on what others would think of it).


Last modified: Mon Feb 18 17:39:41 PST 2002