Abstraction - The saving grace for the damned

Legend goes that whenever the ostrich lands itself in trouble, it  buries its head deep into the sand as to
try and "escape" the immediate danger. Of course if such were the case, the ostrich would've gone extinct
long ago, but if this "escape" were to be applied not literally, but in a metaphysical way...

Scene:
Cobb is living an average life with the usual average elements required. By a quirk of probability, more
acceptable to humans as Fate, Cobb gets into trouble. Now... these troubles by virtue of their nature are
beyond Cobb's control, so try as much as he may, the outcome will be zilch. The trouble will last its
course and if Cobb survives, Cobb survives.

M C Escher

But there exists a solution and may or may not be the most perfect solution. Cobb can immerse himself
into metaphysical structures (aka dreams, aka imagination) and be lost in its depths infinitely. By this
way, Cobb is spared the misery of having to consider the everyday existence of his troubles.

Navigating through the realms of space and time where logic prevalent on Earth does not hold true (1+1
may or may not equal 2 here depending upon circumstance), Cobb will spiral into what promises to be
an endless adventure.

And the spiral begins when Cobb opens a bottle titled "Eat Me" and proceeds to swallow what looks
like a red pill...

Brave boys don't cry

Brave: A person who's bold enough rise above their present circumstances through sheer grit and strength.

But does it always have to be physical? And why's it that "braves" who've survived hailstorms of bullets and arrows, had such fragmented emotional lives...? Emotionally fragile which eventually turned into emotionally frigid, and denuding them of basic human tenets. But this frigidity also developed a sense of "Devil may care!" fearlessness. With little or no grounding in terms of human relationships, the "braves" became the men we know today, as legends.

The American "Wild West" was built by pioneers; descendants of European settlers. Fearless wild men who weren't hesitant to end arguments over a gun fight.

Tristan, from Legends of the Fall

Of course, they went on to become legends, men far greater in stature in their epitah than they were in real life. For all their bravado and courage, they were in the end a bunch of lonely men.

European aka Western civilization honours the man who ventures off the beaten path to ensure safety for his comrades. The myth of manliness revolves around these perpetually fighting men. And it's not a recent phenomena. Right from Mars, the Roman God of War, Jupiter aka Zeus who was no less violent (but also equally lecherous!) outdoorsmen have been showered with praise and glory for their might and wit. But were they just as strong inside? Most probably not....

Fleeing from the law, broken families, or inherently fearing "settlement into civilization"; the "brave" took up jobs no one else wanted. An emotional experience can be much more overwhelming than a physically violent one. After all, the worst that can happen in a war is you get killed. But dealing with the trauma of heartbreak or guilt only means dying every day, seeking ways to expunge the hurt and the pain, and when unable to find one, taking to drink.

Many "braves" had a bloody past

Name it and you have it, numerous Western epics begin with the protagonist as a wasted man, poring over drink and getting into petty fights. Why? He had been responsible for the death of innocent native Americans during the Indian Wars. Blood doesn't wash off as easy as dirt, and a troubled conscience can only be dulled into numbness by alcohol. And so he wastes himself over drink, and signs up for daredevil adventures which come with the promise of fortune, and a very high probability of getting killed.

History, and to a certain extent, the present still glorify people who've gone out of their way to succeed in life, but often they overlook the deep and troubled past that these people come from. Perhaps its time to also appreciate the hero who lives a rather simple life in comparison, but deals with vicious emotional monsters just as the hero battles physical demons and bad guys.

The greatest battle is not fought on hallowed grounds and without a drop of blood getting spilt, great
horrors are committed and tragedies happen. These battles rage ceaselessly in the minds of people. Those who face these monsters inside of them, everyday, deserve to be called brave.

Riding the tiger - Controlling the vote bank

Riding a tiger is a sign of ultimate power and control. To control the tiger requires great strength and leadership but what about getting off the tiger's back? What then?

The political tiger:

Fearsome, powerful and uncontrollable; the political tiger is however not an organized being. Masses of disgruntled people, united by a common cause and fired by frustration and anger, when united form the formidable tiger. Individuals within this organism control and help keep unity within the pack. Energies and tensions run high and the chances of them turning on each other is a possibility too.

Once united and armed, the political tiger is available for hire for any party willing to pay the required dues. And what pray tell are the dues? The greatest demands by these disgruntled people are often simple and easy to provide which makes them an attractive option for political parties seeking votes in good numbers.

What brings votes?

Democracy --> People --> Vote. What brings votes and popularity? A politically correct answer would be performance. Development of the region in terms of infrastructure, economic health, social security and overall maintenance of order and law. However, people being people and more so being the case not so educated people, this is gooblydook! The words democracy, infrastructure, social security wouldn't simply be understood by most people for reasons many (calls for a different topic by itself). What matters are immediate demands being met, and cash is understood by everyone except children but we're talking about adults here...

Administrator v/s Rabble Rouser:

For a country governed by red tapism and slow moving democratic machinery, administration is a difficult task and might take well over five years; the average allowed tenure for a political party to be in power. As mentioned before, administration requires hard work and application of intelligence. This requires coordinating a large body of people for work; and results are not available immediately. What's the quick fix for this? Support a "cause", and support it violently.

The rabble rouser doesn't care two hoots about the people or the place or just about anything to do with effective work. The rabble rouser wants public support and power to do just about what it can do. And where's the rabble available for the rabble rouser? The political tiger steps into the picture just about here.

The rats overrun the city:

The flaws in administrative technique make problem redressal a little slow, and this stokes emotions and tempers high. Couple this with problems of over-population, poor infrastructure and social inequality and you'll see a gory picture taking form...

The politician in charge of the rabble rousing party thunders on the public podium, "We have been betrayed by the State, there's no one to take care of us! We shall address your woes..." Sounds familiar...?

"We must crush this vermin, we must destroy this plague of our nation" - Adolf Hitler in a public speech directing the ire of the German people upon Jews.

Direct action is provided for and there's no need for thought, fore or after, just action for the moment. The tiger now roars, a collective roar that challenges the present day government, threatening to topple its fragile hold over the people. The individuals within the collective tiger are at work, busy directing and charging people.

The tiger's roar's such that even educated citizens otherwise thoughtful and calm are charged into action. "We have found the enemy, we must crush the enemy!" With a synchronized breakdown of law and order alongwith skulls and bones, the democratic machine comes to a grinding halt. Congratulations, you have just selected a mindless juggernaut as your ruler.

Is the ride over?

The tiger is discontent or is supposed to have the air of unease and ferocity. Hey, its supposed to look so even if its not so! The individuals now begin to demand action and rewards, most importantly, rewards. The party has now to appease the tiger and keep it satiated, and also present an air of diplomacy and legality as a ruler of the people; educated as well as not so educated.

The educated people demand results and pulling rabbits out of the hat doesn't divert its attention from the party's activities. Enter the needler.

The needler is a meddlesome mosquitoe who's educated more than required, in fact more than the political party's leaders thought to be existent. Some decisive pokes and jabs and the picture becomes clear. "Where the f... is my tax money going? Why don't i see any action happening on the administrative front? Are you making an ass of me and the people?"

The party now has to respond to this direct threat of questions and although stifling the questioner by way of a bullet's cheap, it can have severe repercussions on the future for the party. This does not mean the option is not exercised and the tiger does like fresh meat and blood from time to time.

Torn between the inability to administer the government and inability to maintain a tight grip on the tiger; the party begins to flounder and then founder. Slowly but certainly, the party faces an indecisive future.

Can the party survive on mere mindless action?

"There exists no black or white, only subtle shades of grey" -- Anon

Efficient administrators are found in every political outfit, be it the administrative elephant or the rabble rousing tiger rider. The people strike a chord with the local populace who cast their votes in favour of these people. These are the trump cards of the party and can change the future of the party if they choose. Very expensive trump cards.

"I care not who rules the state as long as my local governor's doing a good job"

If this be the public statement and thought, the trump card holds sway. What of the tiger? Do we dismantle the tiger? No no no, that's the core ideological driver of the party.

Discontent can be maintained only by deprival. And this deprival of the tiger is maintained by the individuals who charge and control the collective animal. Destruction of public property is an excellent exercise for the tiger, and provides for some much needed adrenaline rush. For what reason? In a country with a thousand customs and cultures, there's always some reason for anger and discontent. Topped with poverty and illiteracy, the tiger retains its teeth. This means the disgruntled poor, remain poor and disgruntled.

Moral of the story?

Vote for the effective administrator who does not rely on violent tactics and promise quick fix solutions. Rome was not built in a day...

The sum of all things

The only thing ever constant is change. It's funny that we (most of us) know about it, but somehow
somewhere fail to make the connect with it in real life's terms. It's perfectly acceptable in virtual reality,
a video game or something that bothers us, but not enough to sit back and grumble for a while...

"No matter what you do, it'll all total up to zero. In nothingness we began, and in nothingness shall we
end. Energy cannot be created, energy cannot be destroyed. It can only transform itself through space and time."

The professor's voice could be heard in the aisle and the classroom where he was teaching was shut. This sounded interesting.

Question: What was more interesting? A sixty year old man talking mathematics or a cuppa latte with a pretty young something new in college. Raging hormones and youth spelt the obvious (you're not
human if you picked the professor!) and i quickened my pace.
"Mathematics holds the key to life, this life, all those before and those to come still. Try if you may to
bend it", the professor was challenging the class. For reasons beyond the ken of my understanding,
Murphy's logic and some other mysterious forces, the next thing that i remember seeing was standing
by the side of the chalk board. And the class was empty if not for the professor addressing whoever it was
he was addressing.

"I sense an eager young mind keen to challenge the game itself! Perhaps you should play the 'Game'! The famous game developed by your fellow alumnus John Nash. Perhaps that'll teach you something about the equation."

And so the ball of wool began to unravel...

Q. Why should the equation end in an endgame?
A. Why not? Why should it end in finito?

Q. What is finito?
A. Finito would mean the end of the universe as we know it. Zero is a mysterious number and is poorly misunderstood to denote nothing. Yet two zeroes joined together at the side, stretched out sideways equal infinito.

Q. What does infinity have to do with the Endgame?
A. Infinity has no end, nor a beginning. This is the perfect playground for very many beginnings and ends. Consider it to be a vast chalk board with a magic duster.

Q. And the duster cleans the board at a periodic interval?
A. Yes it does, so another game can begin only to end sometime later.

Q. Doesn't this sound stupid to you professor?
A. I wouldn't dare say the equation's stupid. Not when i'm just another variable in it.

Q.. What makes you think you're a variable?
A. Answer it yourself sir. Do you believe yourself to be a constant...?

I was fumbling for an answer. A stump is one of those questions where the brain's trying to retrieve a
wise ass answer to the question but not..

The tables had turned on me!

Q. Do you believe you are in the same state as you were when you were born?
A. No

Q. Did you not change form, attitude, opinion and just about everything material and immaterial about yourself?
A. Yes...

Q. Do you not believe you're changing every minute as we speak? A cell in your body dies so two more
can take its place. The RNA is believed to be divided equally among the two cells but in reality, information is lost in transit, lost in transmission. And your body forgets small signs of how you really were, and so you grow old thus...

A. Agreed but...

Q. And still you believe you're a constant and not a variable in the equation?
A. Agreed that i'm a variable but where's proof of the equation.

            A^2 + B^2+ 2*(A+B)+...

Q. Tell me what does this mean?
A. It's an equation...

Q. Thank you for the revelation Einstein but tell me is the value of the constant equal during any part of the equation described here...?
A. No, it is not...

Q. Why is that so?
A. Because the operands affect the variable

Q. Precisely. Think of it in life's terms, think of it as an end game equation, what'd be the outcome?
A. Nothing

Q. So shouldn't there be something that changes the variables across the journey through the equation?
Specially if its an endgame equation?
A. Yes, the variables will be transformed from one value to another until they finally become zero

Q. Does this not apply in life as well?
A. I don't quite understand how do they relate with life.

Q. You're happy, you move on from happy to very happy. You win the affection of your girlfriend, your
job's going on full steam, and then...
A. I suddenly stand deprived of it all someday, only to gain something else some other day.

Q. It's never the same thing that you get back, do you?
A. Never quite the same that i get back after losing...

Q. What does that teach you in life?
A. Don't expect much from life...?

Q. Wrong. Across the journey through the equation, you go through numerous highs and lows, but to
treat each and every unique transition with wide eyed wonder and curiosity mean...
A. To treat every unique transition means the final outcome does not bother me

"That means i enjoy the sum of the parts more than the sum of the whole, which means life no longer
seems troublesome."



The professor was smiling, "You have it there my friend, you've cracked the equation's riddle!"

Q. But what decides the operations in the equation? Who decides the operators?
A. That my friend, we shall talk about some other day, shall we? I believe you must hurry now for a
certain young something awaits you impatiently at the coffee shop.

Ciao professor!
Ciao my friend!

From Prajapati comes the problem, from Prajapati will come the solution...

Greetings dear reader! It feels good when the pen meets paper and what's produced is a little better than scribble and gibberish. Although i'm working on a different story at the moment, this small hint of opinion shared by a fellow traveler in a train could not be deferred for later.

If life be termed a long journey traversing across people, places and emotions; experience would be the keepsake we collect along the path as a memento from the place, like a snapshot in time. Ruminating over this experience over a period of time and perhaps with the collection of other experiences, wisdom can be extracted from the experience. Call it the distillation of wisdom from experience :)

It's too early to talk about wisdom but the experience nevertheless is worth sharing. Returning from a scouting program in a forest near Mumbai with a few friends, we boarded the train at the railhead for Matheran, the popular hill station near Bombay. Boarding the train alongwith me were a motley crew of other travelers. Each driven by a personal motive and requirement, each headed to someplace.

Seated opposite and next to me were three gentlemen of three different yet similar sorts. Let's speak about the similarities before delving into differences. All three were working class men, the kind who'd prefer discussing matters at ground zero with the sleeves rolled up for some hard work. No time for wishy washy and bullshit with them. Two among them were Moslems and one was a Hindu speaking of differences of the religious sort. Seemingly unmindful of their religious orientations and leaving such divine differences to whosoever may care, they shared a common zest for life and exchanged humour ribald and colourful!

Normally, we wouldn't have exchanged anything beyond the slightest of glances and gone about minding our own business but that day wasn't exactly what can be classified normal. A German national (also my friend) was with us and on a rainy day wanted to stand at the train's door and enjoy the cool and wet kiss of the strong breeze. That was reason more than enough to get all the three men curious.

The easiest way to get drawn into a conversation in what seems like a closed group is to listen to what's being discussed and nod in accordance when words of weight are exchanged. I was the new joinee into the conversation and the topic of discussion was feet, women's feet.

"They say the women of Misr are some of the most beautiful on Earth" one of the Moslems, an elderly faithful replete with the skull cap reiterated for the emphasis. Must have arrived at this conclusion either from the Quran which definitely would have texts about Misr or would have heard from fellow travelers.

"The loveliest of feet God could ever create were gifted to the women of Italy. Italian women have beautifully shaped feet." The elderly Moslem's younger neighbour held his opinion.

 "Kaise pata tumko? How do you know?" The third voice erupted rather indignantly from my side. As if you've held and caressed women's feet all these years. Quite preposterous to presume i'd believe you (or so that my neighbour might have been thinking!).

"I have worked with a shoe manufacturer for a while. I used to prepare the dies for the shoes and this meant measuring women's feet. The best i've ever come across were Italian women's feet."

The proof that he'd worked with a shoemaker somehow sounded convincing and the point was driven across and accepted as well. The speaker looked at me mutely expecting a nod of approval or a response in favour but i merely smiled weakly. Never smile when in strange company, they assume the smile to be a sign of weakness. Which they in the end did assume...

"Where's your friend from?"
"Germany"
"What's she doing here?"
"Studying"
"What is she studying?"
"Language"
"She came to India from Germany to study...?"
"Yes"
"Are there no universities in Germany she couldn't find that she had to come to India?"
"..."
"What are you doing?"
"Working"
"Where are you working?"
"Chemical company. The ones who make Baygon"
"Oh! The Baygon company? Where do you work?"
"Powai"
"How much do you earn?"
"Something around 30 grand..."
"You came to India to earn 30 grand? Better to have stayed there in Germany"
"I'm not German"
"Ah, i see. So where are you from..."

Curiosity is a bug bite which cannot be satisfied with a bout of scratching. The more you scratch, the more the feeling to scratch increases. Given a "responsive" chappie quite open to talking, the questions kept coming. Never mind the subtle hint that i wasn't interested in talking. Perhaps they knew and didn't care or simply didn't know from my one word answers.

"How's education in Germany like?"
"They have technical universities out there. Applied Sciences and stuff. You know, everyday stuff which makes you employable."

The conversation meandered as does conversation when the conversants are from completely unrelated backgrounds. It'd be rightful to say there were two conversations, one between the elderly Moslem and his neighbour and me and my neighbour.

"You see the population of India? You see the population in this city?"
"Yes..."
"You see the government tried to stop us. They tried with all their might to control our numbers, but the numbers weren't asmuch dented or scratched. What does it say...?"
"..."
"Which community is the richest community in India...?"

This was a question that could make or break the moment and before you know it there might erupt a sudden flash of steel and crimson if the response weren't what the questioner expected.

"It's hard to pin it to one community. Well, there are people..."

"It's the Hindus. Hindus are the richest among the lot. Don't take me for a Moslem brother, i'm a Hindu..."

"There's someone called God you know? God is the divine string puller. Doctors and their lot pretend to cure and save their patients, but He's the final authority who sanctions life and death..."

"Yes..."

"God made me, God made you. He gave you money and education, he didn't give me education. You must be grateful to your parents. They sweated and toiled to give you life and a good education. Their sacrifice means you have a good life today..."

"Yes indeed. Amen to all parents..."

"God make the rich man, God made the poor man. Some become egotists because of their wealth but what good will that wealth hold before God? It's all the same to Him, nothing at all."

"Yes..."

"I don't have much education that's why i eke out a living. My father could hardly read the ABC. But i've educated my children. My son surfs on the Internet..."

"Good..."

"Everything we have is God's gift. Everything comes from Him ultimately..."

"Yes, i'm with you on this..."

There was a brief interval of silence. These brief spasms of silence can often snuff out conversations (or monologues) such as these which weren't invited in the first place but i wanted to know what divine logic spurred this man to have a family even when he had the most basic of salaries.

"Do you think it's wise for a poor man to have a large family? Don't you think the man must focus on making a living decent enough for himself before taking on a family...?"

(Profound silence. The question has hit a deep vein)

"What makes you think the man supports his family? Do you support your family? No! God supports you and your parents. If you were to die tomorrow, God will tend to them. Do you think He'll let them perish...?He will not do so..."

I was right about the deep vein of emotion being gouged open for the sentiment flowed from the heart.

"God will provide for everyone. Everything is God's gift to us. Children are God's gifts. Don't you think, don't you dare think you support your family just off your money. God will provision money for you no matter what..."

(Wonder where would that money come from if i weren't suitably employed was the thought in my head...)

"When i had my first born, i was hardly earning enough for myself. Today, my son surfs on the Internet. He's an educated man. Educated people (a direct jib at me) think they know everything there is to know in life. They refuse to believe in God. But God exists, God provides. If i were to think i could'nt have a family, where'd i be, eh? Answer me..."

"Hmm..." (Nodding in approval)

"Remember this. God exists and God provides..."

The conversation then wandered back to the original participants as the rivulets merge into the source and i was left at peace. My friend was still at the door while the action took place and ended and silence took over again until they got off the train at their destination.

"From Prajapati comes the problem, from Prajapati will come the solution..." - Ancient Hindu Purana

From the journals of a young man - Event and Experience

One of the benefits of having a cognitive mind is the ability to observe and interpret events that happen in everyday life. Inspiration is seldom genuine when the genesis of the idea can be traced back to a requirement which materialized due to a certain event. This little "fact" attains an extremely high level of importance when you understand and you know, human beings are social beings.

That means we are bombarded by events and experiences every single day. Each experience and event is unique in its own way. The uniqueness of the event/experience depends upon the reaction of the person who acts out the event and also on the perception of the recipient as to how does he/she interpret it. Enough theory for now, let me explain the fact by way of an event...

Event:

After the sun sets, time seems to become pleasant for the simple reason being that there's no more oppression by way of the sun's heat. Evolving around the sun dial, our life also turns around with the sun's movements. Sundown is the time for relaxing, going home, and spend a few hours from the day which has invariably in one way or the other, spent in pursuit of actions which have little relevance to everyday life (the only incentive here being the salary that's being paid!)

One fine evening it was the perfect time to leave the workplace which i did and given the day's worth of effort, a little libation was certainly welcome. Alcohol would be a splendid way of relaxing but impediment occurred by way of the lack of good company and disturbance in the senses (i wasn't home!) Such be the situation, difficulty calleth for suitable measures. In other words, a cup of tea by the road side stall would have to suffice as libation :)

Simple pleasures such as these are by virtue commonly available and do not possess an air of fanciness (cafes and parlours being on a completely different tangent!) A streetside hand cart, bicycle with a small flask and some glass and plastic cups would be more than enough. Rich and poor, people flock to these "momentary messiahs" winding their way back. And this is where the protagonist of our story was present too.

Speaking of events and experiences, its upto the recipient to absorb and interpret them no matter where the origin may be. The protagonist was a four legged resident of the locality and was spending time the way he knew best ( barking, chasing cars without fruit and... :) )

It had been a warm day and the he too seemed to be feeling the effect of it. He was ambling around without much worry or concern quite happy that the day had ended on a savoury note probably. That's when a passerby (human) swung at his tail with his towel ever so gently touching the tail. Uptil then, the dog was ambling perhaps to find a snack or attend some other pressing concern. No sooner did the towel touch the tail, his bearing and sense of direction was completely lost! Totally!

Forgetting what was he originally intending to do, he turned around to see what was it that touched his tail. Ideally on finding no one or nothing, what should have been his reaction? Get back to business right? No!

The man who swung the towel was by then already melting into the crowd from whence he'd materialized but the protagonist was now left without a sense of purpose and direction, at the mercy of Fate akin to a tumbleweed blowing in the wind...

Experience:

You'd be absolutely natural if you paid little heed to this event and probably quit reading the story and perhaps add a cuss word or two as compliment and get back to business. Perfect!

But this is an important event in one way and affects our life too. How? Aren't we equally distracted by inconsequential events, incidents and people? The slightest whisk to our present state of being and we're completly off balance floundering as if the world around us had collapsed. Perhaps if we were living in Neverland and the effect of the magical mushrooms had ended, this might mean the end of our world as we know it. A tragedy it'd be indeed if the magical mushrooms weren't available freely and we weren't able to return to Neverland...

But here's a proposition...

Regarding every event in our life with equal consequence but attaching no weights to it (the weight of attachment), we can live life almost seamlessly, transcending from one experience into the other without affecting our state of mind. Sounds lofty, let's see this with an example.

A person working for 20 years in an organization is suddenly asked to leave (the state of mind is momentarily disturbed). Normal circumstances would mean he'd be depressed, hurt and would be gloomy. Instead, if the person simply finds something else to do in life (which would provide for livelihood) and the central direction of life being (the aim of life) to stay happy, the person would almost be immune to the event of getting fired. For all we know, the person might react favourably too and change the course of his/her life...

Enough said for now, the tea cup's long since run dry and the rumbles in the stomach point the direction homeward :)

From the journals of a young man - Bliss

"To be or not to be is the question" or so said Hamlet. Life as we know it has always revolved around duality. To be, or not to be. Was there never a third path out?

And so pondering over questions of such gravity, i set out on my quest yet again. The recent past had been revolving around the mentioned duality and its ensuing conundrum. Needless to mention, it brought alongwith it, the pain of anticipation. Every action produces a reaction which in turn is an action for yet another reaction, and so the cycle of life simply moves on...

In short, if you're a participant in the vagaries of life, you will undoubtedly be coloured by it. How to choose to accept those colours, is your state of mind.

Walking along the stretch i'd like to call Smokersville. Quite literally the Biblical Valley of Death, people come here for a moment's worth of relaxation. The relaxation here, is a moment's worth of peace. It comes at a price but there may be difficulties which may be so grave, that even the exorbitant price demanded by the cancer stick seems affordable, or so i'd like to think.

Observe carefully any random incident or event in life, and you'll find the solution to life's troubles written large all over it.

Smokersville wasn't the place i'd find people sipping Cappucino, so let's take the example of a cigarette. Even the humble cigarette has much more to offer than its share of momentary pleasure and eventual cancer.

 The first and the last puff of the ignominious cancer stick (which's now getting the attention of a TV spiritual guide!) are the toughest parts of the whole. Can we associate it with birth and death? Let's say we do. It's true that these two are the toughest transitions in the whole journey, the rest is just smooth cakewalking :)

The smoke wavers here and there, variable with the wind. Take a deep breath (needn't take the puff from the cig though!) and think, isn't the wavering wind somewhat similar to life itself...??

Just as the smoke dances to the tune of the wind, our emotions dance to the tune of life's music. There are those who've learnt to waltz through that music and walk out when the music ends, but for the rest of us mortals, doesn't it make more sense to still the mind from such excessive variability...??

If the mind learns the art of stillness, music or no music, there'd be the state of bliss forever. This bliss far exceeds mere pleasures of the senses. There's a great pleasure when the senses which were born to look out turn inwards, as if the river suddenly decided to run back to the mountains. Happiness and sadness then become states of mind, and not of being. The only state of being then, is immortal bliss...

Paying respects to the humble cancer stick and its patrons, it was time to move along. The road i was walking along had its share of eccentricity. Pain transformed into pleasure within the next 150 meters. How'd this happen? The road from Smokersville led directly into a Lover's Lane.

"Amour's pleasure and bachelor's pain; welcome one and all to Lover's Lane!"

Free from the prying eyes of society (or so they thought!), couples secretly and openly engage in what's democratically termed "Public Display of Affection". As much as i'd like to give them their space, the city does not afford such luxuries for us both.

Even the lovelorn couples have something worth sharing (beyond their love of course!) In Hindu mythology, action is termed karma and the reason for action is rasa. Action earns merit and demerit and the same cycle of action reaction follows again. All this can be brought down to one element called rasa.

If the rasa can be indulged in but without the longing for result, would it not change the world forever? How beautiful would it be to love and love freely but expect nothing in return? Jealously, longing, pain, grief; none of those emotions would ever hold true, ever...

 The mind firmly withdrawn and set in its place, every action engaged in will then be only a means to an end. It's impossible not to engage in action in a world that's ruled by action and reaction. Solace in the distant Kailasa is not an option for us all, but to live life with detachment, aye that's quite feasible...

What's the reward? Bliss. Sheer undisturbed bliss. Freedom from dualities, freedom from pain and emotion, freedom from life's vagaries, a small measure of peace...