Finding Vipassana: A long path ahead ...

If there is one thing I feel deeply grateful and genuinely happy about, it is discovering the word Vipassana, which was mentioned in passing.

During my engineering days, I spent countless hours watching interviews on iDream Civil Services. I happened to see interview of Dr.Kiranmayi Koppisetti Mam's at 19:30 min Mam mentioned about Vipassana casually as her hobby.

 

At that time, my mind was already crowded with videos of Jiddu Krishnamurthy. I watched them intensely, repeatedly. They were profound, but honestly, they hardly made sense to me then. Still, they stirred something—questions without answers, silence without form. Looking back, I realise I wasn’t confused; I was simply unprepared.

Somewhere along that confusion, a quiet thought emerged:

What if I start meditation from scratch?

Not as philosophy. Not as theory. But as a lived discipline.

To actually get established in it.

That thought led me back to Vipassana.

A simple search revealed that Vipassana is taught through a structured ten-day residential course, and that the minimum age requirement for adults is twenty. That alone told me something important—this was not casual meditation. It demanded seriousness, commitment, and readiness.

I applied to Dhamma Khetta, the Vipassana meditation centre in Hyderabad. My application was rejected.

Only later did I understand why—the centre is perpetually flooded with applications.

Rejection has a way of testing intent. Instead of giving up, I applied again—this time to Dhamma Arama in Bhimavaram. The response was the same. No confirmation. No assurance.

Yet something in me had shifted by then.

I gathered courage, withdrew a few thousand rupees in cash, and boarded a train—towards a region I had never explored before. There was no guarantee that I would be accepted. No certainty that the gates would open for me.

But I made a quiet decision:

If I am given a chance, I will attend the course.

If not, I will travel across northern Andhra Pradesh.

There was freedom in that resolve. For the first time, the outcome did not matter as much as the movement itself. The journey was no longer about reaching a meditation centre—it had become an inner declaration.

In retrospect, Vipassana did not begin for me inside a meditation hall.

It began the moment I chose sincerity over certainty, experience over explanation, and courage over comfort.

Sometimes, the path does not wait for understanding.

It waits for readiness.

And sometimes, all it takes is a passing word to change the direction of a life.

Citizen Power in Practice: PGRS, CPGRAMS and RTI

Citizen Power in Practice: PGRS, CPGRAMS and RTI

In India, ordinary citizens are not powerless in front of bureaucracy. Three tools—PGRS at the State level, CPGRAMS at the Union level, and the Right to Information (RTI)—form a powerful escalation ladder that can convert frustration into documented accountability. When used in the right order, they shift the balance subtly but decisively in favour of the citizen.

What is PGRS (AP)?

PGRS is Andhra Pradesh’s state-level grievance redressal platform, where citizens can lodge complaints against state government departments.

At the State level, platforms like PGRS (Public Grievance Redressal System) in Andhra Pradesh allow citizens to formally complain about everyday governance failures. These include issues related to revenue and land records, pensions, ration cards, welfare schemes, electricity, drinking water, roads, and municipal services. Even delays, corruption, or complete non-response by officials can be raised. What makes PGRS effective is not just complaint registration, but the fact that it forces the administration to acknowledge the issue within the system.

The real strength of grievance platforms lies in their time-bound nature. Complaints are digitally tracked, assigned to the concerned department, and often monitored up to the level of the District Collector or departmental head. This creates a formal digital trail—extremely important if the issue later escalates to RTI or legal remedies. Many issues get resolved at this stage itself, simply because officials are compelled to respond on record.

   

Official Link (AP PGRS) : https://meekosam.ap.gov.in/

CPGRAMS – Central Government (Union Level)

🔹 What is CPGRAMS?

Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System, under DARPG, Ministry of Personnel.

At the national level, CPGRAMS (Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System) performs a similar role, but across Central ministries, departments, and Public Sector Undertakings. Citizens can raise grievances related to services provided by entities such as LIC, banks, railways, EPFO, passport offices, and other Union-level bodies. However, CPGRAMS does not cover court matters or issues that fall purely within the jurisdiction of State governments.

CPGRAMS works because ministries are mandated to respond, and the system is monitored at senior levels, often up to Joint Secretary or Secretary rank. If a grievance is improperly closed or inadequately addressed, escalation is possible. Even when relief is not immediate, CPGRAMS ensures one critical outcome: the government’s version is now documented.

🔗 Official CPGRAMS Portal : https://pgportal.gov.in/

Right to Information (RTI) – The Strongest Weapon ⚖️

This is where RTI becomes the next strategic step. The Right to Information Act gives citizens a legal right to seek information from Central and State governments, public authorities, PSUs, and any institution substantially financed by government funds. RTI is not a grievance redress mechanism—it is an information extraction law. Its power lies in forcing disclosure of files, note sheets, approvals, circulars, timelines, and reasons recorded on paper.

RTI can expose delays, corruption, arbitrariness, and contradictions between what officials say publicly and what files actually show. It helps citizens build documentary evidence—often revealing that a “pending” file never moved, or that rules were selectively applied. As many transparency advocates, including former Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi, have repeatedly emphasized, RTI works best when used calmly, precisely, and backed by prior grievance records.

However, RTI has clear limits. It cannot be used to ask “why did you do this?” or seek opinions, explanations, or personal justifications. It does not directly order officials to fix problems or provide compensation. Instead, it shines a light on the paper trail—leaving accountability to follow naturally through pressure, vigilance, or courts.

🔗 RTI Online (Central) : https://rtionline.gov.in/

🔗 RTI Act (Bare Act – Shailesh Gandhi) : https://satyamevajayate.info/

Moneylife Foundation – Practical RTI Education

Moneylife Foundation has done outstanding citizen education on RTI, banking complaints, and governance.

🔗Moneylife YouTube (RTI & Banking) : https://www.youtube.com/@MoneylifeTV/playlists

How a Smart Citizen Uses These (Flow) 🔁

Problem
  ↓
PGRS (State) / CPGRAMS (Central)
  ↓ (no response / vague reply)
RTI → Ask for records
  ↓
Appeal → CIC / SIC

✅ Final takeaway 

Taken together, PGRS/CPGRAMS create pressure; RTI creates proof. Grievance systems show that you tried resolution. RTI shows what actually happened inside the system. Used sequentially, they turn a citizen from a complainant into a stakeholder armed with facts. In a democracy where delays are common and silence is often strategic, these tools ensure one thing above all: the State cannot pretend it did not hear you.

Quotes

“Be mindful of the traps hidden within the pleasures of the six senses – sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and mind.”

“You are what your deepest desire is.

As is your desire, so is your intention.

As is your intention, so is your will.

As is your will, so is your deed

As is your deed, so is your destiny.”

“If you work hard at the beginning of your career and get a little bit better at what you do every day, every week, and you've learned more and meet more people and you just get more done, there's a compound effect. And it's far better to put that time in at the beginning of your career than at the end because if you do it at the beginning, you get to benefit from it for the rest of the time you work. Obviously you don't want to work all the time because your twenties are your twenties, but I do think you want to work harder than most people think you should and I think that if you do that, you tend to benefit from it later.”

“Inspiration is perishable and life goes by fast.

Inaction is a particularly insidious type of risk.”

“If you feel pity for someone because they are poor, you must also feel happiness for someone who receives an inheritance.”

"Monomaniacal, bloody-minded, ruthless focus on a single goal is the key to success."

The human brain builds strong associations between spaces and actions. The Iron rule of life is that everybody struggles - Charlie Munger

E: Delay Gratification for an Inspiring Future

E:Sleep:Bedroom The brain learns by Association
The human brain builds strong associations between spaces and actions

Mastery : Specialising in the window of age 11 -19 for exemplary success - Monish Pabrai

 Monish Pabrai highlights the ages 11-19 as a crucial period for developing mastery. This phase is marked by significant cognitive and emotional development, making it an ideal time to explore interests and build foundational skills. During these years, individuals are more adaptable and can absorb new information rapidly, which is essential for cultivating expertise. The experiences and habits formed during this time can shape future success, as it is a period when passions can be discovered, and essential skills can be honed through focused practice and learning.

Mastery : Specialising in the window of age 11 -19 for exemplary success.

Transcript : 

Human Physical Design & Brain Development

So humans’ physical setup and the way we are designed as humans — when a baby is born, the birth canal is very narrow.
And so when a human baby is born, the brain comes out very underdeveloped because the birth canal is so narrow.
You cannot have a big brain, cannot deliver the baby.

So the human brain goes through very rapid growth in the first five years of life.
So first five or six years of life, the size of the human brain is growing a lot and it's expanding a lot, because it could not do that when the woman is pregnant — it happens after birth.

And that's why in the case of humans, the infancy and the amount of care a baby needs early in life is very high.
Both parents are required, a lot of care is needed, because the baby has arrived very undeveloped.

Brain Specialization Window (11–20 Years)

So the human brain goes through a lot of growth in the first 5 years.
Then from the age of 11 to 20, what happens is that the brain starts specializing.
The synapse connections actually start getting set.

So what that means is that the human brain is perfectly set up only in this window of time.
If you look at the entire human lifespan of 80 or 90 years, it's only in this period that the brain is completely open to specialize in whatever you want.

Early Exposure Creates Deep Expertise

So for example, if Bill Gates starts programming at the age of 11 —
by the time he's 20 years old, he will become such a good programmer that if someone else starts programming at the age of 20, it will take more than 30 years for them to even get the same level of skill.

So what someone can do in 10 years over here, later in life will take even 30–40 years to have the same amount of expertise.
Because whatever you are exposed to, the brain will put more of the real estate into that area.

Education System vs Specialization

Now what happens in the education system around the world is — from the age of 11 to 20 (or at least from 11 to 18), we are not allowed to specialize.
We are told to study all subjects.

Now what happens in India is after 16 they start separating — commerce, arts, science.
But for the most part, you’re required to study all subjects.

Example: Michelangelo

So if you look at a person like Michelangelo —
Michelangelo was a great sculptor and painter.
He started sculpting statues when he was 9 or 10 years old.

He didn't go to school.
He was working full-time doing statue sculpting from the age of 10.

So what happened in Michelangelo is that by the time he became 20 years old, he became a really good sculptor and painter.
Nobody else can match that because that's all he has done.
He has not gone to school for that period of time.

Example: Jamaican Sprinters

And if I go back to the Jamaican sprinters —
what they are doing is they have told those kids: sprinting focus only.
Just do bare minimum of other things, but focus on sprinting.

So what happens is in this 11 to 20 age band — for most of the world, people are not allowed to specialize.
So that window of time when you can actually become really good at something — that window closes.

Then people start trying to specialize later.
The thing is — it’s over.

JEE Preparation System in India

Now if I come to JEE prep — what happens in JEE prep is going on from let’s say 16 to 19.
Sometimes you drop one year, but it starts at 16.

Now what has also happened in India in some cases — it’s starting at 14.
You, Ashak — you are starting in 9th standard, right?
Starting before 9th standard — from class six.

So the best time to start JEE coaching is class six.

If you want a commercial for your coaching institute of why you should start in class six — just take the film from him.

Ideal JEE Coaching Model

So what should happen to have perfect coaching for JEE is:
You start in class six.
You start focusing on physics, chemistry, math in class six.

By the time you finish, what will happen is that nowhere else in the world this happens.

India’s IIT System – An Accidental Advantage

In India, what has happened is — this happened by accident.
The IIT system came to India because there was no trust in having a complicated admission system.

They came up with a very simple admission system — JEE.

Because there's such a large population trying to get these seats, there is huge effort put to try to get a seat in IIT.

So all of you — we did a test, the best of you, we brought you here, we are coaching you.
But actually, we are starting 5 years too late.
We missed the 11 to 15 window.

If one wants to do it even better, we would start even earlier.

JNV System Example

One of the things that happened in the JNV system also by accident is —
there is a JNV selection test at the age of 10–11.

So what happens is when you get selected in JNV —
there are like 30 lakh students taking the test every year.

These 30 lakh students are trying to get one of 40,000 seats in the 600 JNVs.
Total number of seats is 40,000.

So from 30 lakhs to 40,000 is like 1.3 percent.

So one thing that happens in JNV which is really good is —
at the age of 11, you are with other kids who are interested in almost the same thing.

Global Comparison (MIT vs IIT)

Unfortunately, the coaching starts at 16, but 16 is still good — it’s better than the rest of the world.

When a kid goes to MIT, before he goes to MIT, he has not done any J coaching.
He has not spent more time on physics or more time on math.

His focus on physics, chemistry, math starts at 18 in the US.

We are starting two to three years earlier.
In some cases, we are starting at 11.

Bill Gates Reference

If you go to Bill Gates and ask him:
“What is the number one university in the world that you want to recruit people for Microsoft?”
He says IIT.

The US has Stanford, MIT, RPI — really good schools, top-end schools.

But he has found that Microsoft engineers who come from the IIT system in India are better than the engineers coming from MIT in the US.
And the reason they're better is because they started working earlier.

Sports vs Engineering Focus

So to go back to your question about why we are not doing well in sports — the answer is really simple:
You have to start early and you have to have a focus system.

The problem that happened is that a person like Mish decided he doesn't care about sprinters — he cares about engineers.

If I had cared about sprinters as much as I cared about engineers, we would go head-to-head.
There’d be some Bahadur Singh going head-to-head with Bolt at the Olympics.

So what I have decided is — I have left it to you.
You now know how to create sprinters, right.

On improving English vocabulary and Grammer

On improving English vocabulary and Grammer 

Boost Your English Vocabulary — Smartly and Efficiently

Are you learning English or trying to sharpen your vocabulary? One of the best strategies is to combine core word lists with powerful digital tools and this approach makes learning both structured and fun.

What Is the Oxford 3000 Word List?

The Oxford 3000 is a carefully chosen list of the 3,000 most essential English words for learners. These are the words that appear most frequently in everyday communication and written texts, especially at beginner and intermediate levels (A1–B2). If you master these words, you’ll understand a large chunk of English used in real conversations, articles, and media. (Oxford Learner's Dictionaries)

Oxford_3000_words_list.pdf

Anudeep Durisheety on English : English - Vocabulary and Grammar.pdf

A great way to use the list is to:

• Read through the words regularly.
• Make flashcards with meanings and example sentences.
• Use the words in your speaking and writing practice.

Why Use a Dictionary and Word Apps?

A good dictionary does more than just list meanings. It helps with:

• Pronunciation
• Synonyms and antonyms
• Example sentences
• Grammar and usage tips

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary app is one of the most respected resources for English learners. It’s continuously updated, offers voice search and audio pronunciations, plus engaging tools like Word of the Day and word games. (Merriam-Webster)

You can download it on iPhone, iPad, or Android:

• Merriam-Webster Dictionary on the App Store (App Store)

• Available for Android too (Google Play) (Google Play)
  
  

PERRIO

 Priming is any technique that you use before a main learning event — a class, lecture, or study session — and it's done before you encounter a topic for the first time. It helps your brain filter the information and recognize that this new information is relevant, so it moves forward into deeper processing. If you skip priming, everything after this starts suffering — you become overloaded and overwhelmed, your memory is leaky, and you won’t be able to retrieve knowledge effectively because the material was not primed — it’s like being thrown a ball when you're not ready to catch it.

Encoding is the processing part of learning — it allows your brain to make sense of information and put it into your memory. Effective encoding involves techniques to organize and process information, such as grouping things together, simplifying, using analogies, and finding connections and relationships to make ideas more intuitive, simpler, and easier to understand. This stage is where most people struggle, because it takes mental effort and thinking — but this is the active part of active learning. Without good encoding, you’ll continuously forget what you've studied. Encoding is not a binary process; it lies on a spectrum where the goal is efficiency in your processes so you can move information into memory quickly.

Encoding : A3 Sheet

Reference refers to note-taking. When you try to learn and process everything at once, you get overloaded very quickly. If you get bogged down in details, your brain power will be drained. Some details are so fine that they’re just a distraction during initial learning. So, put them somewhere else — use flashcards, a second brain app, or tools like Obsidian. It’s a parking lot, a dump for fine details that you can revisit later without slowing down your primary encoding process.

Retrieval is the act of taking information from your memory, testing yourself, and challenging your ability to use and apply that knowledge. It is a necessary component of learning because it both tests your ability and helps reprocess and repackage information, which strengthens your memory and deepens understanding.

Interleaving is essential. It means hitting topics from multiple perspectives, not just one. If you only review material in the way you learned it, your knowledge becomes narrow. But with interleaving, you can handle curveballs, concept combinations, or anything out of scope. These are the kinds of questions that separate the top learners from everyone else.

Overlearning is studying more than you need to — going slightly out of scope, aiming for a higher standard, and relying on repetition. It may involve practice questions, flashcards, or reviewing again and again. This phase is repetitive by nature and leads to faster recall and enhanced fluency. However, it’s optional unless you're preparing for competitive assessments or aiming for a very high standard. Unfortunately, many learners use it as their first strategy, which is a mistake — because they're really just compensating for bad encoding with excessive repetition.