It looks like Anna and his Lokpal bill is one stop solution for all the problems India is facing. Corruption has been now so interwoven into the life of India in general. Having an independent (or autocratic) governing authority where the guilty does not even have 1 right to appeal would take corruption to newer levels that India has never seen before.
Corruption is unconstitutional as well as these modes of protesting. I always had this idea even before I came across the following website "http://pragati.nationalinterest.in/2011/05/jan-lok-pal-is-both-unconstitutional-and-unnecessary/".
BR Ambedkar himself states “If we wish to maintain democracy not merely in form, but also in fact, what must we do? The first thing in my judgment we must do is to hold fast to constitutional methods of achieving our social and economic objectives. It means we must abandon the bloody methods of revolution. It means that we must abandon the method of civil disobedience, non-cooperation and Satyagraha. When there was no way left for constitutional methods for achieving economic and social objectives, there was a great deal of justification for unconstitutional methods. But where constitutional methods are open, there can be no justification for these unconstitutional methods. These methods are nothing but the Grammar of Anarchy and the sooner they are abandoned, the better for us”. So beware all those people who are with Anna in his protests. We have now opened up a great gate to Anarchy to make way among us.
If people had taken a little time to do research before jumping into this mass hysteria of Anna'a campaign, maybe it would have forced Anna to get back to the constitutional ways of addressing issues.
From my little bit of knowledge,
1.) Create public awareness to garner public support.
2.) Get the support of NGO's.
3.) Use all modes of mediums to further drive information and support.
4.) Contact local and central government heads for attention. Have the results of these meetings published.
5.) Educate the public why the current institutions like CVC, CBI, SC, Lokayukta, and other judicial systems do not work before putting an all powerful Jan Lokpal bill under our throats.
6.) Educate people to invalidate their local constituencies during elections incase there are no progress made in curbing corruption.
7.) Form a private Not for Profit NGO who will take the initiative for campaigning and publicising the corrupt practises in all walks of life (Hmm... I remember a certain organisation by the name of "Greenpeace").
Again, these ae just some steps from an armchair activist. I am sure people with passion and real long term foresight will come up with more constitutional and effective ways of fighting this social and civil evil.
My questions for Anna and his followers:
1) Will Lokpal Bill ensure that there wont be any child slavery in the carpet industry and fireworks industry of India?
2.) Will Lokpal Bill ensure that the repressive ASFPA will be abolished in our North Eastern states and provide the basic right of freedom to our brothers and sisters there?
3.) Will Lokpal Bill ensure justice to the riot victims of 1984, 1992 and 2002?
4.) WIll Lokpal Bill ensure justice to the victims of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy?
5.) Will Lokpal Bill ensure justice to the victims of pesticide use in Swarg, Kasherkode in Kerala?
6.) Will Lokpal Bill ensure timely and efficient dealing of court cases?
7.) Will Lokpal Bill ensure that there wont be any more rampant sex-trafficking and sex-slavery in India?
8.) Will Lokpal Bill ensure that there is equal rights to our tribes?
9.) Will Lokpal Bill put an end to the divisive politics of casteism and regionalism?
10) Will Lokpal Bill become the missing wand that PM Manmohan Singh is missing to fight against corruption?
If any of the answers are no, then please tell the public as to why "Anna is India and India is Anna". Please also let us know why among all the grave problems India is facing, it is a Lokpal Bill against corruption and this protest that has been hogging the limelight in our television for such a long time.
Hope good sense prevails...
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
The Fast and the Medium of it
Its been long time in my mind and I have finally brought myself to jotting this down.
Since last couple of years, we have been seeing a number of “fasts” being used as a medium for getting attention and probably, have their demands met. This method of protest was first used in a large scale by Mahatma Gandhi with moderate success. According to me, the thing that really worked was the Non-Cooperation movement. Well, lets keep it for another day. It was still respectful but there was always a thin line (and a very thin line) separating it from blackmail.
In 2009, we had a relatively unknown politician by the name of KC Rao going into fast till death. His demand was to have a separate state of Telangana. This divisive and fragmenting a part of India ideology then received nationwide attention as well as discussions on the cabinet. Sadly, the Government of India was more worried about of the health of this politician rather than the repercussions of giving into this kind of demands. Now, I am not in a position to be aware of the reason for a separate state and how it would serve a population from a certain geographical location. This was nothing but yet again another example of the tribal mentality about which Jiddu Krishnamurthy used to speak. We have replaced certain part of the forest to a nation and sadly, as is the case in india, a certain part of the state. To hell with national unity and other so glorified patriotism. And yeah, this resulted in a few string of fast unto deaths for similar demands up in the North East.
In 2011, we had Anna Hazare going into fast to demand a Lokpal bill which is supposed to give more power to the voters. Again, the Government was enthusiastic enough to jump up for this man’s demand. I agree that it was quite an important issue but again doesn’t this just look like a blackmail. When the stake is raised to a life and then lives of the citizen, how exactly can you believe that you will get a honest response from the Government except for token promises. But then, there was media attention and highlights as well as a sense of power for which some people can go to any extremes. Then we had the theatrical fast of Ramdev Baba. Whatever credibility this medium of Satyagraha had was immediately lost and the Government resorted to one of the most shameful acts a democracy could have witnessed. Well, the less said the better.
Other than the general apathy of the government for the public unless challenged by such theatrical movements what is shameful indeed is the reason for such useless demonstrations. It has not helped India but only helped politicians earn more points to talk on. I feel for a certain Irom Sharmila (a genuine warrior poet, if there ever was one) whom the majority of the nation is not even aware of. Since 2 November 2000, she has been on hunger strike to demand that the Indian government repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA), which she blames for violence in Manipur and other parts of India's northeast.[2] Having refused food and water for more than ten years, she has been called "the world's longest hunger striker (Source – Wiki). Every year she is arrested by the police and then force fed (nasogastric intubation, a painful procedure) by the State under IPC Section 309.
The Government’s apathy towards Irom Sharmila and their action against the other mentioned fasts states something about the people who rule this “once upon a time great country”. But the thing that I feel sad about is that whereas KCR was demanding division and separation and Anna was demanding for transparency and accountability in the ruling of the government, Irom Sharmila was asking for a basic right of every living being – Freedom.
From the activist to the spiritualist- Santhara is a religious tradition of fasting unto death as followed in Jainism. It is where an individual will voluntarily avoid eating and reflect on their life till death. This will take them closer to Liberation (God, Enlightenment, Shiva). Thankfully, the Law of India does not constitute this as a “suicide”. Hopefully, it is for the respect of the tradition and the rich rationale behind it.
As always, hope good sense prevails.
P.S.: There exist a similar Hindu practice known as Prayopavesa. (Source – Wiki).
Since last couple of years, we have been seeing a number of “fasts” being used as a medium for getting attention and probably, have their demands met. This method of protest was first used in a large scale by Mahatma Gandhi with moderate success. According to me, the thing that really worked was the Non-Cooperation movement. Well, lets keep it for another day. It was still respectful but there was always a thin line (and a very thin line) separating it from blackmail.
In 2009, we had a relatively unknown politician by the name of KC Rao going into fast till death. His demand was to have a separate state of Telangana. This divisive and fragmenting a part of India ideology then received nationwide attention as well as discussions on the cabinet. Sadly, the Government of India was more worried about of the health of this politician rather than the repercussions of giving into this kind of demands. Now, I am not in a position to be aware of the reason for a separate state and how it would serve a population from a certain geographical location. This was nothing but yet again another example of the tribal mentality about which Jiddu Krishnamurthy used to speak. We have replaced certain part of the forest to a nation and sadly, as is the case in india, a certain part of the state. To hell with national unity and other so glorified patriotism. And yeah, this resulted in a few string of fast unto deaths for similar demands up in the North East.
In 2011, we had Anna Hazare going into fast to demand a Lokpal bill which is supposed to give more power to the voters. Again, the Government was enthusiastic enough to jump up for this man’s demand. I agree that it was quite an important issue but again doesn’t this just look like a blackmail. When the stake is raised to a life and then lives of the citizen, how exactly can you believe that you will get a honest response from the Government except for token promises. But then, there was media attention and highlights as well as a sense of power for which some people can go to any extremes. Then we had the theatrical fast of Ramdev Baba. Whatever credibility this medium of Satyagraha had was immediately lost and the Government resorted to one of the most shameful acts a democracy could have witnessed. Well, the less said the better.
Other than the general apathy of the government for the public unless challenged by such theatrical movements what is shameful indeed is the reason for such useless demonstrations. It has not helped India but only helped politicians earn more points to talk on. I feel for a certain Irom Sharmila (a genuine warrior poet, if there ever was one) whom the majority of the nation is not even aware of. Since 2 November 2000, she has been on hunger strike to demand that the Indian government repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA), which she blames for violence in Manipur and other parts of India's northeast.[2] Having refused food and water for more than ten years, she has been called "the world's longest hunger striker (Source – Wiki). Every year she is arrested by the police and then force fed (nasogastric intubation, a painful procedure) by the State under IPC Section 309.
The Government’s apathy towards Irom Sharmila and their action against the other mentioned fasts states something about the people who rule this “once upon a time great country”. But the thing that I feel sad about is that whereas KCR was demanding division and separation and Anna was demanding for transparency and accountability in the ruling of the government, Irom Sharmila was asking for a basic right of every living being – Freedom.
From the activist to the spiritualist- Santhara is a religious tradition of fasting unto death as followed in Jainism. It is where an individual will voluntarily avoid eating and reflect on their life till death. This will take them closer to Liberation (God, Enlightenment, Shiva). Thankfully, the Law of India does not constitute this as a “suicide”. Hopefully, it is for the respect of the tradition and the rich rationale behind it.
As always, hope good sense prevails.
P.S.: There exist a similar Hindu practice known as Prayopavesa. (Source – Wiki).
Monday, April 4, 2011
A Tale of Two Captains - Part 1
2nd April 2011 is an amazing memory for all the Indian cricket fans. Dhoni & Co deserve all the superlatives that will be hurled at them now. Of course, we all have invested emotions in this team in some way or other. Among all this euphoria, I remembered 1 man again who certainly did have a big hand in this. And it was great when Kapil cried and made me too shed a tear, but then he did make a great point. Kapil said that the process began in 2000 under the captaincy of Saurav Ganguly. He brought aggression to the team and the team completely changed under him.
I love watching the game not just for the shots or the deliveries or for the catches... but for the stories the game can tell and the characters that are exhibited. Unlike any other game, this is one of the greatest thing about cricket. It will showcase your heart, passion and intelligence. Fortunately, with the advent of TV, we are able to deciper (atleast I always notice) the body language and gestures of the players. It can be Sachin's fierce determination or Rahul's tensed and intense waiting for the bowler or Saurav's passion when he is batting to prove something or Dhoni's almost teary eyed look of dismay to square leg (when he got out in the Australia Q/f, caught at point).
So let's see if we can weave a story around the tale and times of 2 cricket captains of our nation.
Amidst all the controversy around betting and fixing and then the subsequent refusal of Sachin to take the burden (responsibility) of captaincy, it was handed over to the Prince of Kolkatta. Saurav has had a life of a prince for sure with all his riches. But then, he was hardened enough. Selected and dropped after playing just 1 game in 1992, then having the cheek to tell his father that he will be the captain of the Indian cricket team to becoming the second most reliable batsman of the Team, it was an amazing journey. Perhaps, being born in one of the most passionate regions of the country too must have helped. In his 1st match as a full time captain against South Africa in 2000, he surprised us by giving the 48th or 49th over to Rahul Dravid who then took his first wicket (Herschelle Gibbs). India had in that instance too chased down a huge total of 302 runs. But other than that, there were many changes behind the screen. Before Ganguly, the captain had no say in the Selection matters. But a defiant Ganguly fought the system and changed it. We saw a string of players coming in and also being given enough of chances. Ganguly's stubbborness for getting Harbhajan against the Aussies in the "greatest series of alltime" must be appreciated for his foresightedness. If the selectors had their say, it would be Sarandeep Singh who would have played that series and Harbhajan might have become a truck driver in USA. The injection of youth, sticking with them and giving them enough chances helped us in forming an amazing future crux of the team in the likes of Yuvraj, Mohd. Kaif (wherever he is now), Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan and yes of course, Dhoni himself. Before Ganguly, the Indian team was just an ascension from the big city teams. We would never ever hear of players who used to play for smaller cities. But then it all changed, it had too. With a huge country and keeping the selection panel too some cities would be a glaring error.
Ganguly has always trusted his instincts. He has tried his best to lead from the front. One of my friends says about a Test Match where it was too early to send in a night watchman and too late to send in Sachin. So he walked in and batted the day out. The biggest impact of Ganguly's captaincy was Rahul Dravid glaring back and charging (walking) towards the bowler who had some words for him ( if I remember correctly it was against a SAF bowler). If Dravid did that, it means that this mode of aggression was talked about in the dressing room and team meetings. There must be directives that we are not going to take it lying down. We are great crickteters and our game can do the talking but ensure that the lips do too. Australia were surprised and they still have not got over it. India were a force to reckon with. Sledge at your own peril. What a transformation? It is so difficult to even pen it down. But let me remind all of the greatest turning points of Indian Cricket, the ones which changed it all: 1.) India's win against the Aussies in 2001, the Greatest Test match ever 2.) Natwest Finals 2001 - India chasing the then highest record of 326 And both came under the captaincy of Saurav. India was never a 1 man team after that, Aussies are still getting beaten in cricket as well as the other game of sledging and the process of becoming a dominant cricketing side and the strides towards it were taken in giant strides.
For me and as would be for all the Indian fans, Ganguly waving his shirt in the "divine" Lords dressing room verandah sums up everything he was. The one who wears his heart in his sleeves, the passionate, stubborn and at times so adamant to the edge of arrogance. India had finally found a leader who did not mince words, was not interested in being a diplomat, was battle hardened with all the criticisms he had got and supported his teammates like anything.
I love watching the game not just for the shots or the deliveries or for the catches... but for the stories the game can tell and the characters that are exhibited. Unlike any other game, this is one of the greatest thing about cricket. It will showcase your heart, passion and intelligence. Fortunately, with the advent of TV, we are able to deciper (atleast I always notice) the body language and gestures of the players. It can be Sachin's fierce determination or Rahul's tensed and intense waiting for the bowler or Saurav's passion when he is batting to prove something or Dhoni's almost teary eyed look of dismay to square leg (when he got out in the Australia Q/f, caught at point).
So let's see if we can weave a story around the tale and times of 2 cricket captains of our nation.
Amidst all the controversy around betting and fixing and then the subsequent refusal of Sachin to take the burden (responsibility) of captaincy, it was handed over to the Prince of Kolkatta. Saurav has had a life of a prince for sure with all his riches. But then, he was hardened enough. Selected and dropped after playing just 1 game in 1992, then having the cheek to tell his father that he will be the captain of the Indian cricket team to becoming the second most reliable batsman of the Team, it was an amazing journey. Perhaps, being born in one of the most passionate regions of the country too must have helped. In his 1st match as a full time captain against South Africa in 2000, he surprised us by giving the 48th or 49th over to Rahul Dravid who then took his first wicket (Herschelle Gibbs). India had in that instance too chased down a huge total of 302 runs. But other than that, there were many changes behind the screen. Before Ganguly, the captain had no say in the Selection matters. But a defiant Ganguly fought the system and changed it. We saw a string of players coming in and also being given enough of chances. Ganguly's stubbborness for getting Harbhajan against the Aussies in the "greatest series of alltime" must be appreciated for his foresightedness. If the selectors had their say, it would be Sarandeep Singh who would have played that series and Harbhajan might have become a truck driver in USA. The injection of youth, sticking with them and giving them enough chances helped us in forming an amazing future crux of the team in the likes of Yuvraj, Mohd. Kaif (wherever he is now), Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan and yes of course, Dhoni himself. Before Ganguly, the Indian team was just an ascension from the big city teams. We would never ever hear of players who used to play for smaller cities. But then it all changed, it had too. With a huge country and keeping the selection panel too some cities would be a glaring error.
Ganguly has always trusted his instincts. He has tried his best to lead from the front. One of my friends says about a Test Match where it was too early to send in a night watchman and too late to send in Sachin. So he walked in and batted the day out. The biggest impact of Ganguly's captaincy was Rahul Dravid glaring back and charging (walking) towards the bowler who had some words for him ( if I remember correctly it was against a SAF bowler). If Dravid did that, it means that this mode of aggression was talked about in the dressing room and team meetings. There must be directives that we are not going to take it lying down. We are great crickteters and our game can do the talking but ensure that the lips do too. Australia were surprised and they still have not got over it. India were a force to reckon with. Sledge at your own peril. What a transformation? It is so difficult to even pen it down. But let me remind all of the greatest turning points of Indian Cricket, the ones which changed it all: 1.) India's win against the Aussies in 2001, the Greatest Test match ever 2.) Natwest Finals 2001 - India chasing the then highest record of 326 And both came under the captaincy of Saurav. India was never a 1 man team after that, Aussies are still getting beaten in cricket as well as the other game of sledging and the process of becoming a dominant cricketing side and the strides towards it were taken in giant strides.
For me and as would be for all the Indian fans, Ganguly waving his shirt in the "divine" Lords dressing room verandah sums up everything he was. The one who wears his heart in his sleeves, the passionate, stubborn and at times so adamant to the edge of arrogance. India had finally found a leader who did not mince words, was not interested in being a diplomat, was battle hardened with all the criticisms he had got and supported his teammates like anything.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
7 Khoon Maaf - Movie Review
Hmm... My brother wrote a very good review of this movie in his blog: http://summaryoflifetimes.blogspot.com/2011/02/7-khoon-maaf.html
So I went to watch this one as well. So here's my review (Possible Spoilers alert).
This movie is a supposed to be a dark psychological thriller and it might look like that for most part of the movie. But it is actually a spiritual movie and it always was, once you think about it after watching. It slowly grows on you.
Let me complete some of the technical stuff before I go to the heart of the movie. The movie has tried to create it's dark nature by having dull and dim lights more often than not. Also, the main story starts off as a narrative from a viewpoint of the boy but then they take some licenses to enhance the story by showing soem scenes which the boy could have never known. But when it came to the character of Susanna, we do not know anything more that what the boy knows. There is no room for us to introspect or judge her personally. We see her just as the boy does. That is something the movie maker never lost sight of and can be considered as a good achievement. The performances are good and very restrained. Although, I personally sensed a lot of effort on Priyanka's performance. I mean she is not a natural actor but she is a "made" actor.
Now lets focus on the heart of the movie. Susanna, the protagonist, is looking for her "father". In this case, her "father" happens to be a Jewish carpenter (AKA Jesus). She builds up her anticipation and whenever she meets "Jesus", she is somehow or the other disappointed. She was looking for the ruler of the other world among the others who were of this world. It was just matter of time when her illusions were shattered and she could never take it or let it go. These events form the most part of the movie. But then as it is said by someone, somewhere... Just one act of surrender is enough to wipe out all the past karmas. There is always hope for everyone in this world. It might not always look like that, but there is only one path. It might not be apparent, but Susanna had a lot of love in her and that was the only path for her. Thus, the metaphor of Sufi was portrayed here correctly and we can clearly associate with it. Really, once you completely surrender... what is there to be punished, and hence, a very apt title - 7 Khoon Maaf (7 Murders Forgiven).
So I went to watch this one as well. So here's my review (Possible Spoilers alert).
This movie is a supposed to be a dark psychological thriller and it might look like that for most part of the movie. But it is actually a spiritual movie and it always was, once you think about it after watching. It slowly grows on you.
Let me complete some of the technical stuff before I go to the heart of the movie. The movie has tried to create it's dark nature by having dull and dim lights more often than not. Also, the main story starts off as a narrative from a viewpoint of the boy but then they take some licenses to enhance the story by showing soem scenes which the boy could have never known. But when it came to the character of Susanna, we do not know anything more that what the boy knows. There is no room for us to introspect or judge her personally. We see her just as the boy does. That is something the movie maker never lost sight of and can be considered as a good achievement. The performances are good and very restrained. Although, I personally sensed a lot of effort on Priyanka's performance. I mean she is not a natural actor but she is a "made" actor.
Now lets focus on the heart of the movie. Susanna, the protagonist, is looking for her "father". In this case, her "father" happens to be a Jewish carpenter (AKA Jesus). She builds up her anticipation and whenever she meets "Jesus", she is somehow or the other disappointed. She was looking for the ruler of the other world among the others who were of this world. It was just matter of time when her illusions were shattered and she could never take it or let it go. These events form the most part of the movie. But then as it is said by someone, somewhere... Just one act of surrender is enough to wipe out all the past karmas. There is always hope for everyone in this world. It might not always look like that, but there is only one path. It might not be apparent, but Susanna had a lot of love in her and that was the only path for her. Thus, the metaphor of Sufi was portrayed here correctly and we can clearly associate with it. Really, once you completely surrender... what is there to be punished, and hence, a very apt title - 7 Khoon Maaf (7 Murders Forgiven).
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Life Is a Joke
"Life is a joke... The whole existence is a joke". This is a quote from Osho in some of his books. I have read it a lot of times. Haha... over the past few months, it has really struck me.
Nowadays when I read newspaper, I have a little smile or a smirk in my face. Yeah, really! I mean to read it and see what we humans are doing and how really lost we are. It might be about some government corruption or some tragic case or sports news. Ha, how much importance we give to ourselves. Yeah, it is a survival instinct but the way we have blown it up is really horrendous.
Does the sun care if I live or I die or if I am drowning or if I am burning? It will keep emitting light as long as the gas is burnt up. To be honest, I sometimes feel that if Sun had a concsiousness (like ours), it would laugh at us. It would say "Look at them, running around... Earths most intelligent species. They create divisions based on some boundaries (which I cant see and dont care), raping their own home and support some values (whatever that is is).. haa, Intelligent".
Life is a joke. It is something that I remember everyday in the morning now. How I wish I could announce it to the word? Really, in the office I see little young interns who are already cribbing about their teammates or are so serious about their "project". Hahah, how do I say that this needless significance is really ruining their "fun" at such an early age. How do I tell them to laugh it out and not take it too seriously? Then there are others experienced hires. They ask me why I am not yet an Associate or some title. I find it funny nowadays and do not even care. I laugh it out as a response, but that only gets them more serious for some reason.
Life is joke and so am I. Really! Nowadays, when I am driving and I get irritated at anyone, i remind myself of that. Then, I laugh. Hahaha... that is all there is. I do not want to fall in the trap (in which I have been for more than 28 years of this life) where I give too much importance to oneself. Whenever I get too serious about enlightenment and all that stuff, I remind myself that it is still all a joke. Just a cosmic sense of humor.
So people, all I want to state here is just laugh all your worries away and see how small or negligible they all are.
Hahahahha...
Nowadays when I read newspaper, I have a little smile or a smirk in my face. Yeah, really! I mean to read it and see what we humans are doing and how really lost we are. It might be about some government corruption or some tragic case or sports news. Ha, how much importance we give to ourselves. Yeah, it is a survival instinct but the way we have blown it up is really horrendous.
Does the sun care if I live or I die or if I am drowning or if I am burning? It will keep emitting light as long as the gas is burnt up. To be honest, I sometimes feel that if Sun had a concsiousness (like ours), it would laugh at us. It would say "Look at them, running around... Earths most intelligent species. They create divisions based on some boundaries (which I cant see and dont care), raping their own home and support some values (whatever that is is).. haa, Intelligent".
Life is a joke. It is something that I remember everyday in the morning now. How I wish I could announce it to the word? Really, in the office I see little young interns who are already cribbing about their teammates or are so serious about their "project". Hahah, how do I say that this needless significance is really ruining their "fun" at such an early age. How do I tell them to laugh it out and not take it too seriously? Then there are others experienced hires. They ask me why I am not yet an Associate or some title. I find it funny nowadays and do not even care. I laugh it out as a response, but that only gets them more serious for some reason.
Life is joke and so am I. Really! Nowadays, when I am driving and I get irritated at anyone, i remind myself of that. Then, I laugh. Hahaha... that is all there is. I do not want to fall in the trap (in which I have been for more than 28 years of this life) where I give too much importance to oneself. Whenever I get too serious about enlightenment and all that stuff, I remind myself that it is still all a joke. Just a cosmic sense of humor.
So people, all I want to state here is just laugh all your worries away and see how small or negligible they all are.
Hahahahha...
Friday, February 4, 2011
Walking in Contemplation, Driving in Sufism and Zen
I learnt the most important lesson in my life during the last week of December 2010. In Thiruvannamalai, the Swamiji spoke about the path of Contemplation. Ever since, I have been trying my best to contemplate on all my actions and all the thoughts that creep up. As soon as a lower nature thought comes into my mind (lower nature is anger, irritation, hatred, jealousy, lust, etc.), I keep asking myself the following questions “From where did this emotion come from? Why do I feel this emotion? Will it help me in realizing the truth?”. This has certainly helped me in somewhat controlling my mind and diverting it from this unnecessary feeling of upset and uncomfortability which follows it. At times, I used to experience guilt as well. While contemplating on my own emotions, I feel much more positive and peaceful as compared to before. It is an arduous task though. I still loose my equilibrium with simple gestures of others like when my mother speaks about some certain things or when a pedestrian or another driver makes a sudden turn. At times, I catch myself looking at an individual of the opposite gender and my mind is running things up and I am like “aha, this is not what I want. I only want to get as close to the Truth and this will not help me”. My samskaras (no equivalent English word) of previous lives which is reflected as “vaasnas” (impression) on my mind is not so easy to erase and it will takes years of practice to get this monkey of a mind to behave properly in tune with the higher nature. There are at times when I am about to crack a harmless joke or about to gossip but then I remind me of the real purpose of life. Even if I do give in to the whims of my mind, I keep asking my mind and remind myself about mine and everyone’s true nature... Pure Consciousness.
In December my bro explained to me about Sufi music. The concept is such that they are actually devotional songs and as per their principle/philosophy, they treat God/Self/Truth as the Beloved. Hence, their songs look like Love songs. But when you see the “true” picture, the dimension completely changes. I had heard about Sufism in Osho’s book but that was it. I had not dwelled much on it. Wow, now I have Osho’s music and then Sufi music to enjoy while I drive which only keeps me connected to “God/Truth/Self” much more than before. Then where does Zen come into this while driving. For this you need to understand a very small Koan: “Once on a rainy day, there was a Zen Master and a young monk who were walking through the forest. As per their customs, it was important that they do not interact with females in any sort of way. They came across a river which was flowing very strongly and needed to get across to the other bank. There was a lady as well on the same bank. She approached the master to help her cross the river. The master carried the lady and crossed the river. The young monk was looking at all this and was surprised that the master would touch the lady and lift her up and that too in a rainy day (all wet). After they crossed, the lady thanked the master and left. The young monk kept on thinking about this and after some time asked the master as to how and why did he break the rule and touched the lady. The Master replied “Are you still carrying her?”. “ So whenever I get irritated by the pedestrians or a driver, I get irritated by them and feel the anger. But I do not let it grow any further. Otherwise, the impression on my mind is that much more. Hopefully, would learn to “live in the moment” in this way which is one of the core teachings of Zen as well as Sufi.
In December my bro explained to me about Sufi music. The concept is such that they are actually devotional songs and as per their principle/philosophy, they treat God/Self/Truth as the Beloved. Hence, their songs look like Love songs. But when you see the “true” picture, the dimension completely changes. I had heard about Sufism in Osho’s book but that was it. I had not dwelled much on it. Wow, now I have Osho’s music and then Sufi music to enjoy while I drive which only keeps me connected to “God/Truth/Self” much more than before. Then where does Zen come into this while driving. For this you need to understand a very small Koan: “Once on a rainy day, there was a Zen Master and a young monk who were walking through the forest. As per their customs, it was important that they do not interact with females in any sort of way. They came across a river which was flowing very strongly and needed to get across to the other bank. There was a lady as well on the same bank. She approached the master to help her cross the river. The master carried the lady and crossed the river. The young monk was looking at all this and was surprised that the master would touch the lady and lift her up and that too in a rainy day (all wet). After they crossed, the lady thanked the master and left. The young monk kept on thinking about this and after some time asked the master as to how and why did he break the rule and touched the lady. The Master replied “Are you still carrying her?”. “ So whenever I get irritated by the pedestrians or a driver, I get irritated by them and feel the anger. But I do not let it grow any further. Otherwise, the impression on my mind is that much more. Hopefully, would learn to “live in the moment” in this way which is one of the core teachings of Zen as well as Sufi.
My Koan - I wrote
Once there was a young monk who had travelled all over the country and it’s holy places. He had also lived in forests and caves. Still he had not yet realized the Self. Then once when he was passing thorugh a village, he heard of a Swami who everyone claimed to be Self Realised. This young monk thought of meeting him and asking him how he did it. So he went to meet the monk who was just sitting under a tree. The young monk went, bowed down and with folded hands asked the monk, “I have visited all the places that one can visit, practiced all the methods of concentration and have not yet realized the Self. Please tell me if I have missed anything”. The Swami looked towards him and then burst out in laughter. He almost rolled on the floor. At that moment, the young monk got enlightened.
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