If humans evolved from apes, why do apes and monkeys still exist?

If humans evolved from apes, why do apes and monkeys still exist?

The poser, simply out of curiosity, was from the brother, not an evolution denier , of Sutanu Satpathy, teacher in a Delhi College.

The quote is from an article by Sutanu Satpathy in The Hindu Sunday Magazine of 17 May 2020.

It took me to a message from the Pulpit of CSI Christ Church, Trivandrum, Kerala, India by Rev. T M John almost two decades ago.

He said for God a moment, or a milli or nano second is or can be millions of years in our parlance.

That kind of solved a constant puzzle in my mind.

Genesis narrates how God created the world and everything in it in a span of six days leaving the seventh day or the weekend to take a well earned rest.

While it was a good story, it held no rationale. Creation as described in the Bible was superseded by the Theory of evolution that had Science backing it up. Man has reasonable questions. Never accuse him of blasphemy for his curiosity.

The message awakened me. It struck me God's six days are millions of years for the human being.

Science transcends.

When we ritually or religiously broadcast God's ways are mysterious we never inculcate it. How many really mean it, is a mute question.
There are routine messages singing in praise of evolution in Genesis ignoring Science.
Can we wish away the truth? Can we nullify Science?
But who do we turn to when a virus threatens to evict human beings lock, stock and barrel from their chosen abode? Who chose it for their sojourn in the first place? How?
Here is the mystery.
Here is the resolution.
Everything is in God's power. Nothing is beyond God.

IKIGAI - The Japanese Secret to Long Life - MY TAKE AWAY

 IKIGAI 

By Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles

It unlocks the Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life.

IKIGAI is Japanese. Pronounced ikieguy, it may broadly be translated as LIFE TO BE WORTHWHILE.

Iki is life
Gai comes from Kai
Kai is the realisation of hopes and expectations.

IKIGAI is a reason for being, for being alive.
It encompasses joy, a sense of purpose and meaning and a feeling of well being.

The work is extraordinary

Excerpts

Microflow : 

Enjoying mundane tasks

When you carry out mundane tasks - like doing the laundry, mowing the lawn, attend to paperwork, work as an elevator- escalator- lift operator for years together with an ever present smile or any such tasks - always enjoying doing them, it is called MICROFLOW. Our ability to turn routine tasks into moments of Microflow,- into something we enjoy is key to our being happy, since we all have to do such tasks

MOMENTARY DIGRESSION

I was dumbstruck with the simple yet terrific narratiive.

We often face in accordance with our own brilliant evaluation gargantuan tasks in everyday life. It may or may not be. Negotiating them is Herculean we consider.

My solution to that as I evolved and continue to evolve has been to slice the tasks up into minute pieces or particles and tackle them one by one. It helps me resolve the issues that plague me without leaving a mounting backlog.

I can honestly say I have been pretty successful in the effort.

I have suggested the formula to whoever I meet.

Acceptance is theirs.

Quote  from IKIGAI

After two hours on the road, we're finally able to stop worrying about the traffic.

We realised time seems to have stopped there as though the entire town were living in an endless here and now.

Yuki's still driving at the age of eighty eight and takes great pride in that. Her co-pilot is ninety nine.

We have to drive fast to keep up with them on a highway that is more dirt than asphalt.

Yuki says food is the least important thing. Food won't help you live longer. The secret is smiling and having a good time

Even Bill Gates washes the dishes every night. He says he enjoys it - that it helps him relax and clear his mind and that he tries to do it better each day following an established order or set of rules he's made for himself: Plates first, forks second and so on.

It's one of his moments of Microflow.

The book speaks of a noted Physicist. He was invited by a Super Computing firm to work on a project. Unfortunately they didn't have any assignments for him when he reported for duty. In order to keep him busy they asked him to work on a mathematical problem. The brilliant man caught on at once. He said it was baloney. And he asked for some tasks.

They asked him to go, buy paint from a store and paint the walls. He happily went on doing it.

The investors who were visiting the firm's office remarked, "They have a Nobel Laureate painting their walls."

TOWARDS A LONG CONTENTED LIFE

Japanese culture accepts the essence of impermanence, the fleeting nature of the human being and everything we create.

We have to accept we have no control over certain things - like passage of time and the ephemeral nature of the world around us.

We have to understand life is not a problem to be solved. Just remember to have something that keeps you busy doing what you love while being surrounded by people you love.

PRINCIPLES FOR HAPPINESS

The grand essentials to happiness in this life are, something to do, something to love and something to hope for.

Washington Burney - Two hundred years ago.

Still true and will remain true forever

HIGHLIGHTS

ANTIFRAGILE - ANTIFRAGILITY

I came across the term for the first time. It revealed my lean vocabulary.

Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same. The antifragile gets better when harmed. They gain from disorder.

Hydra of Greek mythology is an ardent example

Fragility erases everything in its wake.

RESILIENCE

Resilience is the ability to deal with setbacks. The resilient stay focussed. Flexibility is their strength. They adapt to change and reversals of fortune.


CYNICISM

Cynicism aims to eliminate all feelings and pleasures from life. Negative emotions surge, well up and swell.

ASCETICISM

The ascetic believes in giving up, driving away all the pleasures of life.

STOICISM

Stoicism centres on the idea there is nothing wrong with enjoying life's pleasures as they do not take control of your life as you enjoy them. You have to be prepared for the disappearance of those pleasures

QUOTE

Comparison is the thief of joy.

Theodore Roosevelt

To put it further
Embrace the wisdom of knowing when enough is enough.
Remember, someone will always have more fortune, fame and stuff than you do.

INVALUABLE TAKE AWAY FROM IKIGAI

TEN RULES FOR A GOOD LIFE

1. Stay active. Don't retire.

2. Take it slow

3. Don't fill your stomach.Restrict to 80%

4. Surround yourself with good friends.

5. Get in shape for your next birthday.

6. Smile.

7. Reconnect with nature.

8. Give thanks.

9. Live in the moment. This moment exists only now and won't come again.

10. Follow your IKIGAI. There is a passion inside you, a unique talent that gives meaning to your days and drives you to share the best of yourself until the very end. If you don't know what your IKIGAI is, your mission is to discover it.