I don't remember how, today I bumped into a video clip in you-tube of the song "rangde basanti chola", a patriotic song from an old Hindi film. Then I browsed through a few more such songs. The songs are amazing. The lyric with awesome music makes your blood run amock! You feel like doing something!! Then I thought about the condition of the Jehadis of Kashmir or the Naxals of Koraput. I think they are also running a rebellion with no less ernestness. If we shun those efforts, lets also shun the effort of our Indian patriots. If we call them terrorists, then lets not hesitate to brand Rajguru and Sukdev as terrorists. If we call theirs as unfair armed moment, lets also call the "freedom struggle of 1857" as "sepoy mutiny". Why this hypocrasy, why this discrimination?
Then I wondered about the reason for which such songs and ideas make our blood boil? As Nietzsche put it,"He who has a why to live can bear almost any how". May be such songs are trying to inculcate in our mind that "why" to live. I feel we human beings are always in search for a higher thing, a higher being, a higher goal, a higher aspiration, a higher spirit... And if we can be made to believe in any such "higher stuff", we are actualy in a hurry to do just about anything for that!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Armed rebel, war and liberty: physical ahimsa!!
Last month I was in one of the tribal districts of Odisha. I met people there from whom I got some second hand accounts of what's happening in the land in the name of Naxal moment. All these days I am also reading a book named "The Guns of August", an excellent account of the happenings of the first world war. With all these things in mind, suddenly I came to realise something:
It has become utterly futile these days to wage a war or an armed revolution. The days of heroism and martyredom are gone. The races which realise this sooner will be the winners! Days are gone, when you could by arms and force occupy a foreign land and get loots. This may still happen today; but its a very short term benefit. Days are gone when people would rise with a new idea, take up arms and get liberated from the old rules. This may still happen these days; but these again are a waste of time and lives. Now has come a time of globalization and commercialization. If you think you are free, then you are. If a race thinks it ought to be liberated, then it has to fight its own stigma and establish itseld economically. If you think of occupying a foreign land, then sutly control its economy. The way its happening these days. Foreign companies, invest in India. Its Indian resources, Indian manpower and Indian consumers. But the profit goes to the foreign lands. So they have made us work for their purpose and made us give them money as well. And it all is happenig so smoothly! You wanna reverse it, then you gotta make a better company with better strategies!
Similarly, the naxalites who want to liberate their land and get the benefit of their own resources, have to rise beyond the level of money and oratory. They have to think big, use their own resources, invest in man-power and skill enhancement, generate public openion and force the government to start developmental programs, and in a few decades they can beat any damn developed state of the nation. May be this is neo-Gandhism? Dont know. But it certainly is not physical-violence. So it can be called physical-ahimsa!
It has become utterly futile these days to wage a war or an armed revolution. The days of heroism and martyredom are gone. The races which realise this sooner will be the winners! Days are gone, when you could by arms and force occupy a foreign land and get loots. This may still happen today; but its a very short term benefit. Days are gone when people would rise with a new idea, take up arms and get liberated from the old rules. This may still happen these days; but these again are a waste of time and lives. Now has come a time of globalization and commercialization. If you think you are free, then you are. If a race thinks it ought to be liberated, then it has to fight its own stigma and establish itseld economically. If you think of occupying a foreign land, then sutly control its economy. The way its happening these days. Foreign companies, invest in India. Its Indian resources, Indian manpower and Indian consumers. But the profit goes to the foreign lands. So they have made us work for their purpose and made us give them money as well. And it all is happenig so smoothly! You wanna reverse it, then you gotta make a better company with better strategies!
Similarly, the naxalites who want to liberate their land and get the benefit of their own resources, have to rise beyond the level of money and oratory. They have to think big, use their own resources, invest in man-power and skill enhancement, generate public openion and force the government to start developmental programs, and in a few decades they can beat any damn developed state of the nation. May be this is neo-Gandhism? Dont know. But it certainly is not physical-violence. So it can be called physical-ahimsa!
Sunday, January 03, 2010
AAll izz well
Its precisely the point when I was looking around for the writings of existential philosophers like Sartre and Nietzsche, that I came across this movie "3 idiots" and its song "all izz well" (AIW). Outwardly they seem to be two different principles. The AIW philosophy professes that try to relax and put up the fake notion on your psyche that all is well! It wont solve the problems, but will just make you relaxed. Its like taking a peg of whiskey to feel relaxed! At the other extreme are the existentialists who tell you to face the truth. They are too blunt to handle... to the point of making you bleed. They try to free you from the effect of any tranquilizer and force you to think logically and then try to conclude that life has no higher or greater purpose! There is no morality, there is no right-n-wrong, there aint anything! Its just a show, with no prelogue no dialogue and no epilogue.
On my second thought I realized that though these two ways diverge in the beginning, at the end they give you the same experience! You are relieved of any tension. In the AIW philosophy, you forget tension for the time being because you are self-mesmerizing yourself to believing that all is under control. In the existentialistic way of thought also you finally are void of any tension or excitement, not because they don't exist, but because they no longer pose any importance. It becomes a part of the game, just to be enjoyed, not to be taken seriously!
Very interesting, how different routes lead to similar conclusions!! But there are subtle differences as well. Its like a poor man eating simple food because he cant afford anything better; while a rich man taking simple food because he cant digest anything different :)
On my second thought I realized that though these two ways diverge in the beginning, at the end they give you the same experience! You are relieved of any tension. In the AIW philosophy, you forget tension for the time being because you are self-mesmerizing yourself to believing that all is under control. In the existentialistic way of thought also you finally are void of any tension or excitement, not because they don't exist, but because they no longer pose any importance. It becomes a part of the game, just to be enjoyed, not to be taken seriously!
Very interesting, how different routes lead to similar conclusions!! But there are subtle differences as well. Its like a poor man eating simple food because he cant afford anything better; while a rich man taking simple food because he cant digest anything different :)
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Naxalism-Terrorism
Yesterday home secretary gave a statement that in government's eyes Naxalites and terrorists are one and the same. I am sure most Indians share his openion. Let me put my two pennies worth comment here.
** What is terrorism? Its the act of terrorizing common people. They kill or bomb common unarmed people to reign terror. If you try to remember all the naxal attacks in the last few years (as reported in newspapers) you will mark that almost all such attacks have been on police, paramillitary or millitary personnels. So if attack is against armed forces, my simple conviction is that it is not terrorism rather its civil war!
** I dont know much about other places. However, as far as tribal districts of Orissa is concerned, the first proper rail started running in those areas only a few years back. And till now there is only one express (Hirakhand Express) running through the tribal areas. Train is the heart throbe of modern world. One train for 1/3rd of the state: you can imagine to what extent government has neglected these areas.
** With no train, no communication and loads of minerals, these areas have been ranshacked by our power-bearers. And with this went expiation of the tribals.
** With all these ground work, there came arms and new philosophies from our neighbours. Hence, do you blame the naxals?
Those who still blame the Naxals, please try to imagine yourself in their place. With no land, no source of income, no health care, no schools, with your parents being treated as slaves by local businessman, your sister raped by the local police........ what would you do? Go and talk to government? Do you think we have such a system where a poor can talk and complain?
Lets stop fooling ourselves. Lets first accept that "our" (not of any government or anything else) negligence is the cause of this problem. Secondly lets stop fooling around and accept that this is NOT terrorism, this is a bloody civil-war! And lastly, lets make system so that they will feel that its risky to lift the gun, its risky in the sense I will lose a good life, its risky in the sense I may lose my family, its risky in the sense I may lose my food-or-hood! That will automatically stop it. Without this, there is no stopping the flow. And remember my frineds, with the flow none of us is safe and none our lives is worth living...!!
** What is terrorism? Its the act of terrorizing common people. They kill or bomb common unarmed people to reign terror. If you try to remember all the naxal attacks in the last few years (as reported in newspapers) you will mark that almost all such attacks have been on police, paramillitary or millitary personnels. So if attack is against armed forces, my simple conviction is that it is not terrorism rather its civil war!
** I dont know much about other places. However, as far as tribal districts of Orissa is concerned, the first proper rail started running in those areas only a few years back. And till now there is only one express (Hirakhand Express) running through the tribal areas. Train is the heart throbe of modern world. One train for 1/3rd of the state: you can imagine to what extent government has neglected these areas.
** With no train, no communication and loads of minerals, these areas have been ranshacked by our power-bearers. And with this went expiation of the tribals.
** With all these ground work, there came arms and new philosophies from our neighbours. Hence, do you blame the naxals?
Those who still blame the Naxals, please try to imagine yourself in their place. With no land, no source of income, no health care, no schools, with your parents being treated as slaves by local businessman, your sister raped by the local police........ what would you do? Go and talk to government? Do you think we have such a system where a poor can talk and complain?
Lets stop fooling ourselves. Lets first accept that "our" (not of any government or anything else) negligence is the cause of this problem. Secondly lets stop fooling around and accept that this is NOT terrorism, this is a bloody civil-war! And lastly, lets make system so that they will feel that its risky to lift the gun, its risky in the sense I will lose a good life, its risky in the sense I may lose my family, its risky in the sense I may lose my food-or-hood! That will automatically stop it. Without this, there is no stopping the flow. And remember my frineds, with the flow none of us is safe and none our lives is worth living...!!
Monday, November 09, 2009
Each as per his capacity!
Like most middle class families in the 80's, mine was also a believer in socialistic philosophies. One of the socialist quotes which attracted me was "work as per your capacity; take as per your need"! Utopian saying. Last night while looking at the approaching train under the bridge, I was suddenly reminded of this quote, in a different context. I think the way we grow, we are always at the edge of chaos. We have exactly the amount of happiness or sorrows that we can endure or need. A bit more happiness, we will lose our sense and a bit more sorrow will make us suicidal. Its not that there is some god out there assigning happiness or sorrow for us. Its rather like any other thing in nature. A stone is at a particular place, just because that's the most optimal position that has come in its course. Similarly we are still alive implies that our pain and pleasure have been balanced. Its a process of elimination! That gave me my philosophy for that night "pain and pleasure come to each as per his capacity!" Pain or pleasure in your life has got nothing to do with what you did right or wrong. May be its a socialistic world all the way...!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Playboy's poetry!
She loves me, she loves me not;
The dilemma runs wild in my heart;
I used flower, I used pendulum and many more;
Still about her heart could not be sure! 1
Days followed evenings and followed other days;
On and on I waited for the faintest of her says;
I told my friends, and I told her pals;
If anything or anyone can help me win that gal! 2
Months followed months and some more months did went;
One day I could really see her looking at me!
My heart thumbed and my palms perspired;
Finally she came and confirmed that she loved me! 3
I was in seventh heaven,
My mind was blank, and noisy and overflowing with joy!
I told my friends and I told her pals;
It was party-n-park time for next few weekends! 4
Then suddenly I felt an ache,
A vacuum, a strange stagnating coldness in my heart;
Would gaze at her lovely face and
Knew nothing to tell or talk or sing! 5
She loves me, she does love me;
The dilemma did dissolve long back;
I used no flower, nor pendulum nor nothing more,
Yet about my own heart could not be sure! 6
May be she is not the one,
May be this is not really true love!
May e this is just infatuation;
I knew not how to tell this to her. 7
I knew not what love was;
This much I could be sure;
I told so to her and she wept;
And I was free again to put for sale my heart! 8
Girls followed girls and more girls did come;
Each one's entry extravagant, yet exit equally damp!
Each time I was sure it was true love and true joy!
Still it broke, and again came the dilemma of a playboy!! 9
The dilemma runs wild in my heart;
I used flower, I used pendulum and many more;
Still about her heart could not be sure! 1
Days followed evenings and followed other days;
On and on I waited for the faintest of her says;
I told my friends, and I told her pals;
If anything or anyone can help me win that gal! 2
Months followed months and some more months did went;
One day I could really see her looking at me!
My heart thumbed and my palms perspired;
Finally she came and confirmed that she loved me! 3
I was in seventh heaven,
My mind was blank, and noisy and overflowing with joy!
I told my friends and I told her pals;
It was party-n-park time for next few weekends! 4
Then suddenly I felt an ache,
A vacuum, a strange stagnating coldness in my heart;
Would gaze at her lovely face and
Knew nothing to tell or talk or sing! 5
She loves me, she does love me;
The dilemma did dissolve long back;
I used no flower, nor pendulum nor nothing more,
Yet about my own heart could not be sure! 6
May be she is not the one,
May be this is not really true love!
May e this is just infatuation;
I knew not how to tell this to her. 7
I knew not what love was;
This much I could be sure;
I told so to her and she wept;
And I was free again to put for sale my heart! 8
Girls followed girls and more girls did come;
Each one's entry extravagant, yet exit equally damp!
Each time I was sure it was true love and true joy!
Still it broke, and again came the dilemma of a playboy!! 9
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
"Free to fall in love"
The day broke,
May be a bit early today!
"Alas" told the dew drop,
And fell down in silence! 1||
May be it was the tempest,
That broke havoc last night;
That made the twigs so weak;
The green leaf fell with no sound! 2||
May be the throbbing heart missed a pace,
Or, it was lost in some contemplation;
Or, was it broken beyond repair?
Yet, it could dare to love again! 3||
The bleeding heart waited earnestly,
Till the blood drops traversed their course;
And touched did they with no sound,
Then there fell the blanket of silence! 4||
The lost heart waited...
And waited...in case it could bleed more;
Ah! there was no blood left to bleed off!
Then befell a wonderful solace on it. 5||
The most wonderful symphony of silence,
Emerged from the blood-less heart;
The broken and empty heart which was so light,
And glad that it is free to fall in love again! 6||
May be a bit early today!
"Alas" told the dew drop,
And fell down in silence! 1||
May be it was the tempest,
That broke havoc last night;
That made the twigs so weak;
The green leaf fell with no sound! 2||
May be the throbbing heart missed a pace,
Or, it was lost in some contemplation;
Or, was it broken beyond repair?
Yet, it could dare to love again! 3||
The bleeding heart waited earnestly,
Till the blood drops traversed their course;
And touched did they with no sound,
Then there fell the blanket of silence! 4||
The lost heart waited...
And waited...in case it could bleed more;
Ah! there was no blood left to bleed off!
Then befell a wonderful solace on it. 5||
The most wonderful symphony of silence,
Emerged from the blood-less heart;
The broken and empty heart which was so light,
And glad that it is free to fall in love again! 6||
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Gandhi jayanti special I: Sach ki rahon me chalta chal (satya)
One of my old time favourite song is "madhuvan khusvu deta he", a song glorifying the idea of self-sacrifice for the purpose of others. It was a sweet melody because it sang Utopian stuffs. And anything Utopian, including communism, however infeasible it may be, always sounds so sweet! In that one line it said: come whatever keep on walking on the path of truth. I have never thought of this deeply. But contemplating on it now, I am wonder-struck at the deeper meanings it can bear. What is "truth" or "satya" (as Mahatma Gandhi will coin it)? Is it the bare unpleasant fact about things or is it the Utopian idealistic notions that we think are the best? Talking about the life Gandhijee himself, what was satya? Was it satya that he got craving for sex and went to a brothel or was it satya that he thought of morals and left it? Was it truth that he wanted to have meat or was it satya that he thought of his religion and "successfully suppressed" this craving? I think we are confusing here between "satya" and "morality"! Satya is the barest fact about nature. And my mind my dear friend nothing about nature is utopian! Nothing here is idealistic.Let's say I feel like having alcohol or spirit. Is this craving not "true" or satya? Do you think I will be called truthful if I think of religion and tradition and morality and suppress this feeling? Or let us imagine that my neighbour is a too much irritating for me. It happens sometimes. Some people just stand on your toes anyway! Is it not true that I feel angry when talking to him? Will I become more truthful or satyavan if I control my anger and try to appear calm even though I am really really angry in the heart of my hearts? Is not bigotry or self-deception the worst kind of crime against "satya"? Is not self-control the greatest mockery of the oath taken to keep on walking on the path of truth? Gandhijee himself has told again and again that non-violence in mind is much more important than the same in external actions. And this can never be thrust upon oneself! Then this thrust action simply becomes non-truth! Let's be bold and stand up to face our own selves! If I have short-temper let me accept it first. Everything else and all other lofty feats come after this simple acceptance of truth. If I have some cravings which the society calls taboos or evil, do the hell with society! Let me accept my very own self first, my own self as it is, not the utopian scripture-prescribed self! Let me not try to cremate my own self. Self-acceptance and self-glorification is the first and only step towards a mature society and mental peace. And this is certainly the first and firmest step on the path of truth or "sach ki raah"!
Gandhi jayanti special II: "make love not war" (ahimsa)
Funny though it may sound, this line which I read in a make-shift shop in Hamburg, gave me an instant food for thought. From my limited experience, I am pretty sure that you speak this in India or any developing or undeveloped country, you will get angry and puzzled stares. Why? Why are we scared of "making love"? Why the very word "sex" makes us hyper? So much so that we lose sight of the second part of the line, i.e. "not war". May be because we have not seen a proper war for long? May be because we have lost sight of the importance of living and enjoying life? May be we have had just too much of this culture and customs! May be...
This brings my flow of thought to the next step: what is more dangerous or undesirable: a so called unchaste society or a society in war? And may be we can expand the paradigm of war to mental and psychological war as well, including the war between our own split personalities. I have seen many a so called good and decent family guys, who down their heart of heart still cherish some hidden desires!And our society is full of such people, who are at war with their own selves, who are in the so called morale dilemma. Virtually our society is in deep war internally. Why? May be because we are trying to follow morale or standards which have been set by someone else. We are trying to emulate someone, trying to follow someone, all the time forgetting the simple fact that there is no free-size morale which will fit us all!
Why can't we just forget everything and 'make love'?!? Just mark here that by 'making love' I am trying to point at all the social taboos, all that which stop us from being what we actually are! I will choose making love to making war on any given day and under any given circumstances. May be this is the real definition of 'ahimsa'! "Allow people to do whatever they want to!" "This will cause in anarchy!" Most of my friends react like this when I speak of such ideas. My logic is simple. The more freedom you give, the more individual-space you create, the more mature the society becomes. The society is no play-school needing rules and regulations and above all regulators! Let me take a very tricky topic. Lets say we don't taboo incests. Will it increase the number of incest-cases? I doubt. It may raise for a period but it will dwindle down soon after. I remember to have travelled in Germany in early 2005 when gay relations have recently been given equal place in their society. I could find virtually innumerable gay couples displaying their passion in public. It was like a fashion I suppose. Few years after I was having my recent visit in Hamburg. I was living few streets off the gay-centre of the city. Still I could come across not a single gay couple kissing around! This strengthened my conviction that individual independence and faith give rise to a society more mature and evolved. Lets stop policing around. Lets stop being at a perpetual war or himsa (violence) and start making love!!
This brings my flow of thought to the next step: what is more dangerous or undesirable: a so called unchaste society or a society in war? And may be we can expand the paradigm of war to mental and psychological war as well, including the war between our own split personalities. I have seen many a so called good and decent family guys, who down their heart of heart still cherish some hidden desires!And our society is full of such people, who are at war with their own selves, who are in the so called morale dilemma. Virtually our society is in deep war internally. Why? May be because we are trying to follow morale or standards which have been set by someone else. We are trying to emulate someone, trying to follow someone, all the time forgetting the simple fact that there is no free-size morale which will fit us all!
Why can't we just forget everything and 'make love'?!? Just mark here that by 'making love' I am trying to point at all the social taboos, all that which stop us from being what we actually are! I will choose making love to making war on any given day and under any given circumstances. May be this is the real definition of 'ahimsa'! "Allow people to do whatever they want to!" "This will cause in anarchy!" Most of my friends react like this when I speak of such ideas. My logic is simple. The more freedom you give, the more individual-space you create, the more mature the society becomes. The society is no play-school needing rules and regulations and above all regulators! Let me take a very tricky topic. Lets say we don't taboo incests. Will it increase the number of incest-cases? I doubt. It may raise for a period but it will dwindle down soon after. I remember to have travelled in Germany in early 2005 when gay relations have recently been given equal place in their society. I could find virtually innumerable gay couples displaying their passion in public. It was like a fashion I suppose. Few years after I was having my recent visit in Hamburg. I was living few streets off the gay-centre of the city. Still I could come across not a single gay couple kissing around! This strengthened my conviction that individual independence and faith give rise to a society more mature and evolved. Lets stop policing around. Lets stop being at a perpetual war or himsa (violence) and start making love!!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Can bad people have good future?
The other day I was considering this interesting question. Can bad people have good future? Can bad people aspire to become spiritual? Can bad people fit into the quota for nirvana? Well, by bad people I mean really bad buggers doing terrible sin. I am not just talking of those committing some social taboo without harming anyone. I am not also just talking of gays or incests having sex secretly and silently without bothering anyone. I am also talking of those who are causing serious harm and trouble to others. Even those who hurt and harm even their near-n-dear ones. And even those who ditch their friends or lovers! Can these people have any share of the pie we call enlightenment? Are they doomed for ever? Sorry for taking so much of space-n-time to just explain the question. I felt it important to make the question and point as clear as possible. In answering the question, I will answer from a first person point of view (presuming myself to be that bad guy!).
** First of all, as we have already discussed, everything and every happening is predestined. Individual choice is but an illusion. Its like reading a book. We discover a page every day. But that page is written long back. So, did I have any choice but to be bad? Was it really under my control to be or not to be bad?
** Every novel has heroes and villains. But for villains heroes are worthless. But for bad things good things lose their charm. So, if I have been chosen to play villain is it my fault?
** Lets say I hurt (physically or mentally) my friend. I did something which hurt him. Or is it that he was destined to get hurt, and I just acted as an instrument! He was destined to get hurt because of his karma! And I was destined to be the instrument in hurting him because of my karma.
** Coming to scriptures, the Bhagwat Gita is one of the most authoritative scriptures of the orient. What I understand from there is that, the God is trying to explain Arjuna to do two things. First of all understand his swadharma. And second perform your swadharma with all detachment. Arjuna's case was simple. In his case his caste and his swadharma concided (he was a kshyatriya, the warrior class and his natural disposition was to fight). But dont make the mistake of taking your social responsibilities as your swadharma. I may be born in a good family with good parents and with good friends. But if my natural disposition is towards the so called bad things, what am I to do? I still choose my natural bearing and interest as my swadharma. And then I perform it with detachment. Detachment here means detachment from the views of others, detachment from the thought of merit-or-sin, detachment from thought of past-n-future. So if I feel my natural inclination is to hurt people, I should do the same with all detachment. Its easy to play hero and get all applause. But it takes real talent to play villain! So am I at fault?
** First of all, as we have already discussed, everything and every happening is predestined. Individual choice is but an illusion. Its like reading a book. We discover a page every day. But that page is written long back. So, did I have any choice but to be bad? Was it really under my control to be or not to be bad?
** Every novel has heroes and villains. But for villains heroes are worthless. But for bad things good things lose their charm. So, if I have been chosen to play villain is it my fault?
** Lets say I hurt (physically or mentally) my friend. I did something which hurt him. Or is it that he was destined to get hurt, and I just acted as an instrument! He was destined to get hurt because of his karma! And I was destined to be the instrument in hurting him because of my karma.
** Coming to scriptures, the Bhagwat Gita is one of the most authoritative scriptures of the orient. What I understand from there is that, the God is trying to explain Arjuna to do two things. First of all understand his swadharma. And second perform your swadharma with all detachment. Arjuna's case was simple. In his case his caste and his swadharma concided (he was a kshyatriya, the warrior class and his natural disposition was to fight). But dont make the mistake of taking your social responsibilities as your swadharma. I may be born in a good family with good parents and with good friends. But if my natural disposition is towards the so called bad things, what am I to do? I still choose my natural bearing and interest as my swadharma. And then I perform it with detachment. Detachment here means detachment from the views of others, detachment from the thought of merit-or-sin, detachment from thought of past-n-future. So if I feel my natural inclination is to hurt people, I should do the same with all detachment. Its easy to play hero and get all applause. But it takes real talent to play villain! So am I at fault?
Saturday, August 08, 2009
The clock work!
Last night I was discussing with my guru on some random thoughts. He shared a wonderful idea with me. I am just rewriting it here.
If you have opened a clock, especially the mechanical clocks, you would have seen numerous tiny gears and wheels working in enchanting unison to make the clock tick. Our life is like that of a tiny mini wheel of the clock. We keep on rotating. We tend to think that our rotation is in our hands, or may be its me who is rotating. However, for the clock maker he knows that the whole clock has to work perfectly and in unison to make that tiny mini wheel rotate.
There are two aspects to this simile. One is that we may think our actions to be independent or determined by our own free will. But its all determined by a complicated set of wheels, gears and spring systems surrounding us! Secondly, we may think that we are menially insignificant. But again as a matter of fact, if at all we succeed in stopping our own rotation, the whole clock stops!
If you have opened a clock, especially the mechanical clocks, you would have seen numerous tiny gears and wheels working in enchanting unison to make the clock tick. Our life is like that of a tiny mini wheel of the clock. We keep on rotating. We tend to think that our rotation is in our hands, or may be its me who is rotating. However, for the clock maker he knows that the whole clock has to work perfectly and in unison to make that tiny mini wheel rotate.
There are two aspects to this simile. One is that we may think our actions to be independent or determined by our own free will. But its all determined by a complicated set of wheels, gears and spring systems surrounding us! Secondly, we may think that we are menially insignificant. But again as a matter of fact, if at all we succeed in stopping our own rotation, the whole clock stops!
Friday, August 07, 2009
Climb of an insect
Few days ago I was enjoying a short afternoon siesta! Suddenly I felt a tickling sensation on my arm. Looking closely I discovered a tiny insect riding happily or sadly (for you see I could not see his/her face) on my arm. At first I felt like crushing it for disturbing my slumber. But then I was already in a bad mood that afternoon and did not want to make it worse! Gently did I lift the tiny one using my fingers and placed it on floor. It took the least heed of what change has happened just then. It went on crawling with a sage like indifference! I was amused and amazed. First of all it did not crawl because it had to go anywhere. It crawled because that's what its made to do and that's what it can do. It knows that food and whatever luxury you may want or need will ultimately come to you as long as you keep on doing whatever you can. Secondly, what drastic changes may take place, it was the least bothered. It knew only one thing to do and it did it irrespective of all the changes that may happen to its surroundings! May be I am not able to express my feelings properly, but believe me it was ecstatic to observe the attitude of the insect!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Passitheism
Let me first revise my established idea on causality or the rule of karma. Precisely speaking, it says no cause no effect; i.e. all events are preceded by a long chain of cause-n-effect vents starting from the very beginning of time. Tomorrow is determined completely by today and today by yesterday. This means that all the events occurring are predetermined and nothing is out of blue or because of any "free-will". Free will is but an illusion.
Given the above mentioned thesis, what is the role of god in our own life or in this creation? If everything is determined then what is the use of praying a god? Indian scriptures say that even gods are not beyond the rule of karma! So should we pray god? At the outset it may seem that if god is also a follower of he karmic laws and can not change a cause-n-effect chain, then he also is helpless. But there is a very nice catch here. God is helpless if its only your karma that determines your future! I.e. you as an individual do good work, then you get good future and vice-verse. But this is no the case! Karmic rules are applicable for the creation as a whole; its a holistic rule. The creation as a whole follows the cause-n-effect chain. And that's the reason for so many anomalies to he local karmic rule! You never exactly know why you might have a good future tomorrow or a bad future the other day. It surely follows the karmic rule but you can no longer pin-point the cause. Its more or less like the chaos theory! A cat crossing the road in 200BC in Rome might be the reason for which you faced the accident yesterday! Hence, may be, a distant may-be, you had a good luck yesterday because you prayed a certain god a month back. Gods might also have some power. But that's again an illusion as our own supposedly free-will. The bottom line is pray god or whatever power you feel like. But there is no guarantee of any result. And the future is predetermined all the same. This I what to term as passive theism or passitheism. Neither do I deny the existence of god; nor do I accept the same. Its just part of the flow and with no extra power whatsoever to change any predetermined event.
An interesting allegory to this is reading a novel. When you are reading a novel, everyday you come across certain new happenings. To you the reader, its new and fresh. But actually its all written down already. Its just a matter of discovering the event by uncovering the pages of the novel. You may call god as the writer of the novel who has written it and hence knows it all. But once written and passed on to your hands, the writer has no control over the happenings in the novel. Its a god who is passive in our lives, thought he might have created us all!
Given the above mentioned thesis, what is the role of god in our own life or in this creation? If everything is determined then what is the use of praying a god? Indian scriptures say that even gods are not beyond the rule of karma! So should we pray god? At the outset it may seem that if god is also a follower of he karmic laws and can not change a cause-n-effect chain, then he also is helpless. But there is a very nice catch here. God is helpless if its only your karma that determines your future! I.e. you as an individual do good work, then you get good future and vice-verse. But this is no the case! Karmic rules are applicable for the creation as a whole; its a holistic rule. The creation as a whole follows the cause-n-effect chain. And that's the reason for so many anomalies to he local karmic rule! You never exactly know why you might have a good future tomorrow or a bad future the other day. It surely follows the karmic rule but you can no longer pin-point the cause. Its more or less like the chaos theory! A cat crossing the road in 200BC in Rome might be the reason for which you faced the accident yesterday! Hence, may be, a distant may-be, you had a good luck yesterday because you prayed a certain god a month back. Gods might also have some power. But that's again an illusion as our own supposedly free-will. The bottom line is pray god or whatever power you feel like. But there is no guarantee of any result. And the future is predetermined all the same. This I what to term as passive theism or passitheism. Neither do I deny the existence of god; nor do I accept the same. Its just part of the flow and with no extra power whatsoever to change any predetermined event.
An interesting allegory to this is reading a novel. When you are reading a novel, everyday you come across certain new happenings. To you the reader, its new and fresh. But actually its all written down already. Its just a matter of discovering the event by uncovering the pages of the novel. You may call god as the writer of the novel who has written it and hence knows it all. But once written and passed on to your hands, the writer has no control over the happenings in the novel. Its a god who is passive in our lives, thought he might have created us all!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Flight of a crow
From the very outset let me confess that this essay is inspired by an essay by J.D.Krishnamurthy, an essay named “Flight of an eagle”. During my last three years' of stay in one of the interior parts of the nation, I have seen a huge variety of birds starting from humble Indian Maina to some unique variety of migratory bird. I have seen them flying, dipping in water and praying on their food. Let me confess that I really found nothing special, attractive or grand about the flight of an eagle. Rather, I found the awkward flight of a house crow quite interesting. Crow is a menial bird with almost no extra or feature to attract your attention. Its light is awkward, clumsy and noisy. But so is ordinary life of yours and mine. Our lives are awkward, clumsy and noisy as well! This is not any high pitch thrilling sound attached to our lives, like that made by the eagle. Nor is there any magnificently smooth glide in our lives, unlike that of the flight of an eagle. But look at crow. How similar is our life to the flight of a crow: short spanned, erratic, unpredictable, jumpy and attached with cacophonous irritating sound! But this is what it is: our lives. And good or bad, our lives are our lives. There is no single justified logical point in trying the least to change it an iota. That will be like going against nature. I have never seen any crow trying to look, envy and then imitate the flight of an eagle. So just be what you are. Bad or good is a matter of perspective! Like is a drama where there are no audiences! So why toil to be somebody else There are no bouquets or brick-bats in store for you. Nothing gonna affect you. And even-if anything is affecting you, let it! Who care? As long as we are crows, we have a natural way of flight, I.e. the crow's flight. Lets stop being someone else. Lets embrace our very own crowness! Lets enjoy the crow's flight, and just remember that everything gonna change!
Pretending to be someone
Life is monotonous and mundane; its more so when you go on living the same life for ever. You never exactly come to realise when the life has just slipped off your grip. Not that I have any objection to life sliping off your sleeves. I just am a bit curious to see life from different points of views. But, its always been extremely difficult for ordinary human beings like you and me, to live different lives in the same life time. I have observed in UK that they particularly get this habit of experiencing different lives, or rather life in different set-ups, quite early in their lives. For example most of my British friends would go on vacation at least twice a year. And during that period they will not take their cell-phones with them, nor would they check their emails. Well, let me highlight these two luxuries of today, namely cell-phones and Internet, which have almost made it impossible for us to leave our lives aside even for a split of a second.
Tracking on the same trends, unintentionally of course, I am currently experiencing a new life today. Sitting in a lonely shabby tea-corner in a corner of the Science College of Kolkata University, I am experiencing a strange new life. Before I meet the professor, I am no body here. I know no one and no one knows me. For them I am a decent looking stranger with a particularly familiar broad smile. And for me, they are all my alter-egos. I have been in Kolkata for last two days, in a guest-house where again no one knows me! I have also hidden my identity to some extent , except for the extent which is needed to get some basic things done. Its nice. And I have been traveling in local town bus. More exciting and thrilling. My cell phone, luckily has no roaming facility and luckily again, there are no Internet parlours near the guest-house.
Big cities like Kolkata, London and Bombay have a life of their own! They have a certain strange mass psychology where you soon find your own psyche and ego engulfed. All the people, all the egos, all of them seem to have some strong similarity, similarity that is unique to that particular city. Hence, I find it very exciting to travel alone in such a big city, trying to soak in a bit of its personality. Its a nice feeling, feeling of stopping what you are and getting submerged in a unique personality pool. Its enlightening to live a different life. Its breathtaking and magnificent, to pretend to be someone else, who you can never be in your real life. Well, yes, you may say its self-deception; you may also say its blank pretension; or running away from reality. Say what you may, this is the type of break I would really look forward to again and again in my life. The joy of a vicarious life in real-life is a joy of its own kind!
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Insignificant vs. Singnificant
In my last few blogs, I have been talking about how insignificantly insgnificant is life, creation and all that's here around. Yesterday I came across a wonderful notion. I was reading through an essay by Swami Vivekananda, where he was talking about how creation is created by the merger of Prana (energy) and Akasa (mater); how it comes into being, goes through a cycle and again vanishes, just to reappear again. Even modern astrophysics to some extent supports this view. I.e. the universe was created because of big bang and there are ultimately two possible ends to it, viz. it will expand for ever till it becomes energy less and hence dark; or it may contract again and merge into a black-hole yet again. Its the second possibility which has been supported by Advitik philosophy.
Anyway, my point was something different. Given that its a cycle and given that this world follows a strictly cause-n-effect rule, where is the notion of significant or insignificant? When I breath, I just do it subconsciously without counting and without thinking which breath is better or worse than which other one. Its childish to compare one breath with another. Simillarly its childish to put epithets against events. Events are just events. Lives are just lives. Creations and just creations! Neither significant nor insignificant. We are helplessly parts of it. Whatever we are doing, thinking or speaking, has no novelty to it, all these are just events with no adjectives whatsoever.
Anyway, my point was something different. Given that its a cycle and given that this world follows a strictly cause-n-effect rule, where is the notion of significant or insignificant? When I breath, I just do it subconsciously without counting and without thinking which breath is better or worse than which other one. Its childish to compare one breath with another. Simillarly its childish to put epithets against events. Events are just events. Lives are just lives. Creations and just creations! Neither significant nor insignificant. We are helplessly parts of it. Whatever we are doing, thinking or speaking, has no novelty to it, all these are just events with no adjectives whatsoever.
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Suicide: the philosophical question!
My last blog got a few nice and interesting comments. Some say its the bold decision, the decision to suicide. While some say if you cant do any good while alive what good will you do by being dead?
May be I was not clear in my last blog. Or may be the topic was too touchy in the first place. Because no where did I say that one should commit suicide. Its more about thinking of suicide. Its more about realizing the utter futility of the air we give to our menial silly lives. Its about the folly of our lives.
"Butterfly effect" is a term coined by many who discuss the chaos theory. They say that the flapping of a butterfly in Uganda can cause a super cyclone in Orissa! But the other way is also equally likely, i.e. the flapping of a butterfly in Uganda can stop a super cyclone from materializing over Orissa!
Similarly, from my last blog I wanted to make both the sides clear. There is no big benefit of you staying alive. Neither is there any benefit of you committing suicide. It really makes no sense at all about what you do. Just zoom out (either in space or in time or in both) and you realize it hardly matters if you live or you die or kill or rob or rape or meditate!
May be I was not clear in my last blog. Or may be the topic was too touchy in the first place. Because no where did I say that one should commit suicide. Its more about thinking of suicide. Its more about realizing the utter futility of the air we give to our menial silly lives. Its about the folly of our lives.
"Butterfly effect" is a term coined by many who discuss the chaos theory. They say that the flapping of a butterfly in Uganda can cause a super cyclone in Orissa! But the other way is also equally likely, i.e. the flapping of a butterfly in Uganda can stop a super cyclone from materializing over Orissa!
Similarly, from my last blog I wanted to make both the sides clear. There is no big benefit of you staying alive. Neither is there any benefit of you committing suicide. It really makes no sense at all about what you do. Just zoom out (either in space or in time or in both) and you realize it hardly matters if you live or you die or kill or rob or rape or meditate!
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Why should you live?
I read somewhere many years ago, "the only truly philosophical question is suicide!" At that time I did appreciate the line. "Why should a man continue living", is a truely amazing question and occurs to most of us some time or the other in our lives. Mostly we avoid or ignore or postpone the question. I did the same. We mostly do so, I think, because we are scared that in case we find the answer to be in affirmative, then we may commit suicide. And that will stop us from enjoying our lives. Life, though confusing, has its own charm. So people discover all types of nonsense rules to stop us from thinking of suicide, e.g. "suicide is sin"!!
Few days back I read "What is Maya", an essay by Swami Vivekananda. So lucidely he has explained about "maya" and how life is interesting. My last blog reflects some of the after thoughts of that essay. As concluded there, life is interesting. But this aint any cause to continue living this life! Do you try all things that seem interesting; like trying weed?
So huge is the world. And so insiginficantly minial is our existence. Its like the life of some bacteria. You remember those scenes in some shows where they zoom-out the camera... till they show the globe! Many times I do the same in my thought process and try to go till the level of galaxy. Who really cares what you do to your friend or how to cheated your brother? Neither it matters how you helped the old blind man. Its all insignificantly insignificant.
One of my friends told, after much of discussion, "man lives for himself". OK, very well. This is like some circle then, "you live because you are alive". Let me cut the circle! If you are dead you are saved the effort to live!
PS: Well, dont think that I am gatehring suicidal tendency! Its all genuine enquiry!!
Few days back I read "What is Maya", an essay by Swami Vivekananda. So lucidely he has explained about "maya" and how life is interesting. My last blog reflects some of the after thoughts of that essay. As concluded there, life is interesting. But this aint any cause to continue living this life! Do you try all things that seem interesting; like trying weed?
So huge is the world. And so insiginficantly minial is our existence. Its like the life of some bacteria. You remember those scenes in some shows where they zoom-out the camera... till they show the globe! Many times I do the same in my thought process and try to go till the level of galaxy. Who really cares what you do to your friend or how to cheated your brother? Neither it matters how you helped the old blind man. Its all insignificantly insignificant.
One of my friends told, after much of discussion, "man lives for himself". OK, very well. This is like some circle then, "you live because you are alive". Let me cut the circle! If you are dead you are saved the effort to live!
PS: Well, dont think that I am gatehring suicidal tendency! Its all genuine enquiry!!
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