Perspectives

1:
As I stand still by the roadside
Watching the machines fly by me
I wish I could drive one so beautiful
Tis the pace at which I want to be.

2:
As I stand still by the roadside
Seeing the machines whiz away
Ugly and loathsome they seem to me
Destroying the serenity of the day.

3:
As I stand still by the roadside
As the machines fly away in their pace
Serenity and speed lie not in the car but inside me
This knowledge dawning, brings a smile to the face :)

Carrots

Once there was a gardener Bhaari. He had a beautiful rabbit. This story is of those times where rabbits could understand and even speak English. Not only rabbits, but the entire animal kingdom could. If you havent read about this age in history, then you didnt read the right books!

So, as I was saying, our dear rabbit Dido was an intelligent kitten. His master Bhaari took him to different kitten races. He told Dido, "You win the race and I will give you a carrot." Dido always won. He simply loved the carrots.



Slowly slowly, Dido grew up. With all the carrots, he was bound to be fitter than most other rabbits. Bhaari now took Dido to the bigger races where Dido competed with much bigger rabbits. He told Dido as always, "Win the race and take the carrot". Dido was unhappy. He complained, "These races are bigger, tougher. I will not run or win for one carrot. I need two." Bhaari agreed. Dido always won. Slowly slowly, Dido got 3, 4, 5... carrots per race. Dido now grew fat and bulky. He ofcouse could not run the races anymore. He seemed tired. He wanted his master to take care of him now. The master just wanted to win the races. One fine day, the master threw Dido out of the house to get a beautiful new rabbit Mojo.

Also, at the same time there was a wise old fellow Sada. He had a not-so-beautiful rabbit Jijo. Jijo never won the races. His master after every loss told him, "You are very lucky. You got one more chance to learn today. Learn from your mistakes and move ahead." Jijo always got a carrot irrespective of whether he won or not. Jijo would make it a point to try his best to not let his master down. He practised harder and harder after every race. But, he surely wasnt the best. He always lost. When he grew up, his master gave him 2 carrots after every race. Never more. He said, "If you have too many carrots, you will end up spoiling your health". Jijo never asked for more.

The wise old man fell unwell one odd day. Jijo didnt want to disappoint the old man. He knew this could possibly be the last race the old man saw. He gave his best. He could have died on the race ground, that was his fierceness. He still didnt make it. He was a close second. With eyes blurred with tears, he reached his master. "I am sorry master. I failed you once again. You deserve a much better pet". To this, the wise master replied, "If you would have failed me, you would not have been besides me now. I have seen you put your efforts day in day out. You have done your 100%. Still, if only results matter, you have given me the true result in life. You have given me the happiness which no other rabbit could ever give. You gave me your sweat, you made me proud".

The master went on to live to see the next race which Jijo won.

Shocked at Jijo's - the weakest rabbit's - win, Dido came to meet him. "How did you manage this Jijo? I can barely run these days." To which Jijo replied,"We all run for carrots. More and more. More and more. Carrots are our motivation. After each win, they make us happy but the need for further motivation just keeps increasing. But, when there is no motivation, no need for even a carrot - when you have a master like mine - what you have is not motivation, but inspiration. And a second of inspiration lasts you a lifetime".

Dido understood the difference between a management Guru and a spiritual Guru :)

The painting

It had been a boring summer at home after my ship reached Indian shores having traveled to exotic locations across four continents of the world during winter and spring. Days were spent not knowing what to do with them; one day at a time. Today, while glancing through the Bombay Times (for it deserves no more than a glance), I saw that one of India's most renowned painters Mr. Natwar Shah had his painting exhibition at the Jehangir Art gallery called 'My signature exhibition'. It was one of its kind, for the guests would not only get to meet Mr. Shah in person but also for the first time on display were his unsigned paintings. He would sign them in front of all his fans and the entire gathering at the gallery. Reading that advertisement, I started reminiscing my days at school where I loved to paint and decided to check out the exhibition to get a glimpse of Mr. Shah myself. Afterall, there could be nothing juicier than art on a dry summer day.

Jehangir Art Gallery is perhaps honored of being the place where the best put their best on display. While looking at the various pieces of marvel, there was an unusual one that caught my eye. It was painted majorly in shades of black but also randomly in shades of red, orange, green. The forms in the painting seemed undecipherable and I couldn't make much of the painting. I looked at the title of the painting. It was called 'Happiness' and i realized this is what people called abstract painting!



The painting was making no sense to me and while I was looking at the painting, another curious painting enthusiast came and stood next to me. "Wow, isn't that a remarkable painting?", he exclaimed. I was wondering how did he decode the crypt hidden in the painting or whether he was just faking it up. Whichever be the case, not wanting to look ignorant, I said, "Ya. It is so beautiful. Look at the various new forms and patterns. They are so creative and unusual". There are two types of men in the world - a few mad ones who comprehend art and the others who behaved as it they were the mad ones. This fellow seemed to belong to the first category though for he analyzed the hues, the forms and their relation to happiness with me in great detail.

While this discussion (rather a monologue) was on, a few more had joined us. Someone remarked, "How uncharacteristic and creative! Look at the Z and the inverted A painted at the two ends of the painting. The painter believes that a reversal of the dogmas taught to us in the name of education and moving backwards from Z towards A, inverting whatever biases we have in our heads, only that can bring true happiness to the society!"

"What an intelligent interpretation!", I thought. Continuing this idea, I said, "Ya absolutely. The author believes in the reversal of tradition. Some of his forms look like inverted human faces to me and he stands for inversion of dogmas, change and revolution." I was soaking in this revelation that had occurred to me when Mr. Natwar Shah, the great painter (now perhaps legendary for me) himself arrived at the exhibition. I was eager to know his interpretation of the painting and I was so glad that I had decided to come to the exhibition.

Mr. Shah began by signing each of his paintings and each sign of his led to thunderous applause from his fans (me now one of them :) ). After signing a few paintings, he reached us. After seeing so many gathered around a painting of his, he took a look at this painting. He looked infuriated when his eyes met the painting. "I am so sorry for this", he apologized to us. "Ramu", he shouted at the top of voice while we were bewildered at what was happening. Ramu, the caretaker of the gallery arrived almost immediately at Mr. Shah's call. "Can't you see a painting and put it up? Why have you put this on display upside down? Change this, you idiot".

I felt naked. And perhaps all those who ACT like mad men did!

In All Times

Bad Times

The bad times tear you apart
Ripping your inside with a sharp edged knife
Pain soaring through the mind
Trying to figure the conundrum called life

Feeling just like closing the eyes
Losing yourself in oblivion
A world where no one knows you
Where you know no one
A non-existent entity!

Good times

The bliss percolating in you
And also being reflected at the same time
The reflection adding to the percolation
The world lies at your feet

Feeling like sharing the warmth
Hugging even those you do not know
Seeking to reach the zenith
Of the mountain called happiness

All Times

All times good or bad
Fade away in diminishing light
Mere reflections remain
Telling you about the impermanence

Making you seek the permanent
Making you seek the zenith and the zero
Both together at the same time
Being non-existent and being the infinite!

Thus passes another day

Thus passes another day
Without the slightest trace
No sound, no movement
And it exists no more.

I am no greater
For I will pass too
Not a matter of days, but years
A mere second in the frame of the Universe

Miniscule and virtually non-existent
I sit in one corner of the world
Thinking about myself, my pain, my agony
Considering myself the hero of this fantasy!

Hoping for a change, a reform
Hoping for a better tomorrow
When it’s all suppose to pass away
No sound, no movement.

Death doesn’t have claws
It is serene, it is true
It comes but doesn’t last half a second
No sound, no movement

And despite all this, the world changes
Please don’t call it the cumulative effect
Its not me who does anything
And if you think its you,
Know you will pass too.

And then I surrender one day
To the Universe
Since it knows best and it sent me here
Everything will end when will go away all fear

And then will pass another day
A happier me
A blissful me
No sound, no movement.

The solution

Rashid and I went to the municipality office to lodge a complaint against the open sewage in our area, which was causing a health epidemic. The authorities, like in any other municipality office, were highly apathetic and directed us from one counter to the other, asking us to complete endless formalities without providing any assistance. “You need to fill the complaint form”, “Checking the completed form is not my duty – it is Mishra’s duty. Go to that counter”, “Cant you complete the form properly? What do you mean you don’t know what to fill in these fields?”, “Come back after half an hour. I need to have my tea.”, “What are you guys doing here till now? Cant you wrap up your work quickly”.

By the end of an hour, I was seething with anger. I started cursing them, “God, these men don’t deserve anything. What they do to others, the same should happen to them. They deserve worse. Let them remain dumb and unenlightened for the rest of their lives.” I was loud enough for Rashid to hear and he prayed, “God, bless these people. Give them a lot of happiness and contentment. Enlighten them”. “What for, Rashid?”, I cut his stupid prayer short. He replied, with the wisdom of a hundred year old sage, ”For when they are enlightened will they realize that the way they are working is wrong. And that will bring about an internal reform in them. And then this will never happen again”.

“Punishment serves no purpose. It is cruel to the one it is inflicted on and it makes no difference to the offender’s future for he remains ignorant. Reform changes a man internally; it causes a realization and the man never wrongs again. An eye for an eye just makes two men blind.”. I now knew why Rashid never believed in capital punishment. He knew the solution.

[Dedicated to H.H.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar who has taken the Art of Living Courses to prisoners across the world bringing about a complete reform in their lives]

The echo

The boy reached the edge where the mountain met the valley. He screamed "Hello"; back came the same reply in a similar voice. He did not like the fact that someone had a voice so similar to his; he shouted back "I hate you". The reply was "I hate you".

Some time later in the day, the boy went to his dad and said, "Dad I love you"; his dad said, "I love you too son". The mountain had taught the boy the law of karma.