It’s a hot September afternoon. Razia is sweeping the floor in the house. I look at her and wonder to myself, a woman who works so diligently to earn two square meals and raise her family does not compromise on her faith and values and observes fasts for thirty days every year.
Munni is in the kitchen washing utensils, refuses the cookies my mom offers her. “I cannot eat this, am only having fruits for nine days”, Values and belief again is predominant.
I am sitting in the drawing room; I look at Razia, Munni and the news channel. Three parallel realities in our country depicting simplicity, faith and how the modern day literate and reasonable Indian is robbing the country of its innocence, purity and faith.
One fasts before Eid and the other one before Dussera. Both follow their own faith the culmination of which is in celebration, happiness and offerings to the almighty who is the ultimate entity controlling our lives. I speak to both and they tell me how they plan to celebrate the occasion with everyone in the colony – with friends & families. Friends – people who are not chosen on the basis of religion and clan. People who we connect with and include in our circle of happiness.
Razia & Munni – living in a slum in Lucknow, have not had the luxury of being literate. They did not read history books that talk about different religions and clans. They are simple, honest people who have a belief, a faith which the news channel calls religion.
Not once did they say “All Muslims celebrate Eid and greet each other” or “Dussera is a Hindu festival”. If the simple and the innocent have not drawn lines in their mind then why have the seasoned and mature Indians complicated ethnicity?
We all have beliefs in life and know that there is some power that is omnipresent and ruling lives & destinies. To give a name to this faith and make it into a human form is a choice that we make. Christ, Ram, Mohammad, Guru Nanak – are the choices we have made to give our faith a name & a human form.
And in the race of making these choices we forget the core. The choices we make become more important and powerful than the faith that binds us all. In the name of religion we still, after 62 years of so called independence, divide & rule.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Thursday, July 02, 2009
THE ROMAN GOD - JANUS
She looked like a harmless feather quilt but was rebel in the garb of innocence. Her frame was petite yet had some cosmic strength. She would never express through words yet would give it all away through her eyes.
Her mind could not be controlled by the stipulations of sensibility & rationale. She was the dreamer who only knew how to dream. A rebel who stood for what she believed was true. A doer who looked for no reason or logic for actions. She had a sensitive heart which would go by instincts.
Scene 2: Same body but a different soul. Crisp white impeccable shirt, clean slim trousers, high arrogant heals; she walks with poise, measures her words and makes all possible logical sense. She makes power point presentation to explain the rationale. She markets her proposal with utmost confidence and calculations intact. Organized &
methodical she weighs every word she says. Is out there to be respected & not loved.
Life is full of dichotomies and paradoxes.
It’s one body with two souls. She lives two lives everyday. The careless dreamer at times gets over shadowed by the practicality of reality. When she stumbles against the harsh truths of life that revolve around the humdrum of a regular sane life, the bird inside feels caged.
But there are times when the dreamer feels emancipated and breaks free from the shackles of convention and flies high. Above all mediocrity she elevates her soul to fly high trying to touch the horizon.
The truth is that all of us have two faces. We are born dreamers and emancipated souls. Our core is pristine and innocent; reckless and carefree. As life goes by, our experiences, situations and circumstances unknowingly start molding us. A conventional mindset calls this the process of growing up / gaining maturity.
Materialistic necessities start defining our lives. These necessities sustain our life and hence we give in. We succumb to being the regular, the one who markets herself & her capabilities. The one who states action items and defines timelines. The one who on the 1st of every month realizes that this is what I have to do to sustain myself.
And the dreamer goes into oblivion, hides somewhere in the dark; silent, scared and wounded by the harsh realities and non acceptance.
Will the oblivion be for a lifetime or will there be resurgence? Only time will tell.
Her mind could not be controlled by the stipulations of sensibility & rationale. She was the dreamer who only knew how to dream. A rebel who stood for what she believed was true. A doer who looked for no reason or logic for actions. She had a sensitive heart which would go by instincts.
Scene 2: Same body but a different soul. Crisp white impeccable shirt, clean slim trousers, high arrogant heals; she walks with poise, measures her words and makes all possible logical sense. She makes power point presentation to explain the rationale. She markets her proposal with utmost confidence and calculations intact. Organized &
methodical she weighs every word she says. Is out there to be respected & not loved.
Life is full of dichotomies and paradoxes.
It’s one body with two souls. She lives two lives everyday. The careless dreamer at times gets over shadowed by the practicality of reality. When she stumbles against the harsh truths of life that revolve around the humdrum of a regular sane life, the bird inside feels caged.
But there are times when the dreamer feels emancipated and breaks free from the shackles of convention and flies high. Above all mediocrity she elevates her soul to fly high trying to touch the horizon.
The truth is that all of us have two faces. We are born dreamers and emancipated souls. Our core is pristine and innocent; reckless and carefree. As life goes by, our experiences, situations and circumstances unknowingly start molding us. A conventional mindset calls this the process of growing up / gaining maturity.
Materialistic necessities start defining our lives. These necessities sustain our life and hence we give in. We succumb to being the regular, the one who markets herself & her capabilities. The one who states action items and defines timelines. The one who on the 1st of every month realizes that this is what I have to do to sustain myself.
And the dreamer goes into oblivion, hides somewhere in the dark; silent, scared and wounded by the harsh realities and non acceptance.
Will the oblivion be for a lifetime or will there be resurgence? Only time will tell.
Monday, February 02, 2009
BLURRING THE LINES BETWEEN THE REAL & THE VIRTUAL
We live in a world which is bursting at its seems with means of communication. We are constantly communicating with people across the globe. From strangers to kith & kin we are in touch with all. We truly belong to a connected world.
But in this era of convergence & communication there is a paradoxical dichotomy that is emerging. We might be communicating with one and all but we are connecting with them in the virtual world. We are connecting through a device could be a PC, handheld, Skype. We are creating a world wherein every connection we make is ‘make believe.’ We can only feel the presence of the other person while he / she is not present in person – in flesh & blood.
With technology engulfing our lives, are we responsible for creating a world full of loners? People who are connected through devices and gadgets are actually syncing up with people who are not physically present. The virtual world that is being created is giving way to erstwhile concept of meeting with people.
This dichotomy started with the evolution of the landline phone. As technology advanced it is steadily started creeping down our lives in the form of personal computers, mobile phones and the most recent video conferencing.
We are somewhere trivializing the relationships we build and the value we attach to them. With teenagers getting hooked to second life, gaming and online dating they are jeopardizing their self esteem and building an aura around them which is imaginary. It is these young impressionable minds that will never be able to come to terms with the truth about relationships and the experience of having one in the real world.
I am in no way against the use of technology, but somewhere I think it is adding to the loneliness of people. We are getting consumed by the virtual world that we create.
We are feeding on it and as a consequence moving away from reality.
As it is true for every virtue and sin committed in the world, every milestone in this world comes with its pros and cons associated with it. While extreme of anything is said to be bad, we need to strike a balance and derive an equitable co relation between connecting in the real and in the virtual world.
To simply put it, the use of technology where it is important, fruitful and helps us connect most effectively is progressive. At the same time one must not lose the gravity associated with the significance of relationships in the real world where meeting people face to face and in flesh and blood truly made man a social animal.
But in this era of convergence & communication there is a paradoxical dichotomy that is emerging. We might be communicating with one and all but we are connecting with them in the virtual world. We are connecting through a device could be a PC, handheld, Skype. We are creating a world wherein every connection we make is ‘make believe.’ We can only feel the presence of the other person while he / she is not present in person – in flesh & blood.
With technology engulfing our lives, are we responsible for creating a world full of loners? People who are connected through devices and gadgets are actually syncing up with people who are not physically present. The virtual world that is being created is giving way to erstwhile concept of meeting with people.
This dichotomy started with the evolution of the landline phone. As technology advanced it is steadily started creeping down our lives in the form of personal computers, mobile phones and the most recent video conferencing.
We are somewhere trivializing the relationships we build and the value we attach to them. With teenagers getting hooked to second life, gaming and online dating they are jeopardizing their self esteem and building an aura around them which is imaginary. It is these young impressionable minds that will never be able to come to terms with the truth about relationships and the experience of having one in the real world.
I am in no way against the use of technology, but somewhere I think it is adding to the loneliness of people. We are getting consumed by the virtual world that we create.
We are feeding on it and as a consequence moving away from reality.
As it is true for every virtue and sin committed in the world, every milestone in this world comes with its pros and cons associated with it. While extreme of anything is said to be bad, we need to strike a balance and derive an equitable co relation between connecting in the real and in the virtual world.
To simply put it, the use of technology where it is important, fruitful and helps us connect most effectively is progressive. At the same time one must not lose the gravity associated with the significance of relationships in the real world where meeting people face to face and in flesh and blood truly made man a social animal.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
STAGNANT WATERS
The weather in the city is calm; the water in the lake is silent and motionless. The tranquility of the scene epitomizes perfection and divinity. It almost seems impossible and ‘make believe’. It is here that nature and human life converge. Life too has such instances where in the serenity of the situation almost seems too perfect to exist. There is beauty, happiness, satisfaction, what else does one really need? Man should be content with what he has because he has everything.
No. Here is where human life over rides nature. While nature does not have the power to think, man comprehends and craves for change. The stagnant waters of life denote lack of dynamism and change.
As weird as it may sound but it is true that man does not need perfection but still craves for it. For as soon as he gets it he realizes that this is the end of the road, there is no challenge and there is nothing ahead. All that is there is here and now. It is perfect but mundane, it is beautiful but boring, and there is happiness but no challenge.
Perfection becomes monotonous after a while. It marks the end of hope. Man needs imperfection to move ahead in life. If everything around us becomes prim and proper there will be no hope for betterment and hence no effort. This marks the end of productivity and improvement and undercuts change.
Often we hear people say, I want my life to be perfect and flawless. But when life does become perfect and flawless what then? What will you work towards? What will be your aim?
I do not say, that perfection is wrong or of no significance. It is the road ahead of perfection that does not seem to exist.
When you are faced with the perfection syndrome in your life and you have everything you have everything you aimed for. Now what?& what next? Where do you go and what do you do? The questions I pose to stagnant waters.
No. Here is where human life over rides nature. While nature does not have the power to think, man comprehends and craves for change. The stagnant waters of life denote lack of dynamism and change.
As weird as it may sound but it is true that man does not need perfection but still craves for it. For as soon as he gets it he realizes that this is the end of the road, there is no challenge and there is nothing ahead. All that is there is here and now. It is perfect but mundane, it is beautiful but boring, and there is happiness but no challenge.
Perfection becomes monotonous after a while. It marks the end of hope. Man needs imperfection to move ahead in life. If everything around us becomes prim and proper there will be no hope for betterment and hence no effort. This marks the end of productivity and improvement and undercuts change.
Often we hear people say, I want my life to be perfect and flawless. But when life does become perfect and flawless what then? What will you work towards? What will be your aim?
I do not say, that perfection is wrong or of no significance. It is the road ahead of perfection that does not seem to exist.
When you are faced with the perfection syndrome in your life and you have everything you have everything you aimed for. Now what?& what next? Where do you go and what do you do? The questions I pose to stagnant waters.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Gazing from the Hill Top
Standing on the hill top I view the vast expanse that lay ahead of me, dotted with high rising buildings and a few green trees strewn on the landscape. The cool evening wind caressing my cheeks and playing with my hair, soothing the ruffled nerves of an over worked mind.
As calm and peace wrapped its comforting arms around my brain, it tickled a thought existence and life. Running in this rat race called life, setting superficial goals, achievement of which gives us momentary pleasure and an instantaneous high that is what existence has dome down to. Mere breathing and chasing, stumbling, falling, rising running again. Sometimes we don’t even know what we are running after. The fog that envelopes life gets thicker and thicker till the time we stop and say, “I can see no more. The fog has clouded my vision. Is there a road ahead or a cliff, I fail to recognize. All I know is that I am running, chasing something. To put a name to it or describe it beyond my limited faculties of comprehension.”
So I go to the hill top and view the vast expanse of land that lay ahead of me, and look at life from the outside. My eyes rest upon the high rising buildings which signify success and mechanism at one level. Success accrued, courtesy capitalism which behind its façade stinks of degeneration. Vaguely reminds me of my chase.
The eye then turns to the green trees symbolic of nature withstanding the feats of man of making it a living hell for all that is natural and simple. Simplicity at the slaughter of intelligence and advancement. I hear the air whisper in my ears, all that is simple shall not last.
Then the shimmering lights on the streets and of the vehicles moving attract the eye. The vehicles slithering on the serpentine roads. Going to... Coming back from? I fail to fathom.
All and sundry and on the move going somewhere and chasing something. That which is static like the tree is at the altar of decadence.
From the hill top, where everything looked minute like drops in the ocean, I removed the chaff from the seed. Differentiated between living and existing. We are all mere pseudo existential puppets who are living without knowing what they are living for. Chasing without knowing what they are chasing. Going through stages of obscurity till it all becomes opaque and chokes us to death.
Nature is always the rescue to elucidate on the most absurd notions. After the long hours of a cold winter night where the dense fog rests heavy in the air, the dawn cuts the fog with the warmth of the sun to spread the light of life. Only then does the human eye witness the beauties of nature. Obscurity needs to be shattered after a point to see what lies ahead to add value and meaning to existence.
Monday, February 13, 2006
THE PARADISE OF IGNORANCE
When Eve ate the fateful apple it appeared to be a delicacy to her but when the wall of ignorance was shattered she realized that the delectable apple was nothing but a plot. The paradise was lost and repentance, animosity and bitterness replaced the bliss of ignorance.
It is a less realized truth, that ignorance is actually bliss. Ignorance creates a self satisfied realm where the ‘happily ever after’ syndrome seems real. The rosy dreamy eyed girl enjoys the wind caressing her face and believes that all her dreams of the knight in shining armor will come true. The make believe becomes a real-time faith. Ignorance enables us to accept theories at their face value. Appearance is the truest form of existence, the attractive apple which appeared to be sweet becomes actually sweet. Ignorance brings with it happiness and the tranquility of peace. Our belief in what is out there brings about a complacence which induces lethargy to question.
But as time passes by and man undergoes change, the blissful mist of ignorance is invaded with the sunlight of knowledge. The light of awareness and exposure caves in with breath taking speed and pierces the mist of ignorance. And before we know, our make believe world seems like a farce, we undercut everything that exists. Critique replaces acceptance. As the light of awareness spreads far and wide every human starts questioning relationships and the very essence of existence.
Its then that realization dawns upon us and we see that what appeared to be an exotic landscape in the mist of ignorance is nothing but a heap of scum in the light of awareness. A relationship which was built on assumptions was happy till the time man believed those assumptions to be real. The day he woke up to question them, the relationship broke and reality stared him in his face. The happiness that prevailed with ignorance gave way to misery brought about by rebellion. The day man stands up and questions the validity and the reason for existence that will be the day he will be able to distinguish between the seed and the chaff, the genuine and the farce. He will see that what he believed to be true was nothing but makes believe and the real is something which is shrouded in the oblivion.
In the present day awareness and exposure is rampant. Man’s mental faculties are exposed to knowledge. The power of knowledge has enabled man to use reason as a weapon to test the waters of existence. The age of ignorance where the prince and princess lived happily ever after has come to an end. The paradise has been lost and the age of reason prevails.
It is a less realized truth, that ignorance is actually bliss. Ignorance creates a self satisfied realm where the ‘happily ever after’ syndrome seems real. The rosy dreamy eyed girl enjoys the wind caressing her face and believes that all her dreams of the knight in shining armor will come true. The make believe becomes a real-time faith. Ignorance enables us to accept theories at their face value. Appearance is the truest form of existence, the attractive apple which appeared to be sweet becomes actually sweet. Ignorance brings with it happiness and the tranquility of peace. Our belief in what is out there brings about a complacence which induces lethargy to question.
But as time passes by and man undergoes change, the blissful mist of ignorance is invaded with the sunlight of knowledge. The light of awareness and exposure caves in with breath taking speed and pierces the mist of ignorance. And before we know, our make believe world seems like a farce, we undercut everything that exists. Critique replaces acceptance. As the light of awareness spreads far and wide every human starts questioning relationships and the very essence of existence.
Its then that realization dawns upon us and we see that what appeared to be an exotic landscape in the mist of ignorance is nothing but a heap of scum in the light of awareness. A relationship which was built on assumptions was happy till the time man believed those assumptions to be real. The day he woke up to question them, the relationship broke and reality stared him in his face. The happiness that prevailed with ignorance gave way to misery brought about by rebellion. The day man stands up and questions the validity and the reason for existence that will be the day he will be able to distinguish between the seed and the chaff, the genuine and the farce. He will see that what he believed to be true was nothing but makes believe and the real is something which is shrouded in the oblivion.
In the present day awareness and exposure is rampant. Man’s mental faculties are exposed to knowledge. The power of knowledge has enabled man to use reason as a weapon to test the waters of existence. The age of ignorance where the prince and princess lived happily ever after has come to an end. The paradise has been lost and the age of reason prevails.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
WHEN REALITY IS NOTHING BUT A MYTH
WHEN REALITY IS NOTHING BUT A MYTH
We all have our own realities, our realities which we create by using our faculties of imagination. A picture we paint with our favorite hues. With clear skies and white birds fluttering in the limitless expanse of blue and green fields teased by the warm air. We like to call it picture perfect i.e. a reality we like to dwell in and a world where we create life and position our soul. A pristine view where everything is monitored by us. The control of monitoring perfection lies in our hands because we have created this world with our hands and make it reside in our minds.
We live in this world much our lives. With every passing moment of our lives we try to fit all instances, big or small in this reality .We mould these instances according to the overall picture we have created.
Slowly and steadily, with every passing day of our existence, we start getting consumed by this image. This fictitious image which we call our own reality starts overpowering us. The balance of creation and the creator is altered. The creation by deriving all the power from the creator starts controlling the creator. It starts dominating the hand that painted it. The image dictates what is applicable to the painting and the creative freedom of the creator starts losing ground.
The reality which we created blinds us and separates us from the world outside. It becomes like the fortress where our soul resides as a hostage. We begin to believe what we have created and the world outside get blurred. We feel that our creation is the truest form of existence and the world outside is just a cosmic conspiracy.
A perfect example of inversed roles. The reality which was created as a figment of imagination supersedes the outside existent world. But then the storm strike, the calm tranquility of the picturesque reality is hit by the choppy waters of time. It lashes out the walls of the fortress and the water gushes in ands washes out every bit of the creation. The outside world reacts to make inroads into the fictitious reality and everything crumbles down like a pack of cards.
The rosy picture is spoilt and the soul that resided in the picture is left like a forlorn child after a war. The soul is left gaping wide at the havoc wrecked by the harsh world. And we are jolted with the fact that the reality which we created for ourselves was nothing but a make believe image. In the course of time the creator got so obsessed with his art work that he forgot that it is just a masterpiece and is not reality itself. It is just a depiction of the same.
Many a times in life we create numerous such images which we start believing in as realities of our existence. May be we are at odds with the world outside that instigates us to create these images and because they are opposed to what is existent, makes us have faith in them. But seldom do we realize that this act of creation is making us digress from the reality furthermore.
A concoction of the mind which we choose to call reality is nothing but a myth.
We live in this world much our lives. With every passing moment of our lives we try to fit all instances, big or small in this reality .We mould these instances according to the overall picture we have created.
Slowly and steadily, with every passing day of our existence, we start getting consumed by this image. This fictitious image which we call our own reality starts overpowering us. The balance of creation and the creator is altered. The creation by deriving all the power from the creator starts controlling the creator. It starts dominating the hand that painted it. The image dictates what is applicable to the painting and the creative freedom of the creator starts losing ground.
The reality which we created blinds us and separates us from the world outside. It becomes like the fortress where our soul resides as a hostage. We begin to believe what we have created and the world outside get blurred. We feel that our creation is the truest form of existence and the world outside is just a cosmic conspiracy.
A perfect example of inversed roles. The reality which was created as a figment of imagination supersedes the outside existent world. But then the storm strike, the calm tranquility of the picturesque reality is hit by the choppy waters of time. It lashes out the walls of the fortress and the water gushes in ands washes out every bit of the creation. The outside world reacts to make inroads into the fictitious reality and everything crumbles down like a pack of cards.
The rosy picture is spoilt and the soul that resided in the picture is left like a forlorn child after a war. The soul is left gaping wide at the havoc wrecked by the harsh world. And we are jolted with the fact that the reality which we created for ourselves was nothing but a make believe image. In the course of time the creator got so obsessed with his art work that he forgot that it is just a masterpiece and is not reality itself. It is just a depiction of the same.
Many a times in life we create numerous such images which we start believing in as realities of our existence. May be we are at odds with the world outside that instigates us to create these images and because they are opposed to what is existent, makes us have faith in them. But seldom do we realize that this act of creation is making us digress from the reality furthermore.
A concoction of the mind which we choose to call reality is nothing but a myth.
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Meandering Between the Extremes
As the water cascades down in the beautiful woods and the permeated wind intoxicates his senses, the mind pauses and ponders..."What is existence if not the cascading waters"
As the water flows down the isle so does life flows down the everchanging expanse of life. Life is nothing but a flow. A flow which has no parameters and no extremes no boundaries and no limits. Often people digress and judge experiences in life but that is a microscopic view of life. Such people clearly have a blinkered and straight jacketed way of viewing life.
Existence is to be experienced and lived and not judged and analyzed by a third eye existence and life is lived like a flow of water it leaves no scope of judgement. There is nothing which is right or wrong if you look at it as a flow. A flow of experience which gurgles down the years like sparkling blue water sometimes appears black and dull in the darkness of the night and sometimes it glistens in the sunlight,such is life in its various shades and nothing is black or white everything is in "shades of grey"
As the water flows down the isle so does life flows down the everchanging expanse of life. Life is nothing but a flow. A flow which has no parameters and no extremes no boundaries and no limits. Often people digress and judge experiences in life but that is a microscopic view of life. Such people clearly have a blinkered and straight jacketed way of viewing life.
Existence is to be experienced and lived and not judged and analyzed by a third eye existence and life is lived like a flow of water it leaves no scope of judgement. There is nothing which is right or wrong if you look at it as a flow. A flow of experience which gurgles down the years like sparkling blue water sometimes appears black and dull in the darkness of the night and sometimes it glistens in the sunlight,such is life in its various shades and nothing is black or white everything is in "shades of grey"
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