The Brain, The Binary and The Divine: Are We Living Ancient Wisdom Every Day?

A Dream That Became a Question

The other day, I had a dream. Not the kind that fades away with the morning sunlight, but one that quietly continued its conversation long after I woke up. The dream was not about gods, rituals or temples. It was about a question: 

What if many Indian mythological ideas were never meant to be read as history, but as symbolic descriptions of how human life functions? The more I reflected, the more I realized that this question may deserve deeper exploration. 

The World Appears to Operate Through Complements. 

Nature rarely works in isolation. Everywhere we look, we encounter complementary forces:

- Day and night 

- Rest and activity 

- Stability and change 

- Order and creativity 

- Individual and community 

Even the technology that powers modern civilization ultimately rests on binary logic—ones and zeros. Every material, life or sense have two aspects - one, the structural part which gives us the outer sense or look or shape akin to the packaging of a product and the second being the content within, which is the reflection of the inherent characteristics of that material, life or sense that it carries and is unique in all respects. This observation does not prove that life itself is binary. Human existence is far more complex than that. Yet it does suggest an important principle: 

Many systems function through the interaction of complementary forces rather than through a single dominant force. 

What Science Observes.

Modern neuroscience tells us that the human brain consists of two hemispheres connected through a highly integrated network. Popular culture often describes the left hemisphere as logical and the right hemisphere as creative. While this description contains a small element of truth, contemporary neuroscience shows that most complex human activities involve both hemispheres working together. Logic and creativity, analysis and intuition, emotion and reasoning are not isolated compartments. They are integrated capacities of the human mind. Science, therefore, points us toward an important insight: 

Healthy functioning emerges from integration rather than separation. 

What Ancient Philosophy Observed?

Ancient Indian philosophy approached human life differently. Rather than studying neurons, it studied experience. Rather than laboratories, it relied on observation, reflection, meditation and contemplation. In this tradition, we repeatedly encounter symbolic pairs: 

- Shiva and Shakti 

- Vishnu and Lakshmi 

- Brahma and Saraswati 

These are often understood as divine couples. Yet many philosophical traditions within Hindu thought interpret them as representations of complementary principles operating throughout existence. Shiva represents awareness, stillness and consciousness. Shakti represents energy, movement and manifestation. Neither is portrayed as superior. Neither is complete in isolation. One provides direction. The other provides expression. 

Every Human Being Contains Both Principles. This may be the most important insight. Ancient philosophy does not teach that men embody consciousness while women embody energy. Instead, it teaches that every individual contains both dimensions. Every human being possesses: 

The Principle of Awareness 

- Discernment 

- Observation 

- Direction 

- Reflection 

 The Principle of Energy 

- Motivation 

- Emotion 

- Creativity 

- Action 

Ancient Indian philosophy symbolized these as Shiva and Shakti. Modern psychology may use different language. But both point toward a similar observation: 

A fulfilling life emerges when awareness guides energy and energy gives expression to awareness. 

Mythology and Science: 

Partners, Not Competitors. It is tempting to claim that Indian mythology predicted modern science. Such statements may sound impressive, but they often oversimplify both science and philosophy. Science and mythology serve different purposes. Science explains mechanisms. Philosophy explores meaning. Science asks: “How does it work?” Philosophy asks: “What does it mean?” When approached with humility, these two perspectives do not compete. They enrich one another. A Different Way to Read Ancient Stories. Perhaps mythology was never intended to provide scientific formulas. Perhaps it was designed to preserve insights about human nature through stories, symbols and metaphors. If so, the true value of mythology lies not in proving that ancient people knew modern neuroscience. Its value lies in helping us understand ourselves. The real question is not whether Shiva and Shakti exist somewhere outside us. The real question is: Can we recognize within ourselves the need for awareness and energy, discipline and creativity, stability and transformation? Because whenever those forces come into harmony, life becomes more conscious, more balanced and more meaningful. And perhaps that was the message hidden in the symbolism all along. The modern behavioral sciences rely on these principles for the transformation of people and society at large.

Disclaimer

The above is based on the personal understanding, along with a true reflection of life experiences the author has undergone in the course of life. It is not meant to hurt the religious sentiments or feelings of any community while upholding the highest regard for the belief systems and practices of all communities.

“Why Modern Food Doesn’t Satisfy Us: My Journey from Taste to Tripti”

Why does modern food not satisfy us?

Modern food often focuses on taste, variety and convenience but lacks balance and emotional connection. This leads to incomplete satisfaction (Tripti), causing cravings, overeating and poor digestion.

“I was eating healthy. Ordering smart.
But I still felt… incomplete.

                                                                                                                                                              Notes from My Plate (and Life)

Walk into my kitchen on a weekday evening and you’ll probably find… silence. Not the comforting kind. The “let’s just order something” kind.

A few years ago, that felt like progress—efficiency, choice, convenience. Today, I’m not so sure.                                                                                                                                                                                    Because somewhere between food apps, fusion menus and “healthy” labels, I started noticing something odd:

Though I was eating well.

But I wasn’t feeling… well.

Why Modern Food Doesn’t Satisfy Us                                                                        The Day I Realized Something Was Missing

It hit me on a random Tuesday.

I had ordered what I proudly called a “balanced meal”—high protein, low oil, neatly packed, aesthetically pleasing. I ate it while scrolling my phone (of course), finished it, and within 20 minutes… opened the fridge again.

Not out of hunger. Just… something missing. Why do I feel hungry even after eating?

That’s when I remembered a word I had grown up hearing but never really understood:

Tripti (A Bengali word meaning "soulful satisfaction" or Completeness)

Not fullness. Not taste.

Something deeper.

What is Tripti in Food and What it Feels Like 

You know that Indian meal at home—simple dal, rice, a sabzi, a bit of ghee?

Nothing Instagram-worthy. No drama.

But after eating:

• You sense the feeling of completeness of eating
• You don’t feel heavy
• You don’t even think about food for hours
• It gives you the prepared feeling for the next level of your activities

You just… move on with your life.

That quiet “I’m done” feeling? That’s Tripti.

And strangely, it’s becoming rare.

My Experiments with “Modern Eating”

Like most people, I’ve tried everything:

• Clean eating
• Keto (briefly and dramatically)
• Ordering “healthy bowls”
• Weekend indulgence to “balance it out”

Each had its moment. Each felt right—for a while.

But there was a pattern I couldn’t ignore:

The more I chased taste or trends, the more my meals had become events, not nourishment and the less I felt settled, slowly realizing the damage I caused to my Mind and Body.

The Mind–Food Connection (I Learnt This the Hard Way)

Here’s something I didn’t expect:

On days I ate poorly—not junk necessarily, just off—I was:

• more irritable
• less focused
• oddly restless

And on days I had simple, home-style food?

Things felt… easier. Lighter. Clearer and induced that spark of energy that created a feeling of Tripti.

That’s when it clicked:

Food doesn’t just affect the body. It quietly shapes the mind.

And the mind, in turn, shapes everything else...... Life

No big philosophy. Just lived experience. 

Outsourcing Food More Than We Think

Now here’s the uncomfortable part.

Over time, I realised I wasn’t just outsourcing cooking.

I was outsourcing engagement.

When food comes from outside:

• it’s efficient
• it’s predictable
• it’s convenient

But it’s also… slightly disconnected.

No one cooking knows your day, your mood, your needs.

There’s no pause, no presence, no involvement.

And I started wondering:

If food carries even a little bit of the energy we bring to it…

what exactly am I consuming every day? How modern eating habits affect health?

A Small Shift That Changed More Than Expected

I didn’t suddenly become a perfect home cook. Far from it.

But I started doing small things:

• Cooking a couple of meals a week
• Sitting down without my phone while eating
• Paying attention to how I felt after, not just during
• Discussing Food, Cuisine and more 

And something interesting happened.

Meals became quieter.

Cravings reduced.

Even conversations at home felt… less rushed.

Nothing dramatic. Just subtly better.

So, Who Should Cook?

This question comes up a lot—and honestly, I don’t think it has a fixed answer.

But maybe we’re asking the wrong question.

Instead of who, maybe it’s about whether we are still connected to the act of nourishing ourselves.

Because when that connection disappears completely, something else quietly goes with it. The connection between food and mental clarity

Where I’ve Landed 

I still order food. I still enjoy a good restaurant meal.

But I’ve stopped expecting those meals to give me what only Tripti can. Nourishment, the ever-needed input for a Healthy Body and Mind.

Now, I try to keep a simple rule:

• Let home food be the foundation
• Let indulgence be occasional
• And stay, at least a little, involved in the process

Because I’ve realised:

Taste impresses you for a moment.

Tripti stays with you forever.

Closing Thought

I’m not trying to eat perfectly anymore.

Just more consciously.

Because food, I’ve learnt, is not just about what’s on the plate.

It’s about how I show up to it—and what it leaves behind in me.

So now, every once in a while, I pause and ask:

👉 Am I eating for taste… or for Tripti?

De-Outsource Your Life

From Convenience to Conscious Living

Modern life has been designed for efficiency.

Tasks are simplified.
Time is optimized.
Effort is reduced.

Outsourcing has become a natural part of this evolution. It allows focus, speed and convenience.

But somewhere within this shift, a quieter transition has taken place.

What began as outsourcing tasks has gradually become outsourcing experiences.

Food is consumed without awareness.
Work is completed without ownership.
Relationships are maintained without presence.
Decisions are made without inner connection.

Life continues to move forward.

But participation begins to fade.

The Invisible Cost of Convenience

Convenience reduces effort.

But it can also reduce involvement.

When involvement reduces, connection weakens.
When connection weakens, satisfaction fades.
And when satisfaction fades, something deeper within begins to feel incomplete.

This is not immediately visible.

It appears as:

• Restlessness without reason

• Fatigue without clarity

• Abundance without fulfillment

The Question This Series Explores

This series does not question progress.

It questions distance.

In making life easier and convenient, has life become less experienced?

And if so:

What would it mean to bring that experience back?

The Journey Ahead

This exploration unfolds across four dimensions of everyday life:

• Food — Reconnecting with awareness

• Work — Reclaiming participation

• Relationships — Restoring presence

• Self — Anchoring inner authority

Each is not separate.

Each reflects the same underlying shift:

From outsourcing life… to living it.

Conclusion Manifesto

De-Outsource Your Life

A Quiet Movement Back to Self

This is not a call to reject modern life.

It is not a return to the past.
It is not a rejection of systems, tools, or progress.

It is a quiet shift.

A Shift in Relationship

With food — from consumption to experience
With work — from execution to ownership
With relationships — from contact to connection
With self — from guidance to inner authority

A Shift in Awareness

To notice:

• When eating becomes mechanical

• When work becomes disconnected

• When relationships become superficial

• When decisions become dependent

And in that noticing:

To gently return.

A Shift in Participation

Not by doing everything alone.

But by not disappearing from what is being done.

To remain present in:

• A meal

• A task

• A conversation

• A decision

A Shift in Ownership

To recognize that while systems can support life—

They cannot replace living.

Life is not meant to be fully managed.
It is meant to be experienced.

The Essence

De-outsourcing is not an action.

It is a remembering.

A remembering that:

• Attention creates connection

• Participation creates meaning

• Ownership creates clarity

The Movement

This is not a loud change.

It does not require disruption.

It begins quietly:

• One mindful meal

• One owned task

• One present conversation

• One conscious decision

And from there, it expands.

Final Reflection

In a world that continues to offer more—

The deeper need may not be to add.

But to return.

To return to attention.
To return to presence.
To return to self.

 This entire journey and experiences will be split into four parts:

• Food → awareness of self
• Work → engagement with effort
• Relationships → presence with others
• Self-Leadership — the anchor of de-outsourcing

Next, Part 1 will bring everything together into:

"You Are Not Just What You Eat — You Are How You Eat"

 

De-Outsource Your Life – Part 2

 From Execution to Ownership: When Work Loses Its Meaning

Busy… Yet Not Fulfilled

There is a familiar rhythm to modern work life. Days are full, calendars are packed and tasks continue to move from one checkpoint to another. Activity is constant and yet, beneath this movement, a quieter experience often remains unaddressed.

Despite being occupied, a sense of fulfillment does not always follow.

Work gets completed. Targets are met. Deadlines are handled.

And still, something feels missing.

Not in the structure of work—but in the experience of it.

When Work Became Purely Functional

Work was not always approached this way. At its core, work is an expression of effort, thought and contribution. It carries the potential to create, to solve and to build something meaningful.

Over time, however, the nature of engagement has shifted.

Efficiency has taken precedence over involvement.

Execution has become more dominant than understanding.

Speed has replaced depth.

Tasks are completed, but not always owned.

And gradually, work begins to feel less like participation and more like obligation.

What Has Been Quietly Outsourced

In the pursuit of structure and scalability, many aspects of work have been systematized and standardised—and understandably so.

But along with processes and tools, something more subtle has also been outsourced.

Thinking has been partially delegated.

Decision-making has been minimized.

Ownership has become diffused.

The question “What needs to be done?” is often answered externally.

Less frequently does the question arise:

“What is being created through this?”

The Difference Between Execution and Ownership

Execution ensures that work moves forward.

Ownership ensures that work has meaning.

The two may appear similar on the surface, but the experience they create is very different.

Execution follows instruction.

Ownership engages with intent.

Execution completes tasks.

Ownership connects with outcomes.

When ownership is absent, work may still be efficient—but it often becomes tiring in a deeper way. Not always because of volume, but because of disconnection.

The Subtle Nature of Burnout

Burnout is often associated with long hours and heavy workload. While these are valid contributors as materialistic nature, there is another dimension that is less visible.

Work that lacks connection tends to drain faster.

When effort is repetitive without reflection and output is produced without a sense of contribution, fatigue begins to accumulate—not just physically, but mentally.

It is not only the amount of work that exhausts.

It is the absence of meaning within it.

The Role of Participation

Participation changes the quality of work.

It does not necessarily require more time or more effort, but it changes the relationship with what is being done.

When participation is present:

• Attention deepens

• Thought becomes active

• Responsibility becomes natural

Work begins to shift from being something that is “assigned” to something that is “engaged with.”

Even within structured roles, small spaces of participation can exist—spaces where thought, initiative and intent come alive.

The Illusion of Complete Dependence

Modern work environments often emphasize systems, guidelines and defined roles. While these bring clarity, they can also create a subtle dependence.

Over time, the ability to act without direction may weaken. Decisions may begin to rely heavily on validation. Initiative may reduce—not by inability, but by habit.

This creates a paradox.

The more structured the system becomes, the less confident the individual may feel in acting independently within it.

A Shift in Perspective

A complete transformation of work structures is neither immediate nor necessary.

However, a shift in perspective can begin within the existing framework.

It may start with a simple observation:

What part of this work can be truly owned?

Not in terms of control, but in terms of connection.

Ownership, even in small measures, begins to restore engagement. It brings attention back into the process and gradually changes the experience of effort.

What Begins to Change

As ownership increases, certain shifts tend to emerge.

Work begins to feel less mechanical.

Effort feels more directed.

Fatigue reduces in intensity, even if activity remains high.

There is a subtle sense of involvement—of being part of what is being created, rather than merely contributing to its completion.

And in that involvement, meaning begins to return.

Closing Reflection

Work, in its essence, is not only about output.

It is also about experience.

It raises a quiet question:

Is work something that is being done… or something that is being lived through?

Because beyond efficiency and execution, there lies a stronger possibility—

That work, when connected with ownership, can become a source of energy rather than depletion.

Series Note:

This is Part 2 of “De-Outsource Your Life.”

The next exploration moves into relationships:

In a world of constant connection, why does distance still remain?