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Synopsis

The views expressed in the writings on this website are my personal views. I do not expect anybody to agree with me. The moment someone agrees with me I will lose my uniqueness, which I prefer to preserve.  And yet I do hope that the reader(s) reexamine their beliefs with open mind(s) and change where deemed appropriate.

There is one exception, though.  If you live in a city like Surat that is affected by flood water releases from an upstream reservoir like Ukai Dam, you should read and understand my articles Flood Analogy and Flood Modulationon this web site and try your best to pursuade the authorirites to adopt it for implementation so as to minimize loss of life and property during the next and subsequent flood event(s).

 The purpose of this website is to provoke and stimulate thinking using one's own God-given intelligence without letting anyone or any thing obfuscate it.  We take too many things for granted because of the incessant propaganda we are subjected to.  All I wish to do is contribute a few droplets of clarity in the oceans of misleading propaganda.

 I have chosen ‘Tatoodi’ (તતૂડી) as my pen name.  Tatoodi, in Gujarati language (in India), means a small musical instrument similar to a clarinet.  It used to be played as an accompaniment to an assemblage of drums particularly on battlefronts. Its sound, being soft, used to get overwhelmed by the loud noises of the drums. This lead to the Gujarati expression ‘Nagarkhanama tatoodi’ (નગારખાનામાં તતૂડી) used as a metaphor for a low barely audible voice of dissent that hardly any body wanted to hear. 

 I try not to sound ‘knowledgeable’ for I am neither a leader nor a follower, just a fellow traveller on the path to truth.  Please see Introduction for more information on my purpose, methods etc. in writing the pieces I have and will be posting on this website.  

 I was an engineer with a state government in India and later with a public entity of a very large city in USA.  I am now retired.  So, I do not have the ‘scholarly’ training in theology or philosophy. Yet, in search of truth, I have been reading a lot of ‘spiritual’ literature for over 30 years.  Most of it turned out to be ineffective collections of high-sounding hollow words.  I find it impossible to accept the most of it for the simple reason that the stories and practices of the religions contradict their own stated principles.  They rely heavily on worthless miracles, which only generate faith not in God but in the self-appointed agents of God.  They do not always uphold truth and justice.  I consider the religions blasphemous because they put words in God’s mouth and in devotees’ prayers and also because they regulate people’s prayers and lives.  Some religions even make it compulsory for all to want to go to heaven even if one is quite willing to go to hell (if they exist).  I prefer to call myself a ‘fundamentalist semi-theist’ who does believe in God but not in the religious propaganda based on my own examination of the ‘scriptures’ from the ‘fundamental’ common sense considerations.

I used to feel a sense of guilt and inferiority complex for not being able to practise the lofty ideals preached by the 'great' founders and sages in pursuit of detachment, salvation, enlightenment, meditation etc.  I then realized that those were not for an ordinary family man like me.  Therefore, I started looking for an appropriate way of life for myself.  The outcome is presented here for sharing with people like me.  My views have been called 'radical'.  I think they are 'rational'.  Please read them and find out.  

નવજાત બાળકીને રઝળતી છોડનાર માનવતાવિહીન, હરિશ્ચન્દ્રને પારાવાર પજવનાર ત્રાસવાદી, વસિષ્ઠના સો પુત્રોને મારનાર હત્યારા અને તેમને ડૂબાડી દેવાનો પ્રયાસ કરનાર કાવત્રાખોર વિશ્વામિત્રને જો 'બ્રહ્મર્ષિ' કહી શકાતા હોય તો તે 'બ્રહ્મ'નો ભ્રમ મને મંજુર નથી.  ભૂલ સુધારવા જતી માતાને યુક્તિપૂર્વક રોકીને નાનાભાઈની પત્નીમાં ભાગ પડાવનાર અને ભાઈઓ તથા તેમની સહિયારી પત્નીને જુગારના દાવ પર મૂકનારને જો સ્વર્ગમાં સદેહે પ્રવેશ મળતો હોય તો તેવા સ્વર્ગમાં મારે નથી જવું અને જો તે વ્યક્તિ 'ધર્મરાજ' ગણાતી હોય તો તેવો ધર્મ પણ મને નથી ખપતો.  This does not make me a wicked person.  I always adhered to all the norms of morality and ethics.

At your convenience, you may read the write-ups listed on the side bar.   I may be wrong on some points.  Ask yourself whether the opinion expressed is right or wrong?  What if it is right?  If it is wrong, what is right?  Do not just accept or reject without thinking because the basic purpose of these articles is to make people think independently.

  I owe special thanks to my friend  Abhilash for suggesting and encouraging me to I publish my writings on a web site.  He set up this site himself and removed the bugs I caused by my improper handling.

  If at all you wish to contact me, you may send me an e-mail at tatoodi@gmail.com.

Introduction