Contradictions galore

I saw a person at the restaurant.  He was impeccably dressed, looked gentle, wished the gate-keeper good morning as he entered and wore a smile at people.  I thought of him as a gentleman.  He chose a seat at the centre table.  The bearer came to him.  He smiled at the bearer and ordered something, which the bearer took down.  A little later the bearer returned and told him what he ordered was not available.  I saw a twitch in the man’s face, and he started shouting at the bearer.  He told the bearer that he should have checked the position before he took the order… that he was a regular customer and not once did this happen… that he comes to the restaurant only for that item… … .  He threw expletives at the bearer and generally at the restaurant.  And walked out.

He left me wondering at my big mistake.  I thought he was a gentleman.  Well… he may still be one, but perhaps one that cannot take a disappointment.  For all that, not many of us handle disappointments particularly well, but the thing that got me astonished was the striking contradictions in the man.

I have a friend who is very intelligent, but extremely talkative.  He is so intelligent that I don’t do without his advice on matters of importance.  If I have to call him, I think well before lifting the phone if I have enough time.  It is very hard to focus on topics, for he often goes tangentially into unrelated stuff, and gives me a run for my money to bring the core subject back as the focus of talks.

There is a store nearby.  The owner started it as a petty shop a few years back and grew it into a sizable store with sheer enterprise.  But he is so forgetful that I often find myself in an argument with him (he was the owner cum cashier) over the change that he has to tender.  He forgets what he received, and asks me how much did I give him.  He looks at me with suspicion when he tenders the change.  He may be doing it to many, but still survived in business.

I once worked with a guy, who is extremely smart.  He took our organisation to great heights.  But he was eccentric, unpredictable, frequently changed his stand on matters, cared a damn for co-workers’ welfare and generally looked troubled.

Contradictions galore, I thought.  Everywhere around.

I couldn’t understand why people can’t stay in balance.  I thought to myself that I was blessed not to have such contradictions in me, until one day when my boss told me, “You are very efficient.  But you are lazy at the same time.”

We see several polarities in the society we live in.  Rich and poor, police and thief, the dominant and the submissive, … … .  Why can’t we have a better place, more balanced?

A while back I was looking to buy a car.  I wanted a particular variant, many features were amazing but the audio system was a showdown.  I asked if that could be taken out for I wanted to buy one of my own choice.  The vendor said, “Sorry sir, it comes as a package.”

Does life come as a package too?

Yes, You can fly !

There are these phrases that get us thinking.

I consider those best that get us till the very nature of human existence.

This one stayed with me for a while.

"Yes, you can fly!"

To fly, to the human, has probably been the deepest desire. To be able to fly as effortlessly as the eagle, surveying his habitat from a height, enjoying the cool weather up there and watching all of serene nature from a distance pleasing and comfortable to the eye.

To fly, is to the human, the ultimate challenge. Man has, for centuries watched with awe the flying objects, the kite, the paper airplane, the Frisbee, the boomerang, the birds…, for it is his constant complaint to his Maker for being partial towards those that are blessed with flight.

To be able to fly, is to the human, an idea of freedom… freedom from the shackles of his boring slow speed life, and the liberating entry into a world full of speed and charm, a free world where there are no physical boundaries, the dimensions of life are innumerable, the vision is that of a vast expanse, and free from the limitations of distance.

So this one, to me, was very refreshing, and reassuring that I am actually free. "Yes, you can fly!"

But the phrase went on. "Yes, you can fly! But the birds would lose their charm."

The statement was the ultimate betrayal. My dream was disparaged. Why should the birds lose their charm? If I fly ?

It took me a while to understand. Don't we often find that the things that we most crave for, when we get them, aren't as good as we expected? Don't we often land with dirty surprises with situations that we didn't visualize in our dreams?

The question is… Is it always about the other bank of the river looking green? In fact, it often is.

The many things that we yearned for… the bike, the car, the job, the destination… do we actually enjoy them for a fair length of time? Or do we get used to them pretty quickly?

May be… we need to be content with what we have, for there are troubles with all walks, and no path is free of hassles.

Heart-rending Realities

I am sure most of us in India would have been through this. Imagine this scene.

As you fall back in the soft cushion seat of your luxury car, enjoying the smoothness of the drive, your driver stops at a traffic signal.

Looking at the fleet of vehicles, you tell your friend that more people have become affluent, the infrastructure has improved, good models of cars are around.. industrial growth.. economic strength...

And you hear a knock at your power window.. (and at your conscience..) you turn to see this beautiful but dirty little one extending her hand.. asking for your mercy..

She is in rags, her hair is tardy and untied, she is dirty, you can't say if she is fair or dark.. and there she stands extending her hand.. begging to you for a few..

You think in a moment that if she was in school she would be in first standard, she would be at best 6 years old.. and she already has faced all the hunger that you have had in all your life.. and more.. and take pity on her..

You impulsively reach to your pocket, but remember that you have read somewhere that by giving alms to children you encourage them to beg more.. for a while you decide not to help her.. and turn away..

She calls out again feebly with a voice broken by tiredness..

You can't stand your own indifference.. and you turn towards her again.. and she is limping with all the blisters in the sole of her feet.. and her dull eyes appear to have lost the capability to shed tears..

You think of the comfort that the Lord has granted to you, and feel a sense of grief for her.. you feel a pain in your throat.. and you decide to help her.. and you find this time that you have only a note of ten. Your heart tells you to reach it to her.. but something tells you that ten is too much for alms..

As you are engaged in this petty fight with yourself, there is green and you start moving.

Why is it that sometimes we are indifferent to our own feelings? What has our education done to our empathy? Why is there this disconnect between our heart and our mind? Are we taking a higher share of life than our rightful due? Are we actually taking a share of life that may actually belong to others? May be our greed is partly a cause of her hunger. If every individual takes from nature only what he NEEDS for his livelihood, will hunger in the world be banished?

Research this. Research your indifference. Yield to your heart more than to your mind. Be a human. Make a difference.

What do you want to do the next time this happens?

Give her money? Or give her some food? By doing anything do you think you alter her standard of living?

Perhaps we need to do more.. for the thousands of such little angels around us. Every one of us can spare a step to banish hunger.

LIMIT YOUR WANTS. The purpose of wealth is to give. Be it money, material, knowledge, wisdom, ... SHARE IT. And this step of yours will be the giant leap for mankind.

High Thinking, Plain living

How long has it been since you were at a seaside?

How long has it been since you visited the hills?

How long has it been since you cared for a stare at the stars?

How long has it been since you watched the birds in your own backyard?

Man has a constant urge to research. This urge meets its prey when you spare some time for nature.. and it grows on this food. When research leads you from one question to another.. and to another.. and until you find no answer to one, you actually succeed. You revel in the paradox of where loss is success.

Consider the variety of shells that you gather at the seaside. Or the variety of flora that you see at the hills. Or the insignificance that you feel at the expanse of the universe. Or the wondrous colours of birds... Have you wondered at the purpose of creation? Or the purpose of life? Or the need for all the variety in creation? Is this the Maker's way of showing off his creative affluence? If He has created the butterflies for us to see and enjoy, who has He created us for to see and enjoy?

Or may be.. may be.. it is all created to keep us attracted. May be.. the purpose is not to reveal the Truth. Or may be.. we need to think beyond the attraction.. and the conditioning that keeps us attracted.

While man has researched everything that is physically manifest, right until he found the atom.. and continued still.. until he found the quark, the world of the unmanifest and abstract appears much much larger. For instance, consider this question.

What is the mind composed of? Where does it sit?

Well many answers could come to our mind. But chances are that in the drowning flow of wild answers, we would be led nowhere, leading to more and more perplexity.

Such research of the abstract, of mind, of intelligence, of ego, of love, of lust, of anger and its cause, of greed and its source, of the soul and its nature, has been done by our ancestors when times were conducive for such research, and the results have been documented in the past. In our times, in the absence of a conducive environment for a fulfilling research of the abstract, not much could be availed by our research, but we could certainly look up to the scriptures, intelligently not trying to reinvent the wheel.

Regular inquisitive and benevolent study of scriptures reveals to us a world of knowledge, free from all the conditioning, unbiased and balanced. Indulge in the knowledge, and discover High Thinking and Plain Living, the TRUE WAY OF LIFE.

Random thoughts

Financial meltdown, 3 day weeks, banks going bankrupt, bailouts, ...

We all wake up to news that we never thought we would see happening.

Did you ever imagine walking into a bank for withdrawal, you have adequate bank balance in your pass book and the bank doesn't have enough to pay you?

Did you ever imagine that business houses which you thought are no less than banks would start talking of job-cuts?

While we dedicate most part of our efforts to see our children settle well, do we actually do enough to hand over this world in the same shape that we received it?

The ideal childhood is that which allows unconditioned, unbiased and balanced thoughts to flourish. Children's character depends on what they observe and absorb in their formative years. Have we created an environment suitable to that?

As spineless citizens, we watch our politicians fathom the depths of immorality. Having allowed leaders to rule us, who are far from good examples, do we realise the cost of our silence?

By allowing the TV (and media in general) to police our thoughts, do we realise that we do not provide the width and freedom of thought to our children?

How much of what we see on TV (ads in particular) do you think is suitable to our children?

Often, one question leads to another.. and another.. and another. More often, questions overwhelm us. Answers, yes I think we know, but most often we do not implement. What use are we putting our thoughts to? Are we doing our duty as citizens? Are we doing our duty as parents? I really do not know. At the present moment, I derive happiness in that the process of questioning myself is on.