Making sense of the world.
John
Born with South Indian genetic origin, with a bit of Bengali cultural strain. Love to think 'out of the box' Not a writer, but love to read what's written. If you have something to say, say it to me. I CAN LISTEN AND LISTEN IT WELL. Been on this planet now, for a little over half a century. Yet trying desperately to make sense not only of the world, but even of myself!! Have my feet on the ground, but love to live in hearts..By the way, I feel I have spoken too much of myself... now shut up and get going!!
Posts by John
Wisdom From A Sage..
Sep 22nd
When I lived in Rishikesh, I had a friend, a very old Sadhu. He was 75 at that time. I often used to visit him in his tiny room. Over cups of tea, which he used to make, we would talk about life and the world and would try to make some sense. One day, he told me a story, a strange love story! Let me tell it to you..
Many years ago, in a small village there lived a young man. He lived in a hut with his young wife, old parents and his younger brother. He was very proud to have a great loving family. The young man was the disciple of a Sadhu who lived in the forest a few miles away from the village.
Every day he used to go to his guru in the forest. The guru had taught him many things of wisdom and told him wonderful stories. One day, as they both were sitting and chatting, the man told his guru how fortunate he was to have a great loving family. The Sadhu enquired of his family. The man told,’ my wife is the most loving woman in the world. She loves me more than anyone else. My parents are also wonderful, they too love me. I don’t think anyone else has such loving parents’ The Sadhu tried to tell him that it is not so and that all form of love in this world is limited. That all relationship in this world has its limitations. But the young man disagreed. He persisted that he alone is the most fortunate person for having such a great loving family. No words of wisdom from the guru would satisfy him.
Another Catwalk
Sep 15th
Every day we are flooded with new gadgets and gizmos. This has not only shaped the way we live but has even changed the meaning of words. Words and definitions are undergoing an evolutionary process. Tweet used to be the sound of a bird, but now if you don’t ‘tweet’ you are not ‘happen’ing’ anymore! Likewise, walking or running no more means the same thing as it used to.
Walking is a good exercise. Not just for the body, but even for the mind and soul. You could take a walk down the lane in the morning and admire the beauty of nature around you. Could feel the earth under your feet, hear the buzz of the bees, could smell the fragrance of the flowers, see the green woods or trees lining the sidewalks. By the time you have walked a few miles, apart from your body being exercised, your entire being has been invigorated by nature. It can be a beautiful experience. And when you have walked for a while, you have actually moved some distance away from the starting point.
But thanks to modern machines within the confines of our walls that have changed all these. Children ‘play’ cricket or football not on the ground, but on computer screens! You can walk, run or even cycle several miles and yet remain at the same spot. The body has exercised, but it is not a wholesome experience.
The glamor world has its pet words too. Tall and lanky figures walk down on narrow ramps displaying style and beauty. They call it catwalk!! But just the other day, I witnessed a different kind of catwalk..
It was very early in the morning. I had to go out to reach a friend to the bus stop. It was still dark and we could see the stars hanging in the sky around the beautiful moon. Something we city dwellers seldom get to see. There were beautiful green woods just across the other side of the road. A gentle breeze was blowing. As we both stood there and waited for the bus, I saw in the distance, four young boys on the road, coming towards us. They were doing a ‘catwalk’ on the road! They were laughing and joking among themselves and as they approached nearer, I could see a tiny creature accompanying them. Sometimes people take their pet dog along with them for their walks. I thought it must have been a small puppy that was accompanying them. They were in a world of their own, enjoying the bliss of the morning. As they neared, I was surprised. It was not a puppy, but a small cat that was accompanying them. For the first time, I saw a cat with its master on a morning walk! The cat was faithfully following the master and that too, without a leash!
It was a beautiful sight. I watched them till they disappeared in the distant dawn with the little cat still following.. A real ‘catwalk’ indeed.. Wouldn’t it be nice to get out of the room for a walk and enjoy the nature.. Machines can never replace nature. Why not leave the lifeless ‘treadmills’ and ‘morning walkers’ and step out into the beauty of nature’s bliss? You don’t need a dog or even a cat. The walk itself satisfies!!
Atonement.
Sep 7th
It happened almost 25 years ago in erstwhile Bombay! The memory however is still fresh in my mind. A group of visually impaired friends used to meet in a small room for an informal time of fellowship on Wednesday evenings. I was one of the volunteers, helping them with reading the newspapers or helping them with their studies.
There I met a young man named Prem. He was in his twenties. He was not a volunteer but a visitor in that campus. Whenever we met, we would exchange casual greetings of hello or hi and would move on. I did not know anything about him and we never talked. I could not get to like this guy at all. His very sight would put me off. Deep within I had some kind of hatred towards him. Whenever we met, I would put on a smile and say ‘hello’ to him, resenting him at the same time. This went on for several months. Face is not always the index of the mind!!
Time went by. One evening. I was at the Mother Teresa’s ‘Home for the Destitute & Dying’ at Byculla. The watchman opened the gate and I saw a yellow-black taxi pull into the courtyard. I was surprised to see Prem. He got down from the taxi. This time we did not exchange any greetings. He seemed to be in a hurry. I saw him open the back door of the taxi. There was a dirty bundle on the seat. With care he carried that bundle in both his hands and put it down gently. More >